He joined the department in 1986. He received his BA, MAPA, and PhD from the University of Iowa. Professor Kenney has authored and co-authored articles in the American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, Political Behavior, and the Journal of Politics. He has co-authored two books with Kim Fridkin, The Spectacle of U.S. Senate Campaigns (Princeton Press, 1999) and No-Holds Barred: Negativity in U.S. Senate Campaigns (Prentice Hall, 2004). He is currently working on the civic engagement of young people, especially minority students.