1. SCOTT KOON
2017 Bayleaf Drive, Durham, NC 27712
Home: (919) 685-5700
drsrkoon@gmail.com
Political scientist with experience in empirical research and teaching students from a wide variety of
backgrounds, with a focus on American Government and Politics. Journalist and writer with thousands
of published documents for clients in the financial services industry. Experienced volunteer leader and
grassroots political organizer.
Field Operations
Political Science
Quantitative Analysis
Writing
Website maintenance
Desktop publishing
Volunteer training
Social media
Political Organizing
Founding member of both Durham for Kerry and Durham for Obama. Worked to improve Durham
voter turnout from 50% to over 70% by strategically targeting the lowest-turnout precincts for
canvassing. Developed and led GOTV countywide in 2004, for North Durham in 2008.
Data Analysis
Maintained data on voters and volunteers for both Durham for Kerry and Durham for Obama.
Successfully managed data operations.
Budget
Assumed control of a college newspaper budget that had been running deficits for seven straight
years and left it with a surplus.
2005PH.D.: POLITICAL SCIENCE
University of California at Davis, Davis, California
1999MASTER OF ARTS: POLITICAL SCIENCE
Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI
1995BACHELOR OF ARTS: POLITICAL SCIENCE
Washington College, Chestertown, MD
1986HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA
John F. Kennedy School, Berlin, DE
High School Diploma, John F. Kennedy School, West Berlin, Germany, 1986.
In Defense of the State: Karl Schmitt's Critique of Liberalism as the Ideology of Civil Society
OVERVIEW
CORE STRENGTHS
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
EDUCATION
DISSERTATION

2. 01/2002 to 01/2003
SOUTHWEST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY
Springfield, Missouri
Lecturer
Taught four sections of American Democracy and Citizenship, lecturing and making use of the latest
available instruction technology; consulting with individual students; instructing students in U.S. and
Missouri government and citizenship in accordance with state law; and promoting the values of a liberal
education in accordance with SMSU's mission of developing educated persons who have an
appreciation for the common vocation of citizenship.
01/1999 to 01/2002
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
Davis, California
Teaching Assistant
Led weekly discussion sections, graded coursework and examinations, conducted review sessions,
delivered lectures, consulted with individual students, and wrote letters of recommendation in the
following courses: Introduction to American Government (4 times), Basic Concepts in Political Theory,
Introduction to Comparative Politics, Problems in Contemporary Politics.
01/1999 to 01/1999
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
Davis, California
Reader
Graded coursework and developed examination questions and research paper topics in the following
courses: Mass Media and Politics, Politics and Inequality.
01/1998 to 01/1999
CU MARKETING
Mount Pleasant, MI
Freelance Survey Researcher
Conducted survey research for clients in the financial services industry. Worked with clients'
management to develop appropriate survey instruments to determine the best way to meet the needs of
their clientele. Designed questionnaires, entered data, analyzed data and wrote reports of findings for the
use of clients' management and boards.
01/1995 to 01/1999
CU MARKETING
Mount Pleasant, MI
Writer
Wrote and proofread a wide variety of materials for a client base of 150 credit unions. Materials produced
included print ads, quarterly newsletters, posters, annual reports, terms and conditions, financial
disclosures, and a wide variety of flyers and inserts. Regularly met tight production deadlines while
meeting strict standards for quality and originality. Top performer in the writing department who
regularly exceeded quarterly departmental goals.
01/1994 to 01/1994
THOMAS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
Thomas, OK
Mental Health Technician
Worked to provide care to patients at an inpatient geriatric psychiatric ward in a small rural hospital.
Worked with a team including psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers and nurses to provide
quality care to a population of Medicare and Medicaid patients, including the chronically mentally ill.
EXPERIENCE

3. 01/1993 to 01/1994
WASHINGTON COLLEGE ELM
Chestertown, MD
Editor-in-Chief
Supervised a staff of over 20 student reporters, writers and editors at our college's weekly newspaper.
Mentored student staff to ensure that there would be several good candidates capable of running the
newspaper at the end of my tenure. Wrote news articles, editorials and features, and laid out the paper
weekly using QuarkXPress. Assumed ultimate editorial responsibility for proofreading, content and
quality while meeting fixed weekly deadlines. Worked under the supervision of Richard Harwood, who
had recently retired from a long tenure as Ombudsman of the Washington Post.
01/1993 to 01/1993
KENT COUNTY NEWS
Chestertown, MD
Intern
Edited press releases, wrote news articles and features, took photographs, proofread and performed
numerous other duties as a summer intern at a small local newspaper in the county seat of Kent County,
Maryland.
01/1992 to 01/1993
WASHINGTON COLLEGE
Chestertown, MD
Teaching Assistant
Conducted individual tutorials on data entry and analysis, delivered guest lectures and helped to design
a survey instrument in a required course for political science majors which served as an introduction to
political science methods, primarily focused on statistics and survey research.
01/1987 to 01/1988
PUBLIC INTEREST COMMUNICATIONS
Pittsburgh, PA
Communicator
Worked as a telephone fundraiser at a call center to raise funds for a wide variety of progressive clients,
including NOW, NARAL, Planned Parenthood, The Nature Conservancy, ACLU, World Wildlife Fund,
and Amnesty International.
Webmaster, Pack 424
Maintaining, updating and copyediting website for the Cub Scout Pack 424 chartered by Immaculata
Catholic School in Durham, 2013-present.
Assistant Den Leader
Assistant Den Leader for Den 5, 2014-present.
North Carolina Science Olympiad Coach
Coached an event team at Easley Elementary in Durham for the last two years, helped lead the team to the
Durham Regional Championship two years running.
Volunteer, Durham for Obama/Obama for America
Helped to set up Durham for Obama in advance of the 2008 primary, coordinated with Obama for America.
Executive committee member. Conducted canvassing operations county-wide, trained hundreds of
volunteers. Managed volunteer resources and co-led voter registration and GOTV efforts.
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

4. GOTV Coordinator, Durham for Kerry
Helped establish Durham for Kerry in advance of the 2004 primary, executive committee member.
Developed overall strategy for voter registration and GOTV efforts in consultation with other executive
committee members. Personally maintained and conducted all data operations. Helped to achieve 25%
increase in voter turnout, even after national campaign pulled out of NC.
Read/write/speak: German
LANGUAGES