Vanderbilt University: Vanderbilt Political Science Department

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The Department of Political Science is a committed and diverse group of active scholars dedicated to teaching, research, and mentoring young scholars. Our faculty expertise spans American politics, comparative politics, international politics and political theory, with focuses in political behavior, political institutions, international conflict, and political philosophy. We are home to the Latin American Public Opinion Project, the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, and Research on Individuals, Politics, & Society (a state of the art experimental lab). The department also offers access to the resources of Vanderbilt's many interdisciplinary centers. Large enough to meet most students' specific interests and provide broad academic training but small enough to be a supportive, friendly community, the department offers a wonderful balance for ambitious, accomplished graduate and undergraduate students.

Meet our New Faculty 2009-10:
Joshua Clinton (Associate Professor; Ph.D. Stanford; formerly Associate Professor at Princeton University)
Zeynep Somer-Topcu (Assistant Professor, Ph.D., UC-Davis; comes to Vanderbilt from a visiting student researcher position at Cal Tech)
Emily Nacol (Assistant Professor, Ph.D. University of Chicago)
Edward Rubin (University Professor of Law and Political Science. FedEx Research Professor)

Honoring Prof. Tate
Neal Tate (CV), a professor and chair of Vanderbilt University’s Department of Political Science who provided strong leadership during a successful rebuilding of the department, died on Sept. 13, 2009. Tate, 65, had been recovering from major surgery. The Department of Political Science honors his life and many rich contributions to the field of political science, to Vanderbilt University, our department, and most of all, the impact his friendship has had on us personally. More...

12-2-2009 * Recent Job Placement Successes

* Jeremiah Garretson (American Politics, Ph.D. 2009) Tenure-track position at Stony Brook University

* Jenna Lukasik (Judicial Politics, Ph.D. 2009) Tenure-track position at Wheaton College

* Juan Carlos Donoso (Comparative Politics, Ph.D. 2009) Tenure-track position at Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador

* Sonalini Sapra (Political Theory and International Relations, Ph.D. 2009) 2-year post-doc at Kenyon College.

* Daniel Moreno (Comparative Politics, Ph.D. 2008) Researcher and community organizer for Ciudadania, Comunidad de Estudios Sociales y Accion Publica Cochabamba, Bolivia.

Read more...

Vanderbilt International Relations Colloquium
* January 29: David Leblang, University of Virginia, "Defying the Law of Gravity: The Political Economy of International Migration." Buttrick 101, from noon to 1:30 p.m.
* February 12: Sara Mitchell, University of Iowa, "What Did They Leave Behind? Legal Systems, Colonial Legacies, and Human Rights Practices." Stevenson Center 1206, from noon to 1:30 p.m.
* March 26: Alexander Wendt, Ohio State University. Stevenson Center 1206, from noon to 1:30 p.m.
* April 9: Robert Trager, UCLA. Stevenson Center 1206, from noon to 1:30 p.m.

CSDI Friday Series
* January 15: Cindy Kam and Liz Zechmeister, VU
* January 22: Paula McClain, Duke University
* February 5: Ryan Owens, Harvard University
--- More information

http://www.vanderbilt.edu/csdi/events.html

Public Opinion Speaker Series
-- Concluded for the year; contact Cindy Kam for more information: cindy.d.kam@vanderbilt.edu