News and events — Spring 2009
You can view the Political Science News flatscreen slideshow for April 24 through May 1 here.
The Political Science Department has set up a Facebook group for students, faculty, and alumni. So, if you are on Facebook, do join us at JMU Department of Political Science.
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Pre-registration for the Fall 2009 term starts on April 7! All political science, public administration, and international affairs majors should check their JMU email for important registration information.
The Political Science Department is one of the sponsors of the Post-Conflict Recovery Week, hosted by the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery (CISR) from April 6 to 13. The week will feature a variety of events on problems of post-conflict reconstruction, among them a demonstration of landmine clearance conducted by the U.S. Department of Defense's Humanitarian Demining Training Center (on April 7 at 12:30, Festival lawn); a discussion of U.S. conventional weapons destruction policy led by Col. Yori Escalante, the Deputy Director of Programs from the U.S. Department of State Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement (April 8, 7pm, Miller 1101); a talk by Dr. Ken Rutherford, a political scientists who is one of the founders of the Landmine Survivors Network (on April 9, 7pm, Festival Ballrooms B and C); and a speech by Dr. Adam Kushner, the director of the Society of International Humanitarian Surgeons (April 13, 7pm, Miller 1101). More information can be found here.
The Political Science Department is pleased to announce a workshop designed to give students useful leads, tools, and skills for starting a career in politics, policy and related fields: "Landing Your First Job in Political or Public Affairs: A Workshop with JMU Alumni". The workshop will take place on Wednesday, March 25, 4:30-6:30pm, in Miller 2170.
Alumni participants:
- Chris Bast, Office of Governor Tim Kaine
- Matt Gray, The Alliance Group, Ltd.
- Dawn Hillard, Democratic Party of Virginia
- Deuce Martinez, Mitchell, Jessen and Associates
- Frank Smith, Peace Corps/Caucasus Desk
You must register for this event in order to participate. To register, simply submit a copy of your resume to the political science office in Miller 2120 by 4pm MONDAY, March 23rd. If you don't yet have a resume, submit a draft that outlines your work experience, extracurricular activities, and academic record (for advice, go to JMU Career & Academic Planning at http://www.jmu.edu/cap/resumes_cover/index.htm).
Space is very limited, so sign up ASAP.
Questions? Email David Jones at jones3da@jmu.edu.
The 2009 Byrd Symposium will take place on March 23 and 24. The topic is Focus on Africa: Business at the Bottom, Scramble at the Top. Keynote speaker is Margaret C. Lee, Associate Professor at the Department of African and Afro-American Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Lee will give her address, "Re-enter the Dragon: China-Africa Relations and the 21st Century Scramble for Africa", on Monday, March 23, at 7:00 pm in Miller 1101. The full program for the symposium is available here.
Ms. Akunna E. Cook, the Desk Officer for Benin, Ghana, and Togo in the Office of West African Affairs at the U.S. Department of State will speak on internship and employment opportunities at the State Department on Wednesday, March 4 at 11AM in Miller 1107. She will also talk about the portfolios under her supervision. This is a great opportunity to learn about the recruitment process and job opportunities with the U.S. Department of State. It will be a relatively informal event with plenty of time for questions and answers.
This program is sponsored by the Office of the Special Assistant to the President for Diversity and Africana Studies in collaboration with the Department of Political Science.
If you have any questions about the event, please contact Dr. Owusu-Ansah (owusuadx@jmu.edu) or Dr. Adams (adams2mj@jmu.edu).
The Madison Political Affairs Club, a non-partisan organization of political science majors at JMU, is selling JMU Political Science and JMU International Affairs T-Shirts. They are gray with purple letters, in sizes S to XL, and cost $12. If you want to support the Madison PAC by buying a T-Shirt, email Caitlin at vansance@jmu.edu or stop by the JMU Political Science office. Hurry up: Soon these T-Shirts will be valuable rarities!
The Madison PAC is organizing a conference on the Middle East and asks all students who have written a paper on any topic concerning the Middle East to submit it. Interested students should contact Caitlin, vansance@jmu.edu. The conference will take place on April 8, from 10am to 3pm, in Taylor 306 and 404.
The application deadline for the Masters in European Union Policy Studies is February 16. For more information, contact Dr. Adolino, adolinjr@jmu.edu.
