Robert W. Glover

Robert W. Glover is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Honors, a joint appointment in the Department of Political Science and the Honors College at the University of Maine. His research focuses on drug policy, elections and voting, and democratic engagement. He is a co-author of ENACT-ing Change: A Handbook for Teaching Advocacy and Civic Engagement, which provides a practical framework for helping students engage the state legislative process through research, collaboration with advocacy organizations, and evidence-based policy advocacy. His scholarship has appeared in journals including Political Studies, Philosophy & Social Criticism, The Journal of Political Science Education, and the Journal of Drug Issues.

Glover’s work bridges research, teaching, and public engagement. In 2024 he received the University of Maine Presidential Public Engagement Award and has also been recognized with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Faculty Awards for Teaching and for Service/Public Engagement.

His teaching emphasizes experiential and community-engaged learning. He leads an innovative year-long Practicum in Engaged Policy Studies in which students partner with community stakeholders to design and conduct research that produces actionable insights on public problems. He also directs a study abroad program in Portugal that offers students an immersive look at the country’s quarter-century-long experience with drug decriminalization and its broader public health approach to drug policy.