Dr. Peay is an Assistant Professor in the Department of African American Studies. He received his Ph.D. in Political Science with an emphasis on American Politics and Public Policy from The University of Oklahoma in 2020. Prior to graduate studies, he spent seven years working in secondary education in the Houston metropolitan area. His research examines how those from under-represented communities employ collective strategies to shape political processes and outcomes from within and outside political institutions in America. His current research agenda is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Build and Broaden Program. His work can be found in Politics, Groups, and Identities, the Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics, Social Science Quarterly, Congress and the Presidency, and the National Review of Black Politics. He is a native of Southeast Texas, an avid music connoisseur, an enthusiastic foodie, and a practitioner of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. 

Selected publications include: 

Peay, Periloux C. 2021. “Incorporation Is Not Enough: The Agenda Influence of Black Lawmakers in Congressional Committees.” Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics 6 (2): 402–38. https://doi.org/10.1017/rep.2020.18.

Peay, Periloux C., and Tyler Camarillo. 2021. “No Justice! Black Protests? No Peace: The Racial Nature of Threat Evaluations of Nonviolent #BlackLivesMatter Protests.” Social Science Quarterly 102 (1): 198–208. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.12902.

Peay, Periloux C., and John D. Rackey. 2021. “When Good Trouble Sparks Agenda Change: Disentangling the Evolution of the Congressional Black Caucus’ Positions on Police Reform.” Social Science Quarterly 102 (7): 3158–69. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.13104.

Peay, Periloux C., and John D. Rackey. 2021. “From Complexity to ClarityA Network Approach to Better Understanding Issues on a Black-Interest Agenda.” National Review of Black Politics 2 (3–4): 145–70. https://doi.org/10.1525/nrbp.2021.2.3-4.145.

Peay, Periloux C., and Clinton R. McNair. 2022. “Concurrent Pressures of Mass Protests: The Dual Influences of #BlackLivesMatter on State-Level Policing Reform Adoption.” Politics, Groups, and Identities, July. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/21565503.2022.2098148.

Peay, Periloux C., and Alexander Leasure. 2023. “Information Infrastructures for Black-Interest Advocacy in Congress.” Congress & the Presidency 50 (2): 220–48. https://doi.org/10.1080/07343469.2022.2158963.