Udi Sommer
Udi Sommer

Udi Sommer
Associate Professor of Political Science

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Tel Aviv University, Naftali 529
Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, ISRAEL
+972547137053

udi.sommer@gmail.com

CV

Personal

  • Date and Place of Birth: December 28, 1974; Jerusalem, Israel
  • Nationality: Israeli
  • Personal Status: Married, dual-career family, 3 children (20 years; 17.5 years; 14 years)

Academic Positions

  • Tel Aviv University, Head, Barak Leadership Center, 2024-
  • Tel Aviv University, Head, Scientific Council of the Center for the Study of the USA, 2020-
  • Tel Aviv University, Political Science Associate professor, 2020-
  • John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY, John Jay Research Fellow 2023-24
  • Israeli Young National Academy of Science, Chair, 2018-19, Member, 2015-19
  • Center for the Study of the USA at Tel Aviv University, Founding Head 2018 – 2020
  • Tel Aviv University, The Blavatnik Multidisciplinary Center for Cyber Research, Member, Scientific Council, 2015-
  • Columbia University, Political Science Israel Institute Visiting Professor – 2016-18, 2024
  • Tel Aviv University, Political Science Senior Lecturer, 2013-20
  • Tel Aviv University, Political Science Lecturer, 2010-13
  • University at Albany: State University of New York, Department of Political Science Assistant Professor (tenure track), 2007-10, 2024

Academy Memberships

  • Global Young Academy 2019-
  • Israeli Young National Academy of Sciences 2015-19
  • Chair of Israel Young Academy 2018-19

Education

  • Stony Brook University: SUNY, Ph.D. in Political Science, August 2007
    Exams: Political Methodology, American Politics, Political Economy
    Dissertation: “A Supreme Discretion and A Passivity Conundrum: Strategic Agenda Setting in the US Supreme Court.”
    Committee: Jeff Segal (adviser), Stanley Feldman, Scott Basinger and Jeff Lax (Columbia)
  • Tel Aviv University, M.A. in Clinical Psychology, Magna Cum Laude, 2002
    MA Thesis: ”What Leads to Aggression? The Development of a Predictive Model”
    Michael Rosenbaum (adviser)
  • Hebrew University, Amirim Program for Outstanding Students, 1999
  • Hebrew University, B.A. in Psychology, Magna Cum Laude, 1999

Books

Producing Reproductive Rights: Determining Abortion Policy Worldwide (Cambridge University Press, 2019) (with Aliza Forman-Rabinovici)

Legal Path Dependence and the Long Arm of the Religious State: Sodomy Provisions and Gay Rights Across Nations and Over Time (SUNY Press 2016) (with Victor Asal)

A Supreme Agenda: Strategic Case Selection on the US Supreme Court (Palgrave-MacMillan 2014)

Home but Away: The Experience of Immigrant Parents (2010 Hebrew version received extensive media coverage, with its findings reported in The New York Post, Ynet, Haaretz, Israeli TV Channels 2 & 10 and Kol Yisrael, among many other outlets)

Refereed Journals (>50 peer-reviewed publications)

Scholarships, Honors and Awards

  • US Department of State and the Fulbright Program 2018-21 (1 Million NIS with multiple partners across TAU)
  • Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center Grant 2017-9 ($85,000)
  • Israel Institute Fellowship at Columbia University 2016-18 ($178,000)
  • Israeli Young National Academy of Sciences 2015-9
  • Finalists, LSA 2nd Half-Century Project, Law & Society Association 2014
  • Provost’s List of Top 100 Outstanding Professors, Tel Aviv University, 2015
  • Marie Curie Grant, the European Research Council, 2011-2015, (€100,000)
  • Provost’s List of Top 100 Outstanding Professors, Tel Aviv University, 2014
  • Martin Edelman Award for Outstanding Teaching, University at Albany, 2010 ($500)
  • University at Albany: SUNY Research Awards Program, 2008-2009 ($9,637)
  • NSF Doctoral Dissertation Grant, 2007-2008 ($11,900)
  • Fulbright Grant for Doctoral Students, 2003-2005 ($25,000)
  • Stony Brook Foundation, Summer Research Grant, 2004 ($5,000)
  • Fulbright Professional Enhancement Grant, 2004
  • Full tuition scholarship, Stony Brook University, 2003-07 ($40,000)
  • Financial aid Fellowship, Stony Brook University, 2003-07 ($48,000)
  • Full tuition scholarship, Hebrew University, 1996-99 ($14,000)
  • Financial aid Fellowship, Hebrew University, 1996-99 ($3,000)
  • Dean’s List, Hebrew University, 1996, 1997, 1998
  • The ‘Payis’ Award for Young Artists, 2002 ($1,500)

