Political Science

Nadia Brown NBrown

Nadia E. Brown, an Associate Professor in Political Science and African American studies, recently won two awards for her book Sisters in the Statehouse: Black women and Legislative Decision Making (Oxford University Press).

The National Conference of Black Political Scientists chose Professor Brown's book for the DuBois Book Award. Sisters in the Statehouse has also been awarded the 2015 Anna Julia Cooper Best Publication Award from the Association for the Study of Black Women in Politics.

This award-winning book uses both humanistic and social science techniques to look at how Black women legislators have been influenced by their own experiences with racism and sexism. The London School of Economics (LSE) chose a review by Muireann O’Dwyer as one of its Editor’s Picks: Ten Favourite Book Reviews from 2014. O'Dwyer declares that Brown “…has delivered an answer to the enduring question of how exactly intersectionality can be brought to bear on the empirical questions of social science.”

Keith Shimko KShimko

Keith Shimko, an Associate Professor of Political Science and a 2015-2016 Center for Humanistic Studies Awardee for his project titled: Bush and Burke in Baghdad: The Iraq War and American Conservatism.

Focusing on debates among American conservatives about the Iraq War, this study aims to explore Samuel Huntington’s question, “is there such a thing as a conservative foreign policy?” A study of elite political ideology, it examines three issues. First, is there a conservative vision for United States in the world? Second, what beliefs unite and differentiate contemporary conservatives? Third, do these beliefs reflect what is normally regarded as conservative political philosophy/ideology? The goal is to understand the state and intellectual trajectory of contemporary American conservatism as well as the nature and dynamics of political ideology more generally.

Associate Professor Shimko has an eclectic approach and an ability to find synergies that sets his work apart from that of many of his peers.

Laurel Weldon LWeldon

Laurel Weldon, Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Research on Diversity and Inclusion, for winning the
2014-2015 Midwest Women’s Caucus Outstanding Professional Achievement Award. The women's caucus of the Midwest Political Science ssociation promotes professional equity for women in political science. Laurel's award recognizes her outstanding contribution to scholarship and mentoring in her field. A roundtable in Laurel’s honor was held earlier this month.