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FACULTY
ACHIEVEMENTS
2007-2008
This
year, Political Science Department faculty members accumulated a number
of scholarly honors and awards worthy of note. Among them are:
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Faculty Honors and Awards
- Dr. Michael
Lipscomb received the 2007 Kinard Award for Outstanding
Teaching.
- Dr. Jennifer
Disney received the 2007-2008 Student Life Award
- Drs. Jennifer
Disney and Karen Kedrowski were honored in August by the
American Political Science Association (APSA) and Pi Sigma Alpha
for the campus awards they received in the 2006-2007 academic
year.
- Drs. Jennifer
Disney and Michael Lipscomb were granted Sabbaticals for
the 2008-2009 Academic year.
- Dr. Jennifer
Disney earned tenure.
- Dr.
Christopher Van Aller was promoted to the rank of Professor.
- Dr. Timothy
Boylan was awarded a prestigious Study Visit by the European
Parliament. He was sponsored by the Parliament’s Committee on
Constitutional Affairs.
- Dr. Karen
Kedrowski received the 2007 Carrie Chapman Catt Award for Women
and Politics. These funds are being used to employ an undergraduate
research assistant on a study of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s media
coverage.
- Dr. Stephen
Smith learned that one of his publications, released in 2001, is
one of the twenty most cited articles from the journal
Comparative Education Review.
- Drs. Jennifer
Disney and Michael Lipscomb received Research Council
grants.
Political Science Department also saw a number of projects come to
fruition in the form of academic, peer-reviewed publications. Among them
are:
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Scholarship/Research.
Political Science faculty continued their active research
agendae. This year, Political Science faculty, collectively:
- Saw two scholarly
books released and a third in production;
- Published a total
of seven peer-reviewed journal articles and four book
chapters.
- Made a total of
twenty-three scholarly presentations at international,
national, regional and state conferences. Faculty delivered an
invited presentation at Oxford Roundtable and the Jean
Monnet lecture at the University of Malta.
- Submitted five
external grant applications and administered five.
- Completed one
program evaluation.
- Have 18
ongoing research projects.
Political Science faculty members provide an exhaustive amount of
service to the University, profession and community. In so doing, we
collectively strive to practice what the department and the University
preaches about becoming engaged citizens. These service activities
include:
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Professional Activity. Political Science faculty continue to be
involved in their professional associations, and hold important
positions in them. Among their achievements:
- Dr.
Christopher Van Aller was one of six national organizers of the
Fifth Annual APSA Teaching and Learning Conference. He is also on
the Board of the Southern Regional Model United Nations.
- Dr. Jennifer
Disney is the Co-Chair of the New Political Science Section of
the APSA.
- Dr. Karen
Kedrowski was on the Program Committee for the 2008 Southern
Political Science Association (SPSA), completed a term as President
of the Women’s Caucus for Political Science – South, serves on the
Erika Fairchild Award Committee of the same, and accepted nomination
to the SPSA Council.
- Dr. Karen
Kedrowski is the Vice President of the Political Science
Education section and is the Newsletter Editor for the Women’s
Caucus for Political Science (National).
- Dr. Adolphus
Belk, Jr. was on the Program Committee for the 2008 National
Conference of Black Political Scientists (NCOPES) National
Conference. This year marked the third year that he served on the
Program Committee.
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Professor David Vehaun was one
of five people named to the National Executive Board of Government
Finance Officers Association (GFOA). He also serves on a
three other committees for the GFOA.
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Drs. Adolphus Belk, Jr., Michael
Lipscomb and Karen Kedrowski serve on the Editorial
Boards of Journal of Race and Policy; Green Theory and Praxis
and The Journal of Political Science respectively.
University, Professional and Community Service. The Political
Science Department maintained its commitment to university and community
service.
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University Service.
In addition to advising study groups Political Science faculty
collectively:
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Served
on two internal search committees and six personnel
committees;
-
Served on
19 campus committees; and;
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Dr.
Adolphus Belk, Jr. served as Chair of the Arts and Sciences
Faculty Assembly.
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Winthrop University’s “Public Face.”
