Justin Garrison

Research Fellow for Campus Freedom

Dr. Garrison is the Research Fellow for Campus Freedom with the Campus Freedom Initiative at ACTA. He conducts research and analysis on colleges and universities for various projects, including ACTA’s Gold Standard for Freedom of Expression campaigns. He also contributes to ACTA efforts to promote free expression and institutional neutrality throughout higher education. Prior to joining ACTA, Dr. Garrison was an associate professor of political science at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia. His teaching interests were American politics and political theory. His research focuses on American literature and political thought as well as the mimetic theory of René Girard. His publications include ‘An Empire of Ideals’: The Chimeric Imagination of Ronald Reagan, the co-edited volume, The Historical Mind: Humanistic Renewal in a Post-Constitutional Age, and numerous book chapters and journal articles. He earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in Politics from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and he earned his B.A. in History/Russian Studies from Mercyhurst University in Erie, PA.