Dr. Emenhiser has served on the faculty of the University of Redlands, Utah State University, Cal Poly Humboldt, and Junior State Summer School (Stanford University) teaching American politics and culture, constitutional law, and research methods. He received Fulbright professorships to the University of Saigon, Viet Nam, and to the Université de Mons, Belgium. In addition he was staff director of the Legislative Study Committee of the Utah Legislature, visiting scholar at the Congressional Research Service, visiting fellow in the Faculty of Arts at the National University of Ireland, Galway,visiting professor for the University of Utah in Europe at Ramstein Air Base, and visiting professor in the inter-university American Studies master's program in Belgium.

In each class he helps students learn how to think ethically and knowledgeably about American government and politics by learning to ask questions, find requisite sources of information, and develop skills to describe, analyze, evaluate, and communicate political ideas.

He publishes in the areas where democratic theory, public opinion, elections, legislative behavior, constitutional law, and quantitative analysis converge.

He is active in professional and community affairs serving as Coordinator of the Humboldt Emeritus and Retired Faculty Association, President of California State University Social Science Research and Instructional Council, President of Humboldt Connections assisting youth at risk, Faculty Associate for the College Board, an Elder of the Eureka First Presbyterian Church, a member of the education committee of Humboldt ACLU, and a gleaner for the McKinleyville Family Resource Center Food Pantry.

His honors include membership in Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Kappa, Academic Fellow of the American Council on Education at Colgate University, and a Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow.