Events
The Department of Political Science at Western Michigan University sponsors and promotes many events throughout the academic year.
Degree Programs
Undergraduate Programs
The Department of Political Science at Western Michigan University offers a standard major and minor in political science as well as concentrations in American public policy, public law, international and comparative politics and secondary education.
Graduate Programs
The Department of Political Science at Western Michigan University offers three graduate programs: Master of Arts, Master of International Development Administration (M.I.D.A.) and a Doctor of Philosophy.
News
- Emma Baratta and Eusha Rushmila, BA '22 and current political science undergraduate student respectfully, are featured in the Bronco Advocacy Network newsletter. Both were interning in the WMU Government Relations office with Vice President Jeff Breneman, political science alumni
- Amauri Pineda, PhD candidate, won first place at the WMU Graduate College's Research Presentations 2021 event
- Manuel Soque, PhD candidate, received the 2021 WMU Graduate College's Gwen Frostic Dissertation Fellowship.
- Abi Chamlagai, PhD candidate, received the 2021 WMU Graduate College's Patricia L. Thompson Dissertation Award.
- Amaury Pineda and Manuel Soque, current political science doctoral candidates, are recipients of the 2020-21 Western Michigan University Graduate College's Dissertation Completion Fellowship award.
- Davis Arthur Yeboah, current political science doctoral student, was awarded second place in the 3MT Grad Talks spring 2020 competition. Designed and sponsored by the Graduate Student Association at Western Michigan University, the program is inspired by TED Talks. WMU graduate students from all disciplines presented their research ideas, theses and dissertations for three minutes.
- Naomi Bick, current political science doctoral graduate student, was awarded a College of Arts and Sciences Climate Change Research Graduate Scholarship.
- Brittany Brake, current political science doctoral candidate and instructor of record, is one of the 2018-19 recipients of the Western Michigan University Graduate College's Dissertation Completion Fellowship award.
- Brittany Brake, current political science doctoral candidate and instructor of record, has been awarded the 2019 All-University Graduate Teaching Effectiveness Award. This is the highest honor for graduate student teaching at WMU. Brittany has served as instructor of record in PSCI 1050 and PSCI 2000, and she has been a teaching assistant in a wide range of courses.
- Abi Chamlagai and Dawid Tatarcyk (PhD., 2018), current political science doctoral graduate student and part-time instructors, have both been awarded the College of Arts and Sciences Graduate Research Assistantship Award. Abi's project is titled "Breakdowns of Democracy in Nepal: A Comparative Study Between 1960 and 2005." Dawid's project is titled "The House Built on the Rock: The Catholic Church and its Policy Preferences."
- Kristie Bailey, current political science doctoral graduate assistant, was awarded the 2017 All-University Graduate Teaching Effectiveness Award. This is the highest honor for graduate student teaching at WMU. Kristie has served as instructor of record in PSCI 1050 and PSCI 2000, and she has been a teaching assistant in a wide range of courses.
- George Lluberes (Ph.D., 2018), was awarded first place in the 3MT Grad Talks fall 2016 competition. Designed and sponsored by the Graduate Student Association at Western Michigan University, the program is inspired by TED Talks. WMU graduate students from all disciplines presented their research ideas, theses and dissertations for three minutes. Watch George's talk here.
- Dr. Lauren Foley's article "The Supreme Court may end college affirmation action. Then what?" was featured in the Washington Post's Monkey Cage section.
- Dr. Mark Hurwitz, along with Dr. Todd Curry (WMU Alumni) and Dr. Rebecca Reid, both of University of Texas at El Paso, have been awarded a National Science Foundation grant for their project "Build and Broaden: Indigenous Peoples Before United States Courts: A Systemic Examination."
- Dr. Denise Keele was named Director of the Michigan Climate Action Network in the summer of 2022.
- Dr. Lauren Foley is a 2022-23 recipient of Western Michigan University's Office of Research and Innovation's Faculty Research and Creative Activities Award for her project, "Universities Before the Court: Equality, Civic Life, and the Constitution."
- Dr. Jim Butterfield received the Association of Public Land-Grant Universities 2021 Michael P. Malone International Leadership Award for his dedication to promoting international education at WMU.
- Dr. J. Kevin Corder received the American Political Science Association's Victoria Schuck Award for his co-authored book A Century of Votes for Women: American Elections since Suffrage.
- The Chiang Chin-kuo Foundation awarded Dr. Y.K. Wang for his ongoing project entitled "The Chinese World Order in East Asian History: Power, War, and Change."
- Dr. Denise Keele received one of the Michigan Climate Action Network's Climate Champion Awards in June, 2020.
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Dr. J. Kevin Corder's co-authored book A Century of Votes for Women: American Elections since Suffrage was released in January, 2020.
