Alumni Updates
Anthony (Art) Arton is running for the Missouri House of Representatives (121st District).
Michael Carey is working on Secretary of State Robin Carnahan's re-election.
John J. Carter is a professor of History and Political Science at Central Methodist University.
Phillip Castleberry is Senior Associate Director of Development, Arts & Sciences for the Washington University in St. Louis
Nathan Dampf is on Missouri Speaker of the House Rod Jetton's staff.
Sue Dodson is an Associate Circuit Court Judge for Johnson County.
Casey Exendine is Representative Will Kraus' legislative assistant in Jefferson City
Alex Goring graduated from Washburn, was admitted to the bar, and now works for the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Immigration Litigation.
Josh Fizer received his J.D. from Washington University.
Richard Holtmeyer is an assistant attorney general for the state of Missouri in the financial services division.
Allison Jaslow just returned from Iraq where she served as an officer in the U.S. Army.
Jessica Johnson is an Academic Advisor here are UCM for the Arts, Humanities, and Social Science college.
Ryan Johnson manages Annual Fund Drives for UCM’s Alumni Office.
Chris Moreno is a campaign manager for the Jay Nixon campaign.
Heidi Osner works for Missouri Senator Bill Stouffer.
Tim Rich is pursuing a Ph. D at Indiana University.
Kevin Stamps is working on the Jay Nixon campaign.
Many alumns are attending Law School
Cassie Carpenter is attending law school at Washburn.
Ivan Cason is a law student at St. Louis University
Aaron Conn will be attending Creighton Law School in the fall.
Rebecca Dyer is a law student at UMKC.
Ethan Gibson is a law student at the University of Houston.
Rebecca (Craig) Fizer is a law student at UMKC.
Rebecca Henderson is a law student at Michigan State University.
Amy Moore will be starting her second year of law school at the University of Missouri.
Kathryn New will be attending law school at UMKC.
Nick Taulbee is a law student at Iowa University.
Ernie Ueligger with be attending MU Law School in the fall.
Survey
We would like to hear from you! Please send information about your recent graduate school and/or career developments to Julia
Kerr at kerr@ucmo.edu or log on to http://www.ucmo.edu/surveys/?formID=2705 and fill out our survey confidentially.
Family News
We have two new members of the Political Science Department. Dr.
Staab, his wife, Renee, and their daughter Ashley welcomed Nicholas and
Oliver Staab into the world on Earth Day, April 22, 2008!
POLS UPDATE
Department of Political Science Newsletter
July 2008
From the Main Office
Greetings! Can you believe another year has flown by? We hope our alumni and friends
are well and have had a good year. The Political Science Department had an exciting year.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was on campus in March. He gave the Julius J.
Oppenheimer Lecture on the evening of March 4th and spoke in my Public Law and the
Judicial Process course on March 5th. Justice Scalia’s Oppenheimer Lecture on
“Constitutional Interpretation” was well attended (1,400) and a number of media outlets
(including CBS’s “60 Minutes”) picked up the event. This year’s lineup of speakers for
Politics and Social Justice Week was outstanding: Tatyana Karaman, Abdul Bakar, Alvin
Sykes, Ioannis Stivachtis, and David Pearce. Alvin Sykes gave the keynote address. A self
-made civil rights activist from Kansas City, Sykes spoke about his work on the Steve Harvey and Emmett
Till cases, as well as the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Act. Our student organizations competed well
this year and earned a number of awards. The Mock Trial team placed fourth in regional competition, earning
them a bid (fifth in a row!) to the nationals, where two students (Zach Harvey and K. Adam Sommer) earned
Best Attorney Awards. Finally, whenever prospective students or parents ask me about our program, I always
begin with high praise for our faculty. This year Political Science faculty won three of the four awards
granted by the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS). Dr. Gregory Streich won the
CAHSS Excellence in Teaching Award, Dr. Shari Bax won the CAHSS Meritorious Service Award, and
Dr. Henry Wambuii won the CAHSS New Faculty Achievement Award. We’d love to hear from our alumni,
so please drop by or send us an e-mail (kerr@umco.edu). As noted on the last page, we have established a
survey for our alumni, which can be found on our webpage (www.ucmo.edu/politicalscience). For the annual
report each year, I am asked to provide statistics on what our alumni are doing. We could use your help in
accurately documenting this information. From your responses, we will establish an alumni database with
contact information, so we can send out periodic notices about special events (e.g., Lecture Series Speakers
and Politics and Social Justice Week). We’d also like to profile one of our alumni in subsequent newsletters
and present an “Outstanding Alumni” award each year. So PLEASE complete the survey!—and best wishes
for 2008-09 and have a restful and pleasant summer.
