Dr. Saundra Curry Ardrey is chair of the Political Science Department and Director of the African American Studies at Western Kentucky University. She is also the only African American department head at the University. Dr. Ardrey specializes in voting and electoral behavior conducts research on the political participation of women and minorities and has made contributions to the extant literature through publications on the political beliefs and behavior of African Americans. Her areas of expertise focus on the impact of race on politics and the role gender plays in vote choice and participation. Other interests include African American Studies, media and politics, campaign management and public opinion.
A graduate of Winston-Salem State University and The Ohio State University, she is recognized as a media analyst, and she is active in state and local politics and community activities. She has been a campaign manager, a member of the Democratic Party executive committee, president of the Bowling Green/Warren County NOW, and currently serves as the political action committee chair for the Bowling Green/Warren County National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Dr. Ardrey served as president and as executive secretary of the Kentucky Political Science Association (the first African American to serve in both those positions), she is a member of the American Political Science Association Women’s Section Committee, and she co-founded and co-directs the WKU Institute for Citizenship and Social Responsibility. She has received numerous awards and honors, including Outstanding People of the 20th Century.
Dr. Ardrey taught Political Science at Furman University from 1983 to 1988. She created the Department’s first course on Racial and Ethnic Politics. Her husband of thirty-six years, Dr. William Ardrey, is a trauma specialist with Inspire Medical Group. They have two children, Chris and Lindsey.