Trevor G. Samaha, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Public Law at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Upcoming public class: The Supreme Court & You: Understanding Recent Decisions, Sunday, October 18, 2026, 4:00–5:30 PM, at The Chattery (1800 Rossville Ave., Chattanooga). Presented in partnership with the League of Women Voters Chattanooga. Free; registration at the link.
Prior to my appointment at UTC in 2025, I earned my Ph.D. in Political Science at West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV, with fields in American Politics and Public Policy. I was previously an Adjunct Professor of Political Science at Glenville State University. Prior to entering academia, I served in the United States Navy. I earned my Master of Arts in Political Science from West Virginia University, my Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Cal Poly Pomona (Magna Cum Laude), and my Associate of Arts in Political Science from Fullerton College (High Honors).
My research centers on judicial politics and public law. Current projects examine judicial behavior on the contemporary Supreme Court and the influence of political polarization on federal judicial appointments, work I plan to extend to federal bureaucratic appointments. My dissertation, “The Impact of Political Party Control on Health Outcomes in U.S. States,” examined whether partisan control of state government shapes infant mortality, Type II diabetes, and COVID-19 outcomes, and I continue to develop that work into standalone papers. I am also broadly interested in American political institutions and in gun violence and gun control.
My objective as a professor is to use my passion for teaching to motivate students to develop a passion for learning. My experience teaching at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, West Virginia University, and Glenville State University has made me aware of the need for classrooms to be equitable and inclusive. Some ways I accomplish this is by having clear, open communication with my students, and by providing a supportive and caring environment. I also believe in teaching in a way that reaches all students regardless of their background or future goals. I encourage students to make connections between political science and other disciplines. I have taught Constitutional Law, Civil Liberties, Comparative Legal Systems, Judicial Process, Supreme Court Politics, Law and the Legal System, Research Methods, American National Government, and Intro to Public Administration as the instructor of record, and I will teach Military Law and Politics in Spring 2027.
In addition to teaching, I advise and mentor undergraduate students. At UTC, I am the pre-law advisor for political science students and the faculty advisor for the Pre-Law Society and Mock Trial. At WVU, I advised over 200 students, including over 50 honors students, and served as a political science advisor for New Student Orientation from 2020 to 2024, advising incoming freshmen and then continuing as their academic advisor through their first year. In 2024, I was nominated for the Nicholas Evans Excellence in Advising Award at WVU (I was ineligible to win the award as a graduate student). I also served as the faculty mentor for 14 political science students completing their Senior Capstone Project and one student completing her WVU Experiential Learning for Honors project.