Faculty Awards and Achievements
Department of Political Science
Wood 005
Warrensburg, MO 64093-5059
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Bax, Shari: Received the CAHSS Meritorious Service Award; presented paper at the 2007 American
Democracy Project National Meeting and will present another at the 2008 meeting; is revising an article
submitted in 2007; another article will be submitted in 2008; serving on the Carnegie Community
Engagement Grant Writing Committee; invited speaker for the 21st Century Leadership Academy; regularly
gives interviews to media on state and national politics; member of the Middle East Search Committee;
University Academic Standards Committee; academic/curriculum consultant for MBS/MGS; coordinator for
the American Democracy Project; State Government Internship Coordinator; mentor for McNair Program and
honor students; faculty advisor for the Political Science Students Association, the College Democrats,
Breakers, Alpha Sigma Alpha, and the Sue Shear Institute for Women in Public Life fellowship program
Non-Profit Organization
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
Warrensburg, MO 64093
Permit No. 102
Budd, Darlene: Promoted to Aconferences in Chicago, IL and associate Professor; as faculty advisor for the
UCM Model United Nations Club, traveled with the club to St. Louis, MO; presented a paper on Chinese
investment in Mexico at the International Conference of Asian Studies in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (August,
2007); co-authored the peer-reviewed article, “`The Roma: A European Minority?’ The EU Accession Process and the Roma Minority in New, Soon-to-Be, and Hopeful Member States” in Comparative European
Politics 6:1 (2008); served as panel discussant at the “Terrorism and Justice” Conference at UCM (February,
2007), guest speaker during National Geography Awareness Week where she discussed the remilitarization
of Japan; serves on the Women and Gender Studies Steering Committee, the College Curriculum Committee, and the Achievement Awards Committee.
Kalaitzidis, Akis: Presented paper at the Southwest Political Science Association Meeting; will present a
paper at the International Conference on Politics and International Affairs (23-26 June 2008) in Athens,
Greece; co-authored a peer reviewed article titled “Adding the Domestic Determinants to Greek Foreign
Policy” for the Journal of Political and Military Sociology; co-authored a book titled Immigration: A Documentary and Reference Guide (Greenwood Publishing Group, June 2008); published a book chapter titled
“The Race to the Bottom: Tax Reform and Economic Development in the European Union,” in The State of
European Integration (Ashgate Publishing, 2007); is under contract to publish Europe’s Greece: A Giant in
the Making (Palgrave-McMillan, Spring 2009); he served on the Steering Committee for the International
Studies Major; member of the department’s Middle East Search Committee; and advisor for the College Libertarians, the Model UN, and the Student Alliance for Peace.
Staab, James: Introduced and moderated United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s Oppenheimer Series Lecture on March 4, 2008; KTGB interview about his book on Justice Scalia and the Justice’s
visit to campus, which aired on February 29, 2008; panelist on roundtable at the Western Political Science
Association Meeting entitled “Justice Scalia and Conservatism on the Supreme Court”; presented paper titled
“The War on Terror’s Impact on Habeas Corpus: The Constitutionality of the Military Commissions Act of
2006” at the “Terrorism and Justice” Conference (UCM) on February 18, 2008; authored two op-ed pieces-“Much at Stake in Coming Election for Democrats” (February 8, 2008) and “On the U.S. Supreme Court, A
Fault Line Between the Conservatives” (July 17, 2007)—for the Kansas City Star; invited Alvin Sykes, a
civil rights activist, to campus for a university-wide address; co-invited David Cole, Georgetown Law professor, to campus to speak at “Terrorism and Justice” Conference on February 18, 2008; served on Chairs
Council, Academic Council, and the Steering Committee for Justice Scalia’s visit; was an invited speaker at
the Warrensburg Kiwanis Club (April 1, 2008); serves as the co-advisor to the Pre-Law Student Association
and assistant coach for the Mock Trial Team.
