CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH SPRING 2014 DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE Newsletter Greetings from the Chair Dear alumni, students, faculty, and friends, May 2014 Though we still have a long way to go budget-wise, things are looking up at CSULB! We have started to gain ground on tenure-track hiring, and our students, faculty and staff have had yet another year filled with impressive accomplishments. Please be in touch to share with us what you have been up to! With warm regards, Teresa Wright Inside the Issue Chair Thank you to our staff Clubs and Events 2 Faculty Publications 3-5 & Activities As always, we would be lost without our amazing New Tenure-Track 5 staff! Amelia Marquez, our Administrative Support Faculty Member Coordinator, and Kristin Taylor, our Administra- In Memoriam 5 tive Support Assistant, remain the best team that Alumni Connections 6 can be found at CSULB. We are grateful every day Alumni News 6-8 for their professionalism, thoughtfulness, and good 9 Alumni Spotlight cheer. Student News 9 Thank you, Amelia and Kristin! Moot Court 10 Model United Nations 11 Newsletter Designed by: Elsa Villagrana (BA 2012) PAGE 2 - DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE Clubs and Events Political Science Student Association (PSSA) From Professor Edgar Kaskla, faculty advisor for the PSSA... The PSSA held its regularly scheduled meetings this year on Wednesdays at 5 p.m., with a lot of the discussion in the fall semester focused on political art and cultural expression as a manifestation of political intent and content. The spring semester has featured a variety of themes, including screenings of documentary films and a discussion of water allocation and politics in California. Off-campus, the PSSA held mixers during both semesters in order to allow students to get to know each other on a less formal basis. The PSSA is not only about discussing politics; it is also about building friendships and connections at a campus where a large number of students commute. The PSSA has also served as a foundation for community organizing and social activism in the Long Beach area. Many of our students have volunteered for canvassing in efforts to increase voter registration, especially in low-income neighborhoods of the city, and several students helped to organize the People’s State of the City 2014 event, which was held at Church One in Long Beach on March 6th, as a counterpoint to the mayor’s annual State of the City Address. The PSSA served as one of the many co-sponsors of this event. The PSSA leadership, which includes Matt Segré, Elizabeth Alcantar, Yvonne Figueroa, and Joseph “Hunter” Eurell, has been insistent on the need for students to become active in the local community. As Yvonne Figueroa has fre- quently reminded us, even though many students do commute to school, CSULB is part of Long Beach—not separate from it--and our students do have a role to play in local affairs. This has been a consistent theme among all our PSSA leaders throughout the years that I have had the privilege to serve as the group’s academic advisor. I am very proud of them, no more so than when colleagues attend these local events and tell me that it seems like “PSSA is everywhere.” Indeed. For more information on PSSA contact [email protected], or find us on Facebook, csulbPSSA. Political Science Graduate Student Association (PSGSA) Under the leadership of President Dilyana Valeva, Vice President Visal Dom, Treasurer Sarah Malouff, and Sec- retary Alysse Florez, this past academic year, the PSGSA launched the Expert Hour series - periodic hour-long lectures in which professors discuss current “hot topics” or their latest research. The Expert Hour lectures allow students to receive from an expert objective information and commentary on current events, as well as to familiarize themselves with the re- search interests and projects of professors. The lectures are followed by a Q&A and a brief discussion. The PSGSA’s first guest speaker was Dr. Larry George, who in September 2013 discussed the crisis in Syria. In early November 2013, Dr. Demetra Kasimis discussed her current book project, Classical Greek Theory and the Politics of Immigration. Later in November, Dr. Amy Cabrera Rasmussen addressed the history, context and implications of the healthcare reform. The PSGSA is excited to continue to host more Expert Hour lectures in the upcoming academic year. Contact: Di- lyana Valeva ([email protected]). Pi Sigma Alpha Honors Society and Awards Reception At the 2013 annual Pi Sigma Alpha awards banquet, honors were given to: John Sellers (Outstanding Graduating Senior), Ryan Ashlock and James Hoopes (Outstanding Graduate Students), Ryan Chapman and Kyle Maury (John T. Amendt Academic Achievement Awards), Ashley Hall (Edwin Roberts Scholarship), and William Torres (Robert Delo- rme Scholarship). Our Pi Sigma Alpha officers for 2012-13 were:Yasmin Manners (President), Ryan Chapman (Vice President), and Allan Nguyen (Secretary). Our officers for 2013-14 are: amesJ Dinwiddie (President), David Casarru- bias (Vice President), and Kayla Huynh (Secretary). The 2014 awards reception