Education

• B.A., Political Science, Gustavus Adolphus College, May 1994
• M.A., Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, May 2003
• Ph.D., Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, May 2008

Background

I began teaching full-time at WLC in 2014, and I have taught at other colleges in the Midwest. I am passionate about teaching students political and philosophical concepts, ideas, and issues with the goal of preparing them to be active citizens and servant leaders in their communities. My particular teaching interests are global politics, political philosophy, and global political economy. Beyond the classroom I enjoy reading, traveling, and spending time with my wife and two Siberian huskies.

Teaching

• Introduction to American Government and Politics
• Global Politics, Institutions, Ethics, & Law
• Politics and Governments of Developed and Developing Countries
• Political Ideologies
• American Constitutional Law: Civil Liberties & Civil Rights
• Administrative Law
• Jurisprudence
• Congress & Presidency
• Administrative Law & Federal Regulatory Process
• Logical Reasoning and Argumentation
• Liberal Arts Seminar 101
• Central Europe International Study Tour: Berlin, Prague, and Budapest
• Central Europe International Study Tour: Berlin, Prague, and Vienna

Research Interests

My research interests focus on several areas within political science. These include mass media effects and public opinion formation, voting behavior, regime transitions and international conflict, as well as religion and political behavior.

Scholarly Works

Select Publications

“Determinants of Militarized Interstate Disputes: An Integrated Theory and Empirical Test.” International Journal of Peace Economics and Peace Science 1, no. 1 (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishers, 2016). This article was co-authored with Dr. Uk Heo from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Kyung Hee University, South Korea.

A Trusted Source: Does One's Level of Trust in the News Media Influence One's Political Attitudes? (ProQuest, UMI Dissertation Publishing, 03 September 2011)

Conference Paper Presentations

“Incomplete Democratization and the Onset of Militarized Interstate Disputes During the Post-Cold War Era, 1989-2010”. Paper presented at the annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference in Chicago, Illinois (April 2018)

“The March to War: Examining the Interactive Effects of Partisanship, Political Awareness, and Media Trust on One’s Support for the 2003 Iraq Invasion”. Paper presented at the annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference in Chicago, Illinois (April 2016).

"Tuning in to the Television News during the 2008 Presidential Election: An Examination of the Moderating Effects of Political Knowledge and Party Identification on the Direct Relationship between One’s Exposure to Mainstream Television News Coverage of the 2008 Presidential Election and One’s Candidate Favorability Ratings." Paper presented at the annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference in Chicago, Illinois (April 2011).

"It’s 3am… Examining the Impact of the Children Campaign Commercial on Subjects’ Attitudes toward Hillary Clinton: An Experimental Study of First-Level and Second-Level Agenda Setting along with Issue Priming and Attribute Priming Effects – A Research Design." Paper presented at the annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference in Chicago, Illinois (April 2010).

"Assembling Public Support for the United Nations: Examining the Impact of Media Trust on One's Policy Preferences toward the United Nations - An Experimental Test." Paper presented at the annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference in Chicago, Illinois (April 2009).

Professional Memberships

• American Political Science Association (APSA)
• Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA)
• Pi Sigma Alpha - Political Science National Academic Honor Society
• Phi Kappa Phi - National Academic Honor Society
• American Mock Trial Association (AMTA)

Service

• Chair, School of Social Sciences
• Program head, Politics & Law Program
• Pre-Law faculty advisor (including the 3+3 accelerated dual degree law program in affiliation with Marquette University Law School)
• Pre-Law Society Faculty Advisor
• Mock Trial Team Coach and Faculty Advisor
• Chair, Global Learning Committee
• Member, General Education Committee

Scholarly Awards

• 2024 WLC Greenfield Award for Faculty Excellence Recipient
• German-American Fulbright Commission Scholar - "German Summer Studies Seminar Program," Berlin, Germany, June 2009.