Streich, Gregory: Promoted to Full Professor; received CAHSS Excellence in Teaching Award; received a
sabbatical leave in spring 2008; published “Deliberative Social Capital and the Politics of Transition,” in
Trust and Transitions: Civil Societies in a Changing World, eds. Joseph D. Lewandowski and Milan Znoj
(Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Press, forthcoming 2008); co-authored “Democratizing Social Capital: In
Pursuit of Liberal Egalitarianism,” with Joseph D. Lewandowski, Journal of Social Philosophy 38:4 (2007);
authored four encyclopedia essays; two articles under review and two book manuscripts in preparation; presented two papers at conferences and served as a panel chair; founding member of the Association of Political Theory; serves on the Steering Committee for Africana Studies; faculty advisor for Pi Sigma Alpha and
the Mace and Torch; advisor for Academic Probation and Re-admission Students
Wambuii, Henry: Published one book (The Politics of HIV/AIDS and Implications for Democracy in Kenya
(Edwin Mellen Press, 2006)) and is working on second book project examining poverty alleviation in SubSaharan Africa; recipient of the CAHSS New Faculty Achievement Award and a Scholarly/Creative Activity
Award in the amount of $10,500; authored five forthcoming encyclopedia entries; chaired the department’s
Middle East Search Committee; served on Dean’s Committee to examine future structuring of Geography,
Women’s Studies, and Religious Studies; member of the International Affairs Committee and the Academic
Standards Committee; faculty advisor for the Model UN program and Pi Sigma Alpha; serves on Steering
Committee for Africana Studies; coordinator of the department’s newsletter.
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Model United Nations
During the 2007-2008 academic year, the University of Central Missouri Model United Nations club
participated in two regional competitions. Over 60 universities and colleges represented over 90 countries at
each conference. Students attending one or both conferences included: Ben Asplund, Christopher Brockway,
Mike Brunelli, Angela Cook, Daniel Altis, Jonathan Hilton, Elshan Ibrahimov, Babak Mammadov, Caroline
Wanja Muriithi, Taylor Olson, Ashley Peterson, Samantha Rush, Raghvendra Singh, Kelly Wenell, Anthony
White, and Brooke Wise. The delegation at the American Model United Nations conference in Chicago
represented the country of Azerbaijan, the home country of Elsahn Ibrahimov and Babbak Mammadov!
Raghvendra Singh was selected to serve on the media and broadcast committee at this year’s conference. At
the Midwest Model United Nations conference in St. Louis, the club represented the country of Lebanon.
Chris Brockway served as the country’s representative on the Security Council during the conference “crisis
session.” The club is open to all UCM students interested in the functions and activities of the United Nations
who have the desire to work with fellow students to research and debate international issues in a simulated
United Nations forum. Watch for upcoming events and meetings this fall!
The Mock Trial Team
Each year the team is presented with a hypothetical criminal or civil case for which they develop a legal
strategy and compete in regional and national competitions. This year’s team competed in the Biliken
Barrister Invitational in St. Louis, MO, the Blue Jay Open Mock Trial Tournament in Omaha, NE, the Loras
Mock Trial Tournament in Dubuque, IA, and the UMKC Mock Trial Tournament in Kansas City, MO.
The team also competed in regional competition at the University of Missouri, and placed fourth out sixteen
teams, earning them a spot at the silver national competition at Northwestern University. This is the fifth year
in a row the team has qualified for the national tournament! The members of the 2007-2008 team were Adam
Sommer (captain), Darren Doherty, Zach Harvey, Ernie Ueligger, Angela Dudley, Nathan Davis, Josh
Wiseman, Justin Hauser, Shannon Dawson, Cassie Dorrough and Daniel Dysart. Doug Harris, a local attorney,
is the coach of the team. Darren Doherty won a Best Attorney Award at the Creighton Tournament, Zach
Harvey a Best Attorney Award at the regional competition, Zach Harvey and K. Adam Sommer won Best
Attorney Awards at the national competition.
Fundraising Request
In order to continue to offer student programs such as the Mock Trial Team and the Model United Nations
Club, the department relies in part on alumni donations to the UCM Foundation. We urge you to make a
monetary donation! Please specify “Political Science Department” when making your donation. Funds
donated will help pay for registration fees, travel, and lodging for students involved in these organizations as
well as various scholarships to students.
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The Annual Spring Awards Reception
News from the Classroom
Every spring, the Department of Political Science holds a banquet reception to recognize outstanding
students and their achievements. The awards banquet was held at Heroes Restaurant on April 23rd. This is
always a popular and exciting event for the department. The keynote speaker was Maurice Brooks, Chair of
the Young Professionals for International Cooperation of Kansas City, a program sponsored by the United
Nations Association. Mr. Brooks has been an adjunct faculty member in the department teaching a course on
International Law and Human Rights. We inducted twelve individuals into Pi Sigma Alpha. Among other
awardees, we recognized the recipients of the Robert A. and Edith M. Young Scholarship, the Walt Hicklin
Government and Public Service Scholarship, and the Helen Louise Campbell Richards Memorial
Scholarship. Family members of the inductees and awardees were invited. We had approximately 50 people
in attendance.
