Dr. Erik David Heidemann, an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Kent State University, passed away on Tuesday, September 3 in Canton, Ohio following sudden illness. He was 35 years old.

Heidemann joined the Department of Political Science at Kent State in the fall of 2012. Specializing in political behavior and the attitudes of voters, Heidemann completed a Master of Arts and Ph.D. in Political Science at The Ohio State University, following a B.A. and Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Boise State University in Idaho.

During his first year at Kent State, Heidemann directly impacted the lives of countless students, offering a unique teaching style that challenged students to not only question methods of political thought, but also their own personal interpretations of the field.

In addition to his work at Kent State, Heidemann served as a political consultant on several campaigns throughout the year and as a guest columnist for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. He is well known in academia for a number of published works, most notable of which is “New Voters in American Elections: Participation, Partisan Mobilization, and the Future of Representative Democracy”.

Heidemann was a member of a number of organizations, including the American Political Science Association, the Midwest Political Science Association, the Southern Political Science Association, and the American Association of University Professors.

Though we will never be truly able to measure the amazing impact Heidemann had on the students and faculty at Kent State University, the memory and inspirational teaching style of the bow-tie toting savant will live on in the hearts of Golden Flashes for years to come.

Contact Christopher Clevenger [email protected].