2026 · Podcast
The Civic Hub: Reimagining the University Mission
When We Disagree, College of Charleston Civility Initiative.
About
Curious about institutions. Optimistic about democracy.
I study the ways higher education can contribute to a more participatory democratic life.
Scholar · Leader · Optimist
I'm Alex Kappus.
My research, writing, and advocacy focus on the relationship between higher education, civic participation, and the public good.
My scholarship has examined peer educators involved in nonpartisan political engagement, civic identity, and institutional approaches to student voter participation.
I was a 2023–2024 fellow of the UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement and a 2025–2026 fellow with the Democratic Knowledge Project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
My perspective is shaped by approximately fifteen years of campus-based leadership experience. Today, as Senior Director for Client Success at Carnegie Higher Education, I work with university leaders on institutional strategy, enrollment, and student success. These professional experiences inform my scholarship and my questions about higher education’s public purpose.
Explore my publications ↗Scholarship and teaching
Fellowships & academic appointments
2025–2026
Democratic Knowledge Project Fellow
Harvard Graduate School of Education, affiliated with the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation. Research on partnerships between higher education and state election officials.
2023–2025
Fellow, UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement
University of California. Research examining implementation of California's Student Civic and Voter Empowerment Act (AB 963).
2022–present
Graduate-Level Instructor
Teaching experience since 2022, beginning as a co-instructor of doctoral-level qualitative research at North Carolina State University. Since 2024, I have served as an adjunct instructor at Central Michigan University, teaching graduate courses in higher education policy, student affairs, and teaching and learning.
Academic foundations
Education
2021
Ph.D.
Higher, Adult, and Lifelong EducationMichigan State University
Dissertation on politically engaged college students participating in nonpartisan political activity during the 2020 U.S. election.
2012
M.Ed.
College Student Affairs AdministrationUniversity of Georgia
2010
B.A.
Political ScienceEmory University
Minor in Chinese Language and Culture
Ideas in conversation
Selected talks & conversations
2025 · Conference presentation
Investigating Democracy: Furthering the National Conversation on Expression and Democratic Participation
American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Annual Meeting, Washington, DC.
2024 · Invited presentation
(Civic) Learning Reconsidered
Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, Council on Student Affairs Summer Forum.