Conference Participation, Organizer, and Talks (>60 presentations in international venues)

2024 –

American Political Science Association (Philadelphia), Midwest Political Science Association (Chicago, IL), Southern Political Science Association

2023 –

American Political Science Association (LA), International Political Science Association (Buenos Aires), Midwest Political Science Association (Chicago, IL), Southern Political Science Association (Florida)

2022 –

American Political Science Association (Montreal, Canada), Midwest Political Science Association (Chicago, IL), Southern Political Science Association (San Antonio, TX)

2021 –

  • American Political Science Association Annual Meeting (Seattle, WA), International Studies Association (online), Midwest Political Science Association (online), Invited Talk at Chandigarh University (India, held online)

2020 –

  • American Political Science Association Annual Meeting (online), International Studies Association (cancelled due to COVID-19), Midwest Political Science Association (cancelled due to COVID-19)

2019 –

  • Southern Political Science Association Annual Meeting (Austin, TX)
  • Cycon(Tallinn, Estonia)

2018 –

2017 –

2016 –

2015 –

  • Empirical Legal Studies Conference (Hebrew U)
  • Invited talks at Fudan University (Shanghai)
  • Global Young Academy (Amsterdam)
  • Global Young Academy (Stockholm)
  • European Political Science Association Meeting (Vienna)

2014 –

  • Conference on Empirical Legal Studies (Berkeley)
  • Southern Political Science Association Annual Meeting (New Orleans)
  • Midwest Political Science Association Annual Meeting (Chicago)
  • International Association for Constitutional Law Meeting (Oslo)
  • Irish Political Science Association Meeting (Galway)

2013 –

  • Midwest Political Science Association Annual Meeting (Chicago)
  • Hebrew University School of Law – Constitutional Law Seminar
  • European Political Science Association Annual Meeting (Barcelona)
  • Association for Israel Studies (Los Angeles)
  • Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics (Milano)

2012 –

  • Southern Political Science Association Annual Meeting (New Orleans)
  • Midwest Political Science Association Annual Meeting (Chicago)
  • American Political Science Association Annual Meeting (New Orleans)
  • European Political Science Association Annual Meeting (Berlin)
  • Hebrew University, workshop for beginning scholars (Jerusalem, Israel)

2011 –

  • Southern Political Science Association Annual Meeting (New Orleans)
  • Midwest Political Science Association Annual Meeting (Chicago)
  • American Political Science Association Annual Meeting (Seattle, WA)
  • International Society for Political Psychology Annual Meeting (Istanbul, Turkey)
  • European Political Science Association Annual Meeting (Dublin, Ireland)
  • Hebrew University, workshop for beginning scholars (Jerusalem, Israel)
  • Invited talk – University at Albany, Rockefeller College, Albany NY (April 2011)

2010 –

  • Southern Political Science Association Annual Meeting (Atlanta)
  • Western Political Science Association Annual Meeting (San Francisco)
  • Midwest Political Science Association Annual Meeting (Chicago)
  • American Political Science Association Annual Meeting (Washington, DC)
  • Invited talk – IDC Herzliya, Israel (December 2010)

2009 –

  • Northeastern Political Science Association Annual Meeting (Philadelphia, PA)

2008 –

  • American Political Science Association Annual Meeting (Boston MA)
  • Midwest Political Science Association Annual Meeting (Chicago IL)
  • Southern Political Science Association Annual Meeting (New Orleans LA)
  • Western Political Science Association Annual Meeting (San Diego CA)
  • Law and Society Association Annual Meeting (Montréal)
  • ISA-West Annual Meeting (San Francisco CA)

2007 –

  • Association for Israel Studies (Ra’annana Israel)
  • Midwest Political Science Association Annual Meeting (Chicago IL)
  • Western Political Science Association Annual Meeting (Las Vegas NV)
  • Southern Political Science Association Annual Meeting (New Orleans LA)
  • Southern Political Science Association Annual Meeting (New Orleans LA)
  • Southern Political Science Association Annual Meeting (New Orleans LA)

2006 –

  • American Political Science Association Annual Meeting (Philadelphia PA)
  • Southern Political Science Association (Atlanta GA)
  • Midwest Political Science Association Annual Conference (Chicago, IL)
  • Association of Israel Studies Annual Meeting (Banff, Alberta)

2005 –

  • Midwest Political Science Association Annual Meting (Chicago, IL)
  • Taub Center, New York University, December 2, 2005
  • Hebrew University, Jerusalem, December 28, 2005

Other Refereed Work

  •  
  • “Remote Participants” In Tal, D. Israeli Identities: Between East and West. London: Routledge (2013) with Michal Ben Zvi Sommer

