Faculty & Staff

Our research and teaching interests are in the fields of public policy, political behavior, comparative politics, political theory, and international relations.

We engage and mentor students in our research and topic areas of interest to students. As a political science major you will develop a sophisticated understanding of political ideas, institutions, and behavior as well as an ability to critically analyze public policy issues.

Department Contacts

Prof. Besir Ceka
Chair of Political Science
Gladys Guido Newport
Departmental Coordinator for Political Science

Faculty

Peter Ahrensdorf

James B. Duke Professor of Political Science

peahrensdorf@davidson.edu

Chambers 3006

Katherine Bersch

Frontis W. Johnston Associate Professor of Political Science

Primary Areas of Expertise

Comparative Politics and Policy
Latin America
Brazil
Executive policymaking
Public Administration

kabersch@davidson.edu

Chambers 2021

Graham Bullock

Associate Professor of Political Science | Faculty Director of the Deliberative Citizenship Initiative | Director of Davidson in China | Director of the Sustainability Information Lab

Primary Areas of Expertise

U.S. Politics
Environmental Politics and Policy
Citizenship and Deliberative Policymaking
Eco-Labels and Sustainability Ratings
China / East Asia

grbullock@davidson.edu

Chambers 2262

Graham Bullock

Besir Ceka

Chair & Associate Professor of Political Science

Primary Areas of Expertise

European Politics
International Relations

beceka@davidson.edu

Chambers 2039

Britta Crandall

Associate Professor of the Practice in Political Science

Primary Areas of Expertise

International Political Economy
Latin America

brcrandall@davidson.edu

Chambers 3011

Britta Crandall

Melody Crowder-Meyer

Associate Professor of Political Science

Primary Areas of Expertise

American Politics
Women In Politics
Local Politics
Candidate Emergence
Race and Ethnicity in Politics

mecrowdermeyer@davidson.edu

Chambers 2043

Melody Crowder-Myer

Ken Menkhaus

Professor of Political Science

Primary Areas of Expertise

Africa

kemenkhaus@davidson.edu

Chambers 2027

Brittany Murray

Malcolm O. Partin Assistant Professor of Educational Studies and Political Science

Primary Areas of Expertise

K-12 Education Policy
Family and Community Engagement
Racial Inequality
Mixed Methods

brmurray@davidson.edu

Chambers 3166

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Andrew O'Geen

Associate Professor of Political Science

Primary Areas of Expertise

U.S. Politics, Supreme Court

anogeen@davidson.edu

Chambers 3170

Shelley Rigger

Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty | Brown Professor of Asian Politics

shrigger@davidson.edu

Chambers 1283/Preyer 111

Shelley Rigger

Susan Roberts

Professor of Political Science

Primary Areas of Expertise

U.S. and N.C. politics
Reproductive rights

suroberts@davidson.edu

Chambers 2040

Brian J. Shaw

Richardson Professor of Political Science

Primary Areas of Expertise

Political Philosophy

brshaw@davidson.edu

Chambers 3014

Silvana Toska

Assistant Professor of Political Science

Primary Areas of Expertise

International Security
Middle East Politics
Political Psychology
Social Movements

sitoska@davidson.edu

Chambers 2044

Keren Zhu

Assistant Professor of Political Science

Primary Areas of Expertise

Policy Analysis
Global China
Chinese Foreign Policy
International Development

kezhu1@davidson.edu

Staff

Gladys Guido Newport

Departmental Coordinator

glnewport@davidson.edu

Chambers

Gladys Newport

Faculty Emeriti

Mary Thornberry
Lou Ortmayer