Ronnee Schreiber's expert opinion on conservative women's organizations was suddenly in demand last summer after Alaska governor Sarah Palin's nomination as Republican vice presidential candidate.

Professor Schreiber became an instant celebrity with her CNN commentary, "Don't Underestimate Palin's Appeal to Women," and her discussion about Palin on National Public Radio's "Fresh Air" with Terry Gross.

But for years before the national media "discovered" her, Professor Schreiber was a leading authority on the growing influence of conservative women's organizations in setting public policy.

The publication of her book, "Righting Feminism: Conservative Women and American Politics" (Oxford Press, 2008), culminated more than a decade of research on the political activity of conservative women's groups. Critics have called the book "an eye-opening addition to existing scholarship" and "a must-read for anyone interested in politics today."

Professor Schreiber joined SDSU in 2002 with a master's degree in women's studies, a Ph.D. in political science and years of experience as a lobbyist and political organizer for the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the American Association of University Women. She also worked several years as a research associate for the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) at Rutgers University.

In addition to her book, she has published research on media coverage of women in the U.S. Congress, how feminist organizations adapt to conservative political climates and how conservative women's groups challenge feminist understandings of gender consciousness.

Professor Schreiber is a reviewer for 13 journals, including Gender and Politics, the Political Research Quarterly and Harvard International Journal of Press and Politic. She is also a frequent contributor of book reviews, articles and book chapters to political, feminist and public policy journals and an invited participant in educational and political conferences.

Widely respected by students, Professor Schreiber is campus liaison – and was Liaison of the Year in 2007 – to the Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, to which SDSU sends about a dozen students each year. Twice, she has received SDSU research, scholarship and creative activity grants.

Professor Schreiber has served on many theses committees for political science graduate and undergraduate students, and has been a reader for theses from the history, communications and women's studies departments.

In 2007, Professor Schreiber spent the summer as an Academic Visitor to the Institute of Governance at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.