Department News

UCA students participate in the National Model United Nations (MMUN) conference in New York City

Five UCA students – Willis Arnold, Ecehan Bayrak, Joey Walsh, Logan Spurlock, and Juan Mayen – along with Dr. Mark Mullenbach and Dr. Gizachew Tiruneh from the Department of Political Science, participated in the National Model United Nations (NMUN) Conference at the New York Sheraton Hotel in New York City on March 17-21, 2013. The UCA students, which represented the country of Tuvalu at the conference, participated in a simulation of the Plenary Session of the UN General Assembly at the UN Headquarters on Thursday, March 21st.

Posted in: UCA Model UN on May 12, 2014

Department hosts the 47th Arkansas Model United Nations (AMUN) conference at UCA