Gayle Alberda

Gayle Alberda joined Fairfield University in 2016 as an assistant professor of Politics and Public Administration. She is a Ph.D. graduate from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Her M.P.A. and B.S. degree are both from Central Michigan University.

In 2017, Dr. Alberda successfully pioneered the effort to bring a nonpartisan women’s political leadership program, Ready to Run Connecticut, to Fairfield University. Ready to Run Connecticut is a one day workshop designed to empower women to become active participants in Connecticut’s political process. Dr. Alberda also co-founded the MPA Summit – an annual public forum held every spring at Fairfield University that brings citizens and state and local leaders together to discuss critical issues facing Connecticut. She also played an instrumental role in bringing two 2018 Gubernatorial Debates to Fairfield University as well as other events that encourage civic and political discourse, such as the League of Women Voters’ Legislative Forum.

Dr. Alberda often serves as a political analyst for the media. She comments on local, state, and national politics and elections for local, regional, national, and international print and broadcast media. She has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Good Morning America, Al Jazeera America, Hartford Courant, CT Post, WNPR, WICC, Associated Press Radio, NBC CT’s Face the Facts, WTHN’s Capitol Report, Channel 12’s Power and Politics, and many others.

Prior to joining Fairfield University, Dr. Alberda was at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Before her career in academia, Dr. Alberda worked the political arena. Her work experience in the political field includes lobbying, party, and campaign experience. She has held various statewide and regional positions and worked on numerous campaigns including state house, city council, governor, president, and U.S. Senate, in multiple states.