Doctoral Students

Savannah Havird

CONtact

savannahhavird@usf.edu

BIO

Savannah Havird is a doctoral student in Politics and International Affairs at the University of South Florida. With a Master of Public Administration from USF and a B.A. in Political Science from Saint Leo University, her academic journey is rooted in a strong foundation of political theory and practical public policy experience. She is committed to producing research that bridges theory and practice, aiming to inform both scholarly discourse and real-world policymaking.

Her research explores the intersections of political behavior, public opinion, democratic resilience, and political psychology. Savannah’s current work examines the psychological dimensions of political stress, misinformation, and polarization. In 2024, she co-led a nationwide four-part election survey, focusing on political stress, election integrity, and partisan division—findings that were presented at the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) Annual Conference.

Her collaborative work spans multiple disciplines, including emergency preparedness and disaster governance. She co-authored a policy analysis of the 2023 Maui wildfires, presented at the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) Conference, with a focus on crisis management and organizational coordination.