will be held on May 8. PAGE 3 - DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE FACULTY PUBLICATIONS AND ACTIVITIES Mary Caputi (Political Theory; Larry N. George (International 1990-2010: Politics, Economics and Ph.D., Cornell University) Recent Relations; Ph.D. Princeton Univer- Social Policy under the Rainbow publications include: “‘The Man- sity) currently is writing an article on (Lynne Rienner Press, 2013) (with ly Virtues’: Macaulay’s Influence, “Sovereignty as Pharmacotic Assem- Merike Blofield). A Spanish transla- Wollstonecraft’s Legacy,” in Lisa blage,” which also will be a chapter tion is forthcoming in May 2014. Curtis-Wendlandt, Paul Gibbard, in his book, Pharmacotic War. In and Karen Green, eds., Political March 2014, Dr. George presented Richard Haesly (Comparative Poli- Ideas of Enlightenment Women: Vir- a paper on “Pragmatism, Pluralism, tics; Ph.D. University of North Car- tue and Citizenship (Ashgate Pub- and Religion in Contemporary Inter- olina) serves as the POSC Intern- lishers, 2013); “Relativism,” in The national Politics” at the annual meet- ship Director and is one of our two Encyclopedia of Political Thought ing of the International Studies As- undergraduate advisors. Later this (Wiley-Blackwell Publishers, forth- sociation in Toronto, Canada. year, his article, “Nationalism” will coming); “Benjamin and the Pa- be published in The Encyclopedia of risian Cityscape,” in Diana Boros Richard Goldin (Political Theory; American Political Culture. He also and James Glass, eds., Re-Imagining Ph.D. University of California, Los has published a book review in the Public Space: The Frankfurt School Angeles) Recent and forthcoming most recent issue of Nations and Na- and Beyond (Palgrave-MacMillan, publications include: “Robert Tal- tionalism. He continues to work with 2014); and a book review published isse’s Epistemic Democracy: A De- Dr. Liesl Haas on a research project in Perspectives on Politics. Dr. Ca- construction,” Contemporary Prag- on the intersection of American reli- puti also presented a paper at the matism (forthcoming); “Class War gion and American nationalism. 2013 annual meeting of the West- is a Bad Strategy for Progressive ern Political Science Association Politics,” Common Dreams, Novem- Edward Kaskla (Comparative Poli- (WPSA), and serves on the Execu- ber 7, 2013; and “‘Facts’ and ‘Truth’ tics; Ph.D. University of California, tive Council of WPSA. Aren’t Enough: Democratic Politics Irvine) continues to serve as the fac- and the Constructions of Inequality,” ulty advisor for the Political Science Alfredo Carlos (American Politics; Common Dreams, October 9, 2013. Students Association (PSSA). doctoral candidate, University of California Irvine; MA CSULB) Re- Cora Goldstein (Comparative Poli- Demetra Kasimis (Political Theo- cent publications include: “Mexico tics; Ph.D. University of Chicago) ry; Ph.D. Northwestern University) ‘Under Siege:’ Drug Cartels or U.S. This summer, Dr. Goldstein had a was awarded two year-long fellow- Imperialism?” Latin American Per- chance to revisit some of her earliest ships from the National Endowment spectives (March 2014). Professor work, and gave an invited talk on art, for the Humanities—the Fellowship Carlos also has been offered a con- propaganda, and the Cold War at the and the Award for Faculty (accept- tract with Pluto Press/Palgrave for University of Indiana, Bloomington, ed). The awards are in support of her a co-authored book entitled, “The Art Museum. She is now starting a book project, “Classical Greek The- Latino Question in Neoliberal Capi- project on the concept of honor in ory and the Politics of Immigration,” talism” (with Rodolfo D. Torres and war, and its consequences for drone which is under contract with Cam- Armando Ibarra). warfare. bridge University Press. Dr. Kasimis will carry out the fellowship at Yale Christopher Dennis (American Liesl Haas (Comparative Politics; University, as a visiting fellow in the Politics; Ph.D., University of Geor- Ph.D. University of North Caro- Whitney Humanities Center. gia) Recent publications include: lina) Recent publications include: “State Adoption of Tax Policy: New “A House Divided: Gender Equality William Leiter (Public Law; Ph.D. Data and New Insights,” American within the Concertación,” in Kirsten University of Chicago) is conduct- Politics Research (with Thomas Sehnbruch and Peter Siavelis, eds., ing research directed at producing a Hayes, University of Connecticut). Concertación Governments in Chile volume covering the law and policy PAGE 4 - DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE affecting the Obama Administration can conceptions of democracy, writ- Barry Steiner (International Rela- in connection with minority/gender/ ten in French and entitled, “L’Autre tions; Ph.D. Columbia University) sexual-orientation/disability/senior- République.” In addition, he is at has received a contract from Roman status affirmative action in employ- work on a new project on the impact & Littlefield for a book-length man- ment, education, voting, government of the defeat of the American left on uscript entitled, “Diplomatic Con- procurement, and criminal justice.