Dr. Giersch is an associate professor who teaches courses on American politics, research methods, state and local politics, politics & film, and education policy. He is also the associate director of the university’s Public Policy program. His research focuses on education policy, specifically the areas of school choice, high-stakes testing, segregation, and teacher quality, as well as political ideology and how it affects individuals’ interpretations of messages in various contexts. Prior to joining the faculty at UNC Charlotte, Dr. Giersch taught in public, private, and charter high schools. He also taught at the college level in Pennsylvania and in Nairobi, Kenya. He has served on the boards of the North Carolina Association for Research in Education and the North Carolina Political Science Association.
Recent Publications:
- Stearns, E., Bottia, M. C., Giersch, J., Mickelson, R. A., Moller, S., Jha, N., & Dancy, M. (2020). Do relative advantages in STEM grades explain the gender gap in selection of a STEM major in college? A multimethod answer. American Educational Research Journal, 57(1), 218-257.
- Giersch, J. (2020). Professors’ politics and their appeal as instructors. PS: Political Science & Politics, 53(2), 281-285.
- Giersch, J., Kropf, M., & Stearns, E. (2020). Unequal returns to education: how female teachers narrow the gender gap in political knowledge. The Journal of Politics, 82(2), 781-785.
- Giersch, J., Bottia, M. C., Stearns, E., Mickelson, R. A., & Moller, S. (2021). The predictive role of school performance indicators on students’ college achievement. Educational Policy, 35(7), 1085-1115.
- Giersch, J. (2021). Motivations to enter teaching: An investigation with non-education university students. Journal of Education for Teaching, 47(3), 426-438.
- Giersch, J., Ydhag, C. C., & Korhonen, V. (2021). Motivations to become a teacher in Finland, Sweden, and the United States. Nordic Studies in Education, 41(1), 62-79.
- Whitaker, B. E., & Giersch, J. (2021). Strategic calculations? Partisan differences in support for Puerto Rican migration to the mainland USA. Migration Studies, 9(3), 534-555.
- Liebertz, S., & Giersch, J. (2021). Political professors and the perception of bias in the college classroom. PS: Political Science & Politics, 54(4), 755-760.
- Altmann, T., & Giersch, J. (2022). Sanctioned terror: economic sanctions and more effective terrorism. International Politics, 59(2), 383-397.
- Liebertz, S., & Giersch, J. (2022). Perceptions and assessments of socialism versus the US system: experimental evidence. The Social Science Journal, 1-13.
- Giersch, J. (2022). ‘Desperately afraid of losing white parents’: charter schools and segregation. Race Ethnicity and Education, 25(2), 268-289.
- Giersch, J. (2023). Further Evidence of How Peers and Tracking Affect Educational Opportunities. Pediatrics, 151(1).
- Giersch, J. (2023). Through the lens of ideology: Asymmetry in expectations of movie quality. The Social Science Journal, 1-12.
- Giersch, J., & Liebertz, S. (2023). Ideology and Religion in Students’ Attitudes Toward Economically and Socially Conservative Professors. Journal of Political Science Education, 19(2), 205-218.
- Giersch, J. (2024). Political Bias on Campus: Experimental Evidence. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 61(4), 590-601.
- Giersch, J., Liebertz, S., Duquette, B., & Yao-Kouame, K. (2024). Public Opinion Toward Critical Race Theory in Academia, Legislation, and Name. Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics, 9(3), 454-471.
- Giersch, J. (2025). Notions of critical race theory and choosing school board candidates. Politics, Groups, and Identities, 1-19.