Dr. Skinner received her PhD. in Government and Public Policy from the University of Arizona. Dr. Skinner's expertise is in American Politics, political behavior, and public opinion. Her research interests include immigration and refugee issues, race and ethnicity politics, and political psychology topics including attitude formation and the reception of political communication. Her work has been published in American Political Science Review, Public Opinion Quarterly, International Journal of Public Opinion Research, and Politics Groups and Identities. At UIS, Dr. Skinner teaches graduate and undergraduate courses including Deconstructing Citizenship, American Closing Seminar, US-Mexico Border Politics, African Americans and American Politics, and Women and Politics.

Recent Publications:

Skinner, Isabel Williams & Timothy B. Gravelle. ¿Framing refugees: experimental evidence from the United States, Canada, and Australia.¿ Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties, 1¿23. (2025). https://doi.org/10.1080/17457289.2025.2514201

Skinner, Isabel Williams. (2025). How security framing creates disagreement in public opinion: evidence from US refugee policy. Politics, Groups, and Identities https://doi.org/10.1080/21565503.2025.2466550

Skinner, Isabel Williams. "How Characterizations of Refugees Shape Attitudes Toward Refugee Restrictions: A Study of Christian and Muslim Americans." International Journal of Public Opinion Research 34, no. 3 (2022): edac022. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijpor/edac022

Williams, Isabel, Timothy B. Gravelle, and Samara Klar. "The competing influence of policy content and political cues: cross-border evidence from the United States and Canada." American Political Science Review 116, no. 4 (2022): https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055422000351

Sanchez, Lisa M., and Isabel Williams. "Extending a hand in perilous times: beneficial immigration policy in the fifty states, 2005¿2012." Social Science Quarterly 101.6 (2020): 2257-2271. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.12868

Public Facing Scholarship:

Bolte, Brandon & Isabel Skinner. ¿Think Trump¿s deportations have been bad? Wait until his civilian army gets started.¿ The Hill. June 2nd 2025. https://thehill.com/opinion/immigration/5325548-erik-prince-paramilitary-proposal-immigration/

Skinner, Isabel. ¿`Your Moment is Now¿: Stand With Students Threatened For Protesting.¿ The Fulcrum. May 16th, 2025. https://thefulcrum.us/civic-engagement-education/student-protests-rights

Skinner, Isabel. "Tracking Mass Deportation by the Numbers, Not Smoke and Mirrors." Latino News Network. February 26nd, 2024. https://latinonewsnetwork.com/community/tracking-mass-deportation-by-the-numbers-not-smoke-and-mirrors/

Skinner, Isabel. "We Need Human Policies for Homeless People and Asylum Seekers." The Opinion Pages. December 10th, 2024. https://theopinionpages.com/2024/12/we-need-humane-policies-for-homeless-and-asylum-seekers/

Skinner, Isabel. "Preserving our Union" Illinois Times. November 21st, 2024. https://www.illinoistimes.com/news-opinion/preserving-our-union-19390923

Skinner, Isabel. "Feeling Sold Out by Your Own Country Isn't New for Many Americans." Ms. Magazine. November 15th, 2024. https://msmagazine.com/2024/11/15/america-trump-election-immigration-black-history-womens-civil-rights/

Skinner, Isabel. "Enemies Within. Trump's Authoritarian and Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric." Visible Magazine. October 29th, 2024. https://visiblemagazine.com/trump-anti-immigration-rhetoric/

Skinner, Isabel. "Opinion: Chicago needs a shelter plan for migrants before temperatures drop". The Chicago Tribune. September 26th, 2024. https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/09/26/opinion-chicago-immigrants-winter-shelter/?share=an6rc4ignhsoiohant2t

Skinner, Isabel, Brooke Depenbusch. "The Development of US Immigration Policy". NPR Illinois. https://www.nprillinois.org/community-voices/2024-03-27/the-development-of-us-immigration-policy

Skinner, Isabel, Sophia Doran. "An Existential Threat to the Indian Child Welfare Act". The Capitol Connection.(blog). https://blogs.uofi.uis.edu/view/8598/311632006

Media Appearances:

Radio Broadcast Interviewee, ¿A deeper dive into immigration.¿ NPR Illinois 91.9 with Ko¿U Hopkins. May 15th, 2026. https://www.nprillinois.org/equity-justice/2026-05-15/a-deeper-drive-into-immigration

Live Webinar & Radio Broadcast Interviewee, ¿America¿s Place in the World, Foreign Policy in a Second Trump Term.¿ NPR Illinois 91.9 with Sean Crawford in partnership with UIS Center for State Policy and Leadership and the UIS School of Politics and International Affairs, March 23rd, 2026. https://www.nprillinois.org/government-politics/2026-03-23/americas-place-in-the-world-foreign-policy-in-a-second-trump-term

Radio Broadcast Interviewee, ¿UIS professor co-authors new report on refugee crisis and political messaging¿. WTAX Morning Newswatch with Will Stevenson. July 7th, 2025. https://capitolcitynow.com/podcasts/uis-professor-co-authors-new-report-on-refugee-crisis-and-political-messaging/

Podcast Interviewee, ¿Dr. Isabel Skinner¿, The Kudzu Vine. Subject: Immigration and deportation issues. March 31st, 2025. https://www.spreaker.com/episode/dr-isabel-skinner--65240887

Radio Broadcast Interviewee, "Post-election panel discussion set at UIS". NPR Illinois 91.9 with Sean Crawford. November 11th, 2024. https://www.nprillinois.org/government-politics/2024-11-11/post-election-panel-discussion-set-at-uis

Radio Broadcast Interviewee, "Aftermath: How Trump secured the presidency once more". The 21st Show. NPR Illinois Public Media will. November 6th, 2024. https://will.illinois.edu/21stshow/story/aftermath-how-trump-secured-the-presidency-yet-again

Television News Interviewee. "2024 Presidential Debate" ABC Newschannel 20. September 10th, 2024 https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7239674610932137986/

Podcast Interviewee, "Sexism in Elections with Dr. Isabel Skinner." The Progressive American with Conor Kelly. October 25th, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lJfpGNYm3s

Radio Broadcast Interviewee, "Unpacking the vice presidential debate." The 21st Show. NPR Illinois Public Media will. October 2nd, 2024. https://will.illinois.edu/21stshow/story/unpacking-the-vice-presidential-debate

Podcast Interviewee. "SPIA Podcast 4. Meeting the Faculty -Isabel Skinner." UIS Political Science Youtube Channel. September 20th, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPGEmMrIWIA

Television News Interviewee. "Trump conviction could impact elections." by Doug Wolfe, WAND TV, May 31st, 2024. https://www.wandtv.com/news/trump-convictioncould-impact-elections/article_4658bc02-1f92-11ef-b64d-fb636796158a.html

Radio Broadcast Interviewee, "Dr. Isabel Skinner." Kudzu Vine. Subject: US-Mexico border issues. November 19th, 2023. https://www.blogtalkradio.com/kudzu/2023/11/20/dr-isabel-skinner

 Radio Broadcast Interviewee, "Dr. Isabel Skinner." Kudzu Vine. Subject: Chicago mayoral race, immigration issues. March 5th, 2023. https://www.blogtalkradio.com/kudzu/2023/03/06/dr-isabel-skinner

Television Interviewee, "Gov. Pritzker calls on College Board after criticism to AP African American studies course." by Julia Rosier, ABC News Channel 20, February 6th, 2023.https://newschannel20.com/news/local/gov-pritzker-calls-on-college-board-after-criticism-to-ap-african-american-studies-course