- Dr. Y. K. Wang was awarded the Taiwan and Asia Program grant from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in US through the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Department of Political Science, through him, will host the "The Taiwan Relations Act at 40: Democracy in a Changing World" conference on November 8-10. About 30 scholars will come to Kalamazoo to share their current work. Dr. Wang will also arrange for five other universities to host a lecture on Taiwan at their school.
- Dr. Mark Hurwitz returned to his previously held role, program director, of the Law and Social Sciences division of the National Science Foundation for the 2019-20 academic year.
- Dr. J. Kevin Corder is the co-recipient of the 2017 Victoria Schuck Award with his coauthor, Dr. Christina Wolbrecht of Notre Dame University. The annual award is given for the best book published on women and politics. "Counting Women's Ballots: Female Voters from Suffrage through the New Deal," is a comprehensive assessment of women's voting in the 1920s and 1930s. Their piece in the Washington Post asked, "For women's equality day, here's the key question: Was women's suffrage a failure?" Read it for a shorthand version of how they used an innovative statistical tool, ecological inference, to find out the answer.
- Dan Witt, (B.B.A. Public Administration, 1983) is one of the 2021 WMU Distinguished Alumni Award recipients. Read more! “It’s been over 40 years since I arrived in Harrison Hall at WMU. No question about it: WMU is forever.”
Christopher Womack, (B.S. Political Science, 1979) was one of the 2020 WMU Distinguished Alumni Award recipients. Read
- Katia Levintova, (Ph.D., 2004) received her university's Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching, the top teaching award.
- Sean McCann, (B.A., 1993) was elected as State Senator in 2018 to represent the 20th District: Kalamazoo County. He has a long record of working with and in local/state government positions. He also participated in the Capital Internship Program while being a student at WMU. He now hosts interns from the same program in his Lansing office.
- Kevin Knutson (M.A., 2001) was recognized by the Department of Political Science and the College of Arts and Sciences as a 2016 Alumni Achievement Award winner. Knutson is the Director of Undergraduate Academic Advising for the College of Arts and Sciences and was presented with the "Make a Difference Award" by Western Michigan University in 2015.
- Several Department of Political Science alums received 2016 Alumni Achievement Awards from departments that they were also associated with while at Western Michigan University, including: Dane Alexander (M.A., 1983), Department of Geosciences, Michael Riedel (B.A., 1994), Global and International Studies, Matt Bahleda (B.A., 2011), Department of Philosophy and Dr. Corey Shouse (B.A., 1992) Department of Spanish.
- Geoffrey Rettig, Bachelor of Arts in Public Law, was appointed Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for the County of Midland, Michigan.
- Samuel Gedman, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, recently completed his Ph.D. at the University of Mississippi. He is starting a position as Deputy Director at the County Board of Elections in Durham, NC.
- Norris Tweah, Master of International Development Administration, has been appointed Vice President of University Relations at the University of Liberia, Monrovia.
- Angela Peoples, Bachelor of Arts in Public Law, was featured in the magazine National Journal (the story is available via the campus network). Angela co-founded GetEQUAL, a grassroots group based in Washington, DC, that advocates on LGBT issues.
- Ashley Horvat, Bachelor of Arts in American public policy, serves as the nation's first-ever public-sector Chief Electric Vehicle Officer.
- Carmen Siciliano, Bachelor of Arts in American public policy, serves as legislative assistant to State Senator Mike Nofs.
- Frank Waters, minor in political science, reminisces about his time at Western Michigan University and how he became the director of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs in Lansing, Mich.
- Tom Lenard, Bachelor of Arts in American public policy, talks about his job as chief of staff for State Senator Jim Ananich (Bronco Legislative Network)
Office Information
In Person Hours
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Contacts
email: Dr. John Clark or Christina Oberheim
phone: (269) 387-5681
Ph.D. placements
- Naomi Bick, PhD, candidate: California State University at Fresno, California
- Brittany Brake, PhD, candidate: Visiting Assistant Professor, Manchester University, Indiana
- Kathleen Bolter (Ph.D., 2019) has been appointed to Kentuckiana Works
- Dervaish Khan (PhD., 2018) has been appointed to the University of Peshawar
- Dawid Tatarczyk (Ph.D., 2018) has been appointed assistant professor at Albion College.
- George Lluberes (PhD., 2017) has been appointed an analyst at Hanover Research
- Abido Bano (Ph.D., 2017) has been appointed to the University of Peshawar
- Sarah Perez (Ph.D., 2017) has been appointed lecturer at University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, beginning in fall 2018.
- Josh Berkenpas (Ph.D., 2016) has been appointed assistant professor at Minnesota State University, Mankato, beginning in fall 2016