The requirements for a major in Political Science have changed! We have reduced the number of required
courses and devised four areas of concentration, which offers students more flexibility and the ability to
specialize within a particular area of Political Science. Consistent with a change in university policy, we
also do not require our majors to declare a minor. Check out our new program.
Scholarship/Award Recipients
K. Adam Sommer
Nicholas McDaniels
Nicholas McDaniels
Elizabeth Rand
Darren Doherty
K. Adam Sommer
Caitlyn Adams
Chris Brockway
Amber Cabrera
Adam Sommer
Aaron Conn
Sean Conway
Darren Doherty
Jonathan Hermann
Jonathon Hilton
Ryan Kilkenny
Nicholas McDaniels
Charles Rone, Jr.
Christopher Ruggles
Jaque’ Ryland
Kila Saxton
Martin Woodward
Scholarship/Awards
Robert A. & Edith M. Young Scholarship
The Walt Hicklin Government & Public Service Scholarship
Helen Louis Campbell Richards Memorial Scholarship
Outstanding Senior in Political Science
Leadership Awards
Pi Sigma Alpha Inductees
MAJOR REQUIREMENTS ................................. 33
POLS 1500 Introduction to Politics ........................ 3
POLS 1510 American Government ........................ 3
POLS 2540 Survey of Political Theory .................. 3
POLS 3560 Research Methods in Pol. Sci.............. 3
Electives in political science* ............................... 12
Electives from one of the following areas .............. 9
AREA 1 American Politics
POLS 2511 State Government ....................................... 3
POLS 2550 Political Parties & Interest Groups ............. 3
POLS 2580 Public Law & Judicial Process ................... 3
POLS 3550 Public Opinion & Mass Media ................... 3
POLS 4511 Public Policy ............................................... 3
POLS 4552 Legislative Politics...................................... 3
POLS 4555 The American Presidency ........................... 3
POLS 4570 Public Administration ................................. 3
POLS 4571 Municipal Administration ........................... 3
POLS 4590 Special Projects in Political Science ........ 1-6
POLS 4591 Internship in Political Science ................. 1-6
POLS 4592 Problems in National, State or
Local Government ....................................................... 1-3
AREA 2 Public Law and Theory
POLS 2580 Public Law & Judicial Process ....................3
POLS 3541 Contemporary Political Theory ...................3
POLS 3551 Race & Ethnic Politics in U.S .....................3
POLS 4530 International Law.........................................3
POLS 4580 American Constitutional Law......................3
POLS 4581 Civil Rights & Liberties ..............................3
POLS 4582 Trial Advocacy ............................................3
POLS 4583 First Amendment .........................................3
POLS 4590 Special Projects in Political Science ........ 1-6
POLS 4591 Internship in Political Science ................. 1-6
AREA 3 Comparative Politics
POLS 2520 Comparative Gov. & Politics ...................... 3
POLS 3520 Asian Gov. & Politics ................................. 3
POLS 3521 Latin American Gov. & Politics ................. 3
POLS 3522 Modern East Asia ....................................... 3
POLS 3523 Modern Sub-Saharan Africa ....................... 3
POLS 3553 Women & Politics....................................... 3
POLS 4511 Public Policy ............................................... 3
POLS 4520 Prin. of International Development ............ 3
POLS 4521 Culture & Politics of the Middle East ......... 3
POLS 4550 The European Union ................................... 3
POLS 4590 Special Projects in Political Science ........ 1-6
POLS 4591 Internship in Political Science ................. 1-6
AREA 4 International Relations
POLS 1244 Workshop in Political Science ................. 1-3
POLS 2530 International Relations.................................3
POLS 3530 International Organizations .........................3
POLS 3541 Contemporary Political Theory ...................3
POLS 4520 Prin. of International Development .............3
POLS 4530 International Law.........................................3
POLS 4531 American Foreign Policy .............................3
POLS 4532 International Relations of East Asia ............3
POLS 4590 Special Projects in Political Science ........ 1-6
POLS 4591 Internship in Political Science ................. 1-6
Although Political Science continues to offer its own minor, a minor
is not required for Political Science majors.
