Prof. Eric L. McDaniel (PhD University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; BA Wilberforce University) is a Professor in the Government Department and Co-Director of the PRE Lab. 

Prof. McDaniel is the author of Politics in the Pews: The Political Mobilization of Black Churches, which examines why some Black churches choose to engage the political world while others do not. He has also explored how the various messages and beliefs in the Black religious experience influence Black political behavior. He is currently engaged in a co-authored project that examines how the intermingling of religious and national identity influences how citizens come to understand their nation and its place in the world. 

Finally, Prof. McDaniel is interested in the role of social policy in shaping the outcomes of marginalized groups. Focusing specifically on health policy he has begun a research agenda that examines public support for medical outreach for marginalized groups and how Black political power can generate better health outcomes for Blacks.