Expert Source: Joan E. McLean, Ph.D.

Joan McLean is a former political adviser to Geraldine Ferraro and was part of the group that designed the strategy to help Ferraro become Walter Mondale’s running mate in the 1984 presidential race. McLean’s background also includes serving as political director of the National Women’s Political Caucus and ERAmerica. At Ohio Wesleyan, she teaches courses in equality and American politics as well as mass media and American politics. She also serves as the university’s associate dean for first-year students, helping students to transition successfully to college life.

Education:

• B.A., University of Florida
• M.A., The Ohio State University
• Ph.D., The Ohio State University

Areas of Expertise:

• Women in politics
• Mass media and politics
• The American presidency
• Student transition to college life

Selected Publications:

• “The Secret to Change by Millie Jeffrey,” documentary co-writer and production director. Jeffrey, a 2000 recipient of the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, is a galvanizing activist in the twentieth century's revolution for social justice.
• “Campaign Strategy” in Women and American Politics: New Questions, New Directions, edited by Susan J. Carroll. This book examines women's participation in the electoral arena and the emerging scholarship on the relationship between the media and women in politics, the participation of women of color, and women's activism outside the electoral arena.