J. Celeste Lay is an assistant professor of political science at Tulane University. Her research focuses on American political behavior, political socialization and public policy. Her book, A Midwestern Mosaic: Immigration and Political Socialization in Rural America, was published by Temple University Press in 2012.

Celeste earned a B.A. in political science from the College of Charleston in 1998 and a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2004. At Tulane University, Celeste teaches the following courses: American Government, Elections in America, Public Policy, Power and Poverty, and Public Opinion and Voting Behavior. Her research has been published in the Journal of Politics, Social Science Quarterly, American Politics Research, Urban Affairs Review, the Journal of Political Science Education and Rural Sociology.