Leadership

Vince Brown was appointed as the Director of the Institute of Politics in May 2020 and is a Visiting Instructor of the Practice of Political Science.
Prior to his tenure at UT, Vince obtained his Honors Bachelor of Science from the University of Utah. Vince went on to work for a Utah Governor and United States Senator in Washington, DC.
Vince then obtained his law degree from Cornell Law School. Following law school, Vince worked as a litigation attorney for two global law firms in California, where he specialized in business and securities litigation. While in California, he served for ten years as an Administrative Law Judge for the County of San Diego and owned a locally sourced organic market, bar and restaurant.
In addition to his work at UT, Vince has a mediation business in Saint George, where he and his wife, Kathryn, currently reside with their children.

Hannah Shea is a Nursing major in her Senior year. She was appointed to be the Student Director of the Institute of Politics and Public Affairs after the Fall semester of 2020.
Before moving to St. George to attend Utah Tech, Hannah lived in Surprise, Arizona. She was a student-athlete for six consecutive years, while attending and organizing several charity events in her community as a volunteer. Hannah obtained an Associates of Science degree with high honors.
Hannah has attended all of the events that the Institute has organized since her first semester, acquiring an interest in meaningful discussions and being a part of the IOP team. Hannah was initially the Events Coordinator of The Institute of Politics and later moved up to her current position of Student Director in Spring of 2021.
Her hobbies include reading, hiking, camping, and binge-watching shows and movies.

Carlos Plummer is a Senior at UT, studying film. Before college, Carlos spent his time working with his brother Kyle on short films and documentaries, becoming an award-winning student filmmaker. Here at UT, Carlos is working not only as a film student, but as a student leader on campus. He has worked as a Resident Assistant at the Campus View Suites II building for two years, and also has worked in the film department as an equipment cage manager and COVID-19 Protocol Enforcer. Working with students is one of Carlos favorite things at UT, and he hopes he can bring that enthusiasm to the Institute of Politics as part of the amazing marketing team.

Sierra Demers is an Honors student majoring in Accounting with a minor in Economics and this is her fourth year at Utah Tech. She is from Fort Mohave, Arizona and enjoys the cooler weather of St. George.
Outside of the classroom, her passions include traveling, reading, hiking, and watching sports. She enjoys being a student at Utah Tech; she likes her classes and loves to attend all the events the school has to offer.
From the beginning of her freshman year, the Institute of Politics has allowed her to learn more about politics and the world around her, and she wanted to be a part of bringing that to others. She is thrilled to be the Administrator for the Institute and is grateful for this opportunity.

I am Ben Johnson. I am from Clinton, New Jersey. I am currently studying premed. I previously attended BYU where I studied International Relations. I have been lucky enough to travel and live aboard on several occasions. I have lived in Argentina and Israel.
I am excited to share my passion for politics and world affairs with you all here at UT. When I am not busy studying you can find me climbing around on the beautiful rocks found here in southern Utah or acting in some of UT’s student films

Garret Craig is a history major in his senior year. He has been a member of the Utah Tech University Institute of Politics since fall semester of 2021. Before moving to St. George in 2019, Garret served 5 years in the U.S. Navy as a submariner aboard the USS Wyoming, where he was a part of the ship’s Navigation Division and served several deployments in the Atlantic. Before he joined the military, Garret graduated from Dixie High School in St. George, Utah and was a member of the schools Air Force JROTC and was awarded a half-ride scholarship to then Dixie State College, where he earned his Associates Degree in General Science and immediately after joined the Navy. Garret is currently the Special Operations Manager in the Institute of Politics and also works full-time as a Security Officer for Allied Universal. He enjoys reading, writing, and visiting nearby historical sites such as ghost towns and old forts.

Madison Jackson is a senior pursuing an Individualized Major in Public Policy and Economics. She began working with the IOP because she is passionate about civic engagement and bipartisan collaboration. She plans to apply for law school and pursue a J.D. after graduating in Spring 2023. Her ultimate goal is to be an advocate for students and her community while providing legal and civic information. Madison is also the Pre-Law Society President, Legal Clinic Coordinator, and Academic Senator for Education and Integrated Studies for Utah Tech University. Originally from sunny Prescott, Arizona, her spare time is spent outside exploring Utah’s beautiful national parks and looking for new adventures.

Ethan Gulbranson is a Junior majoring in Accounting. He has worked with the Institute of Politics starting May 2022 as the internship coordinator. He recently interned in the U.S. Senate in Washington D.C. and wants to help other students gain political and government experience through prestigious internships both locally and nationally.
Ethan plans to attend law school after graduation and obtain a J.D. Ethan is the Vice President of the Pre-Law Society along with being a member of the Booth Honors Program.
Prior to living in St. George, Ethan was born and raised in Northern British Columbia, Canada. He loves traveling, camping, hiking, and learning about different cultures.