Political Science faculty, but especially Drs. Scott
Huffmon and Adolphus Belk, Jr., conducted countless
interviews with reporters representing international, national,
regional, state and local outlets. They also included all types of
media – print, electronic, television and radio; and straight news and
“talk” formats.
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Stories included the Winthrop/ETV Poll
results, discussing recently released books, Southern Politics, the
presidential primaries and caucus, especially but not only in South
Carolina; racial dynamics in voting behavior; public opinion, and
congressional procedure. Collectively, Political Science faculty
generated, without exaggeration, tens of thousands of news stories
world-wide, all of which help raise Winthrop University’s profile and
reflect well upon the institution.
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Community
Service: Political
Science faculty served the community in a variety of capacities. They
include:
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Volunteering at local schools (seven faculty);
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Giving
presentations or workshops (seven faculty);
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Serving
as members of local boards or community groups (five
faculty), including leadership positions (six faculty); and
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Were
active in church or religious organizations (four faculty).
Student
Learning and Development (Inside and Outside the Classroom)
Political Science Department faculty continue to dedicate themselves to
student learning and development. Among the ways that faculty work to
enhance these goals include:
Emphasis on Undergraduate Research, including:
Student
Employment in the SBRL: In 2007-2008, a total of 166
undergraduate students had the opportunity to participate in a total
of seven surveys conducted by the SBRL. They were enrolled in classes,
or employed as paid callers or supervisors. These surveys were funded
by a total of five external grants.
Student Faculty Collaborations: A
total of 12 students were involved in other research collaborations.
Capstone
Course: PLSC 490 was designed to ensure that all students would
have the opportunity to write a piece of original scholarship in
Political Science. The students who successfully completed the course
in Spring 2008 did, and they will be featured in the 2008-2009 CAS
Undergraduate Research Abstract Book.
Honors
Program Participation: Three Political Science majors completed
honors program degrees this year; two wrote their theses in Spring
2008. One completed her thesis in Spring 2007.
Experimentation and Adaptation of Courses:
Political Science faculty members
continue to adapt and experiment in their courses in order to keep
course material current and to address student needs. In addition to
the adoption of new textbooks, new course assignments, and creating
PowerPoint presentations, this year’s innovations include:
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Development
of a course, taught by Drs. Michael Lipscomb and Jennifer
Disney entitled, “Women and Sustainable Development in
Costa Rica.” One feature of the course was a trip to the country,
where the students completed a service learning project;
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“Iowa Caucus” simulation in PLSC 305 (The
National Executive) and “Civil Rights Sit-In” simulation in AAMS 300
(Introduction to African American Studies);
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Hiring tutors for students struggling in
PLSC 201 (by Dr. Michael Lipscomb in Spring 2008);
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Offering Honors symposia on the European
Union and breast cancer; and
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Using the South Carolina Presidential
Primary and the lengthy primary season as “teachable moments.” All
faculty members teaching American Government (PLSC 201), and many of
those teaching advanced courses in American politics were able to use
the prominence of the South Carolina Primary and the competitive
primary contests in both major parties, as a natural laboratory.
Faculty wove current events into the class discussions on multiple
occasions and provided extra credit to students who attended campaign
events in the state.
Faculty Discussions about Teaching and
Learning. The Political Science Department held a faculty seminars
monthly to discuss scholarship and/or teaching and learning. Two of
these sessions included a discussion about international internships and
study abroad opportunities, and a presentation about a labor studies
internship program in New York City.
Advising Student Organizations and
Encouraging Student Activism: Political Science faculty members
advised a total of nine campus student organizations. Among them are:
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Pi
Sigma Alpha, the department’s award winning Honors society, which
sponsored or co-sponsored a total of 11 events on campus, including a
same-sex marriage discussion during Open Week, a food/toiletries and
book drive for soldiers in Iraq, and a Green Concert. In addition,
Pi Sigma Alpha received a grant from the national chapter to
sponsor a forum on the second amendment, which generated attention
from the media and the National Rifle Association.
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Amnesty
International, with its Hunger Awareness Week, which was honored
by the Division of Student Life.
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Two
Political Party Organizations, the Socialist Student Union and
the Campus Democrats, and during the fall semester, Students
for Obama. All of these organizations sponsored events on campus,
and/or volunteered for candidates.
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