Encyclopedia Entries

Book Reviews

Reviewer

American National Science Foundation (reviewer and invited panelist), Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, The Journal of Politics, Law and Society Review, Comparative Politics, Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, Journal of Conflict Resolution, European Journal of International Relations, Political Research Quarterly, Law & Policy, American Politics Research, International Political Science Review, Political Psychology, Sociological Focus, Politica, Justice System Journal

Political Research Quarterly’s 2011 Outstanding Reviewer Award

Teaching

  • Department of Political Science, Columbia University, 2016 – 2018
  • International Masters Program in Conflict Resolution and Mediation, Tel Aviv University, 2011 – present
  • International Masters Program in Security and Diplomacy, Tel Aviv University, 2011 – present
  • Political Science, Tel Aviv University, 2010 – present
  • Political Science, University at Albany: State University of New York, 2007-10
  • Political Science, Stony Brook University, 2005-7

Prizes, Scholarships and Grants by my Graduate Students

Gad Yacobi scholarship, Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fellowship, Raffa and Paula Atlas Endowment Fund scholarship, The Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center (ICRC) exploratory research grant, Tali Gordon Scholarship for Academic Excellence and Mirella Haggiag Research Grant

PhD Dissertation Committee Chair or Member: Jonathan Parent (University at Albany: State University of New York); Katie Zuber (University at Albany: State University of New York); Kimberley Fletcher (University at Albany: State University of New York); Aliza Forman-Rabinovici (Tel Aviv U); Gil Baram (Tel Aviv U); Lior Yoffe (Tel Aviv U); Sharon Elhadad (Tel Aviv U)

MA Thesis Adviser: Hila Osovski (Tel Aviv U); Romanos Kefalidis (Tel Aviv U); Seher Dongel (Tel Aviv U); Yulia Gurelik (Tel Aviv U); Sharon Alon (Tel Aviv U); Alexandru Bar (Tel Aviv U); Inke Kavantera (Tel Aviv U); Armando Murillo (Tel Aviv U); Suzanna Christiansen (Tel Aviv U); Leah Croughan (Tel Aviv U); Clareta Treger (second reader; Tel Aviv U); Brooklin Nash (Tel Aviv U); Lev Topor (Tel Aviv U); Simone Lehman (Tel Aviv U); Dor Gosher (Tel Aviv U); Simon Luling (Tel Aviv U); Danny Kommel (Tel Aviv U); Omer Solodoch (Tel Aviv U); Efrat Lachter (Tel Aviv U); David Jensen-Lopez (Tel Aviv U); Fred Hockney (Tel Aviv U); Roi Shafrir (Tel Aviv U); Steven Ronak (Tel Aviv U)

Courses Taught

Doctoral – Survey Class in Comparative Politics; Survey Class in Public Law; Math for Political Scientists; Advanced Judicial Decision Making Seminar; Advanced Political Methodology; Introduction to the Discipline of Political Science

Masters – Intermediate Statistics for Public Policy; Research Methods in Comparative Politics and International Relations; Israeli Politics; Israeli-Arab Conflict; US Foreign Policy

Undergraduate – Israeli Politics, Introduction to Comparative Politics; American Supreme Court; Constitutional Law and Politics: USA; Civil Rights and Civil Liberties; Research Methods

Media

Expert commentator and op-eds on WKGO San Francisco, Israeli TV Channels 1, 2, 10 & 20, Christian Science Monitor, Haaretz.com (English), ynet.co.il, Haaretz newspaper, Galatz Israeli Radio and Knesset TV Channel.

Professional Affiliations

American, European, Midwest, Southern and Western Political Science Associations

Other Work Experience

  • Project Director, Tel Aviv University, Summer Youth University Project. The project promotes political, social and educational goals, for 50 high-potential high school students of lower socioeconomic status. Project was under the aegis of the President of Tel Aviv University Prof. Itamar Rabinovich, 2001-2003.
  • Project Initiator and Director, the ‘Dor Shalom’ (Generation for Peace) Movement. An outreach Project for Jews of Ethiopian Origin in Israel – Eighty-five new Ethiopian immigrants participated in the project, 1999.
  • Psychotherapist – Community Center for Mental Patients, Jaffa, Abarbanel Mental Institution, Bat Yam – Psychotherapy with mental patients, 1998-2002

Literary Publications

  • Vertebrae (Forthcoming), volume of poetry published by Emda/Carmel Publishers
  • Order of the Acts of Love, volume of poetry published by Emda/Bittan Publishers, Tel Aviv, 2002
  • Published short stories and poetry in Ha’aretz, Maariv, Yedioth Aharonoth, Iton 77’, Moznayim, Gag, Mitan, Shvo, Emda, and Helicon

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