On Monday, Feburary 9, 2009, 5pm in Miller 2109, Professor Charles Blake will hold a meeting to discuss JMU's graduate certificate program in international NGO management for summer 2009. In addition to a brief summary of the program, there will be ample time for people to ask questions. Program brochures and application information will also be available at the meeting. For more information about this program, see the website at http://www.jmu.edu/polisci/ngo_program. The meeting should last 40 to 60 minutes. Applications for the program are due on February 16.
Patricia Hardesty, the reference librarian specializing on history and political science, will again hold office hours in Miller this term. She will be available for your questions on Thursdays, 3:30-5:00, in Miller 2103.
Dr. John Scherpereel is serving as coordinator for the newly created minor in Modern European Studies. If you are interested in gaining and interdisciplinary understanding of social dynamics in Europe from the Enlightenment through the present, please contact Dr. Scherpereel (scherpja@jmu.edu). International Affairs majors who concentrate in Europe may be particularly interested in the minor, as a number of courses will "double count" toward major and minor requirements.
Dr. John Scherpereel (scherpja@jmu.edu) will also be serving as faculty member in residence for JMU's study abroad in Florence program this coming summer (2009). A few spots in the program are still available. A number of courses offered in Florence will count for Political Science, International Affairs, Modern European Studies, and/or General Education credit.
The first Model United Nations meeting takes place on Thursday, February 5, at 4 p.m., in Miller 2160. All interested students are welcome! For more information, contact Dr. Kistner at kistnena@jmu.edu.
The new brochure of our MPA in Roanoke program is available here. If you are interested in joining our second cohort in May 2009, please contact Dr. Gary Kirk at kirkgr@jmu.edu.
The deadline for applying to the Fall 2009 and Spring 2010 Washington Semester programs is February 1. More information can be found here.
The Fall 2008 volume of Political Currents, our departmental newsletter, is out. You can download it here (pdf, 2.2M).
MadisonOnline has an interview with Political Science Department alumna Mary Beth Goodman. Goodman ('95) is a Foreign Service officer currently serving in the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Dr. Scherpereel and Dr. Adolino will hold an information session about the M.A. in European Union Policy Studies on Tuesday, November 11, at 4:30 in Miller 2140. More information on the program can be found here.
On November 18, the Political Science department and the College of Arts and Letters will host a forum with two first ladies of Virginia, Anne Holton and Jinks Holton. The event is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in Ballroom A of the Festival Center. For more information, contact A.R. "Pete" Giesen, giesenar@jmu.edu.
Both of these first ladies participated in an event which Colgate Darden, Virginia Governor from 1942-1946, later President of the University of Virginia called, "the most significant happening in this Commonwealth in my lifetime." First Lady Jinks Holton on August 31, 1970 escorted two of her children, twelve-year-old Anne and ten-year-old Woody to the previously all black Mosby Middle School. At the same time, Jink’s husband, Governor Linwood Holton, was escorting their eldest daughter, Tayloe, to the Kennedy High School, also previously an all black school. This action was a family decision and put into action the words of the Governor’s inaugural address when he stated "the era of defiance is behind us and let our goal in Virginia be an aristocracy of ability, regardless of race."
Anthony Eksterowicz and Glenn Hastedt have published an edited volume titled The Presidencies of George Herbert Walker Bush and George walker Bush: Like Father Like Son? (NOVA Publishers, New York). It has articles by Jon Keller, Melinda Adams and Edward Yang, among others. You can buy a copy here.
Dr. John Scherpereel's book, Governing the Czech Republic and Slovakia: Between State Socialism and the European Union (Boulder, Co: FirstForum Press) is out. You can order a copy here.
Applications for the Fall 2009 and Spring 2010 programs for the Washington Semester are due on Monday, November 15, Miller Hall, room 2120. For more information, go to the Washington Semester webpage.
The Spring 2008 issue of the departmental newsletter, Political Currents, was sent to departmental alumni in January 2008; to see it online via PDF click here. The prior spring 2007 issue is available as a PDF here.
We are joined by three new faculty members this Fall: Dr. Liliokanaio Peaslee and Dr. Nicholas J. Swartz add to the Public Administration focus of our department, while Dr. Manal A. Jamal will teach and conduct research on Middle Eastern politics.
Dr. Jessica R. Adolino has taken on her new role as chair of the Political Science department. The department wishes her well for this laborious task. We are now part of the School of Public and International Affairs in the College of Arts and Letters; Dr. Kay Knickrehm has kindly agreed to serve as Associate Dean for the School until the end of Spring 2009.