Trudy Horsting, PhD

Trudy Horsting, PhD is a senior research manager on the litigation surveys and consumer science team at IMS Legal Strategies. She has extensive experience in survey design, interviewing, analysis, and reporting for a variety of social science applications. Dr. Horsting is skilled in designing and facilitating surveys, focus groups, and experiments in a social science laboratory. As a political scientist, her research has focused on media in politics, public opinion, and the role of political discourse on social media in shaping political behavior.

Dr. Horsting served as a senior research manager with MMR Strategy Group before the firm joined IMS in 2025. She previously managed a team at Dosii, facilitating research, data collection, and the production of informational content. She is also an experienced writer, having contributed to various websites, blogs, newsletters, and magazines.

Dr. Horsting completed a PhD and master's degree in political science from Arizona State University. She also holds a bachelor's degree in political science and writing, rhetoric, and technical communication from James Madison University. Her work has been published in journals such as American Politics Research, the Journal of Political Marketing, the European Journal of Politics and Gender, and the American Behavioral Scientist. She also contributed book chapters to Edward Elgar Publishers and Palgrave Macmillan.

Originally from the US East Coast, Dr. Horsting traded the shade of trees for the desert sunshine. She now lives in Arizona with her husband and daughter.

Professional Experience

• Senior Research Manager, Litigation Surveys and Consumer Science, IMS Legal Strategies, 2025-present
• Senior Research Manager, MMR Strategy Group, 2023-2025
• Manager, Market Research & Content, Dosii, 2022-2023
• Lab Coordinator, Lab Assistant, SPGS Experimental Lab, ASU, 2020-2024
• Writer, WGI, 2018-2025
• Writer, Patient Worthy, 2017-2022
• Feature Writer/Journalist, JMU Creative Services, 2016-2017

Education

• PhD, Political Science, 2024, Arizona State University
• Master of Arts (MA), Political Science, 2021, Arizona State University
• Bachelor of Arts (BA), Political Science, 2018, James Madison University
• Bachelor of Arts (BA), Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication, 2018, James Madison University

Publications

• Horsting, Trudy. (Forthcoming 2025) Moderate Mayhem: Lake and Gallego’s Fight for Arizona’s Center in the 2024 Senate Race. In Roads to Congress 2024. Chapter 12. Palgrave Macmillan.
• Horsting, T., Ramirez, M. D., & Wood, R. M. (2024). Feminist identity is associated with positive COVID-19 vaccine behaviors and beliefs. European Journal of Politics and Gender, 1-26.
• Fridkin, K., Horsting, T., Brown, A. L., & Williams, A. M. (2024). How college students react to COVID vaccine PSAs: An experimental investigation. American Politics Research, 52(3), 203-224.
• Hrabik, L., Horsting, T., Ignacio, M., Gresenz, K., & Gonzales, A. A. (2024). “I’m Going to Vote for the First Time in My Life this Year”: Native American Political Engagement in the Trump Era. American Behavioral Scientist, 00027642241285012.
• Fridkin, Kim, Gutierrez, Manuel, Horsting, Trudy, & Williams, Alexandra M. (2024). Creating an experimental lab on your campus. In Teaching Experimental Political Science. pp. 226-242. Edward Elgar Publishing.
• Williams, A. M., Horsting, T., & Ramirez, M. D. (2024). What’s in a campaign logo? Exploring differences in candidate self-presentation through campaign logos. Journal of Political Marketing, 23(4), 378-397.