MINOR REQUIREMENTS .......................................................... 21
POLS 1500 Introduction to Politics ................................................ 3
POLS 1510 American Government ................................................ 3
POLS 2450 Survey of Political Theory ........................................... 3
One course from each of the above areas.................................... 12
*It is required that students take one class from each of the three
tracks not chosen for their area of concentration.
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3
Politics and Social Justice Week
Very special speaker visited UCM
On March 4-5, 2008, Antonin Scalia, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court,
came to UCM. He gave a university-wide lecture titled “Constitutional Interpretation”
in Hendricks Hall on the evening of March 4th. The next day, Justice Scalia attended a
breakfast with various leaders of student organizations and the Mock Trial team, and he
spoke in Dr. Jim Staab’s Public Law and the Judicial Process course.
Justice Antonin Scalia with UCM Students and Faculty
Begun in 2000 by students in the Political Science Student Association (PSSA), Politics and Social Justice
Week (PSJW) focuses on a particular theme each year and brings to campus prominent speakers. This year’s
program (held April 7-11, 2008) was based on the theme “Rules, Rights, and Wrongs.” Speakers included
civil rights activist, Alvin Sykes, responsible for persuading the Justice Department to re-investigate the 1955
slaying of 14 year-old Emmett Till. He is also at least partially responsible for the Justice Department’s
decision to review as many as 100 old murder cases in 14 states. Dr. Tatyana Karaman, Assistant Professor at
Samford University and a former procurator and police detective in the Russian Federation, spoke on the
current state of the Russian Federation’s legal system. Dr. Ioannis Stivachtis, Director of the International
Studies Program at Virginia Tech University, spoke about European-Turkish relations and Turkey’s bid for
membership in the European Union. Dr. Clenora Hudson-Weems talked about her research and work on the
Emmett Till case. The Mock Trial Team and Model United Nations Club provided students with information
and simulations from recent conference experiences.
Alvin Sykes
Dr. Tatyana Karaman
Dr. Ioannis Stivachtis
Dr. Clenora Hudson-Weems
*This year’s PSSA officers were Rebecca Lurten, President; Caitlyn Adams, Vice President of Public Relations; and Aaron Conn,
Vice President of Budget & Finance.
Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Scholarship Dinner
State Government Internship and Missouri Boys and Girls State
Several faculty members and students from the department attended the university’s annual Martin Luther
King Jr. Freedom Scholarship Dinner. Legendary Los Angeles Lakers basketball star Earvin “Magic” Johnson
attended a reception and spoke at the event.
The department continues to sponsor, under the direction of Dr. Bax, a State Government Internship Program.
Each spring full-time and part-time interns are placed with individual state legislators, legislative committees,
administrative agencies, judges/attorneys, and other state-elected officials. This year’s interns included David
Bock, Kathryn New, Elizabeth Rand, Reggie Stockman, Emma Scott, Nichole Walsh, and Emily Wright. We
are also actively pursuing internship opportunities in Washington D.C. The department provided partial funding for housing costs associated with Danielle Farr’s summer internship with Greenpeace. Dr. Bax is also the
Academic/Curriculum Consultant for the Missouri Boys State and Girls State programs. These programs focus on leadership in state and local government and bring some 800 – 1000 rising high school senior boys and
girls to campus each summer. The revenue earned from these programs helps to fund student scholarships, the
department’s speaker series, travel for Mock Trial and Model UN members, and adjunct faculty salaries.
Amber Cabrera,
Political Science
Major
Darlene Budd,
Political Science
Faculty
Sue Shear Leadership Institute For Women in Public Life
Dr. Jim Staab,
Political Science
Department Chair
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Sue Shear Fellows attend the 21st Century Leadership Academy at the University of Missouri -- St. Louis for
one week in May. Thirty-six college women from across the state representing nine public college and universities are selected. During the week these students meet with a variety of women leaders in local, state, and
national politics, and learn about public policy. This year’s participants included LaTonya Brooks, Amber
Cabrera, and Kila Saxton-- all political science majors. Caitlyn Adams, 2007 Sue Shear Fellow, was selected
as an intern for the 2008 Academy. Dr. Bax served as Central’s representative and co-presented with Dr.
Farida Jalalzai, Women’s Studies Professor at the University of Missouri--St. Louis, on “Anticipating Madam
President: The Historic Nature of the 2008 Presidential Election” at this year’s workshop.
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