Dr. Kyle C. Kopko holds a J.D. from the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law, a Ph.D. and M.A. in political science from The Ohio State University, and a B.A. in political science from Elizabethtown College.   

From 2010 to 2020, Dr. Kopko served as a political science professor at Elizabethtown College.  During his time at Elizabethtown College, he earned the rank of a tenured Associate Professor of Political Science and served in a variety of academic and administrative roles.  Dr. Kopko's administrative experience includes serving as Director of the Pre-Law Program, Director of the Honors Program, Assistant Dean, and Associate Dean.  He is also a past-president of the Northeast Association of Pre-Law Advisors and a former member of the Finance Committee of the National Collegiate Honors Council.  Dr. Kopko successfully completed the Senior Leadership Academy, sponsored by the Council on Independent Colleges and American Academic Leadership Institute.

​In 2020, Dr. Kopko was appointed Executive Director of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania,* a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.  In this capacity, Dr. Kopko oversees the Center's operations, including research and grant programs that examine a wide range of policy issues that affect rural Pennsylvanians.  In his capacity as Executive Director, Dr. Kopko serves as a voting member of the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority and as a member of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Rural Affairs.  He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Pennsylvania Downtown Center, the James A. Finnegan Foundation, and Pennsylvania Farm Link.  

Dr. Kopko has spoken on a wide range of policy and political topics.  He has taught courses on American national government, Pennsylvania politics, and constitutional law.  

Dr. Kopko is the author or co-author of more than 50 scholarly and popular press publications, including two university press books - "The VP Advantage:  How Running Mates Influence Home State Voting in Presidential Elections" and "Do Running Mates Matter?  The Influence of Vice Presidential Candidates in Presidential Elections" - with Dr. Christopher Devine.  Dr. Kopko’s research has received national media attention in numerous outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, U.S. News & World Report, the British Broadcasting Corporation, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, CNN, and Fox News Channel.  

A native of Pennsylvania, Dr. Kopko lives in Elizabethtown with his wife, Sarah, and daughters, Mary and Clara.  


*Any research or views presented here are solely those of Dr. Kopko and his co-authors.  Unless otherwise specified, no government funds or resources were used in the creation of this website or any of Dr. Kopko's legal or political science research.