Dean Caivano is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Lehigh University, specializing in American political thought, radical democracy, critical pedagogies, and emancipatory politics. He earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from York University in 2019, an M.A. in Political Science from Lehigh University in 2013, and a B.A. in Politics and Philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh (summa cum laude) in 2012.
Before joining Lehigh, Professor Caivano taught political theory across various higher education settings, including community colleges, research universities, adult education programs, and within carceral institutions. These diverse teaching experiences have deepened his understanding of the unique challenges students face in different educational contexts and have fueled his passion for rethinking pedagogical approaches.
Professor Caivano’s research primarily focuses on radical democracy and emancipatory politics, with a particular interest in how these ideas can be applied to contemporary social movements and political practices. He is the author of A Politics of All: Thomas Jefferson and Radical Democracy (Lexington Books), co-author of The Sublime of the Political: Narrative & Autoethnography as Theory (transcript Verlag & Columbia University Press), and editor of No Escape: Excavating the Multidimensional Phenomenon of Fear (Brill Press). His scholarly articles have appeared in academic journals such as Philosophy & Social Criticism, SPECTRA, New Political Science, and the Journal of Narrative Politics.
At Lehigh University, Professor Caivano is deeply committed to fostering critical thinking and encouraging students to challenge entrenched ideas to “escape the cave.”