The APSA Ombuds will be available virtually during the 2024 APSA Virtual Research Meeting on February 8-9, to speak with any meeting attendee on a variety of topics including, but not limited to, consultation with those who believe that they have experienced any form of harassment, or have concerns about violations of the sexual harassment provisions of the APSA Anti-Harassment Policy while participating in the meeting. The APSA Ombuds is also available to speak with committee, section and caucus members who are facing challenges that you’d like to get the ombuds advice on. More information about the APSA Ombuds is located www.apsanet.org/ombuds. Email the Ombuds at apsaombuds@gmail.com to schedule a virtual consultation or phone call during the 2024 Virtual Research Meeting.
David Rasch, PhD, University of California, Santa Barbara
David Rasch is the Associate Ombuds at the University of California, Santa Barbara. David received his BA in Philosophy from Colgate University, and a Ph.D in Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies. He recently retired from Stanford University where he served as University Ombuds for 14 years, and now lives in Ojai. Prior to his work as Ombuds, he was director of Stanford’s faculty/staff Counseling Center. David served for six years on the board of directors for Co-op, which oversees the testing and certification process for the organizational Ombuds Profession. In addition to his Ombuds work, David also consults and teaches on topics related to writing productivity.
APSA Annual Meeting Ombuds
Dr. Rasch has served as the Annual Meeting Ombuds since the 2017 APSA Annual Meeting (where he was the Co-Ombuds). He also served as the 2023 APSA Annual Meeting.
APSA Teaching and Learning Conference Ombuds
The APSA Ombuds was available virtually during the 2023 TLC Meeting to speak with meeting attendees on a variety of topics including, but not limited to, consultation with any meeting attendees who believe that they have experienced any form of harassment, or have concerns about violations of the sexual harassment provisions of the APSA anti-harassment policy while onsite at the 2023 TLC Meeting. More information about the APSA Ombuds is located www.apsanet.org/ombuds.
Previous Ombuds
Carol Mershon, University of Virginia
Carol Mershon, Ph.D., is the Hugh S. and Winifred Cumming Chair in Politics at the University of Virginia. Mershon has served as interim co-pi / program director for UVA Charge, the NSF advance program at UVA, and continues to serve on the UVA Charge Internal Advisory Board. A member of the steering committee of the Directors of Diversity and Inclusion in UVA Arts & Sciences, Mershon helped spearhead the creation of the pilot UVA Arts & Sciences faculty guides program, designed to handle concerns about, e.g., harassment, conflicts of interest, and equity. In her most recent NSF-funded project, with Denise Walsh, Mershon has developed strategies for diversifying leadership and addressing bias in political science and academe more broadly. She served as the 2017, 2018, and 2019 APSA Annual Meeting Co-Ombuds and the 2018 APSA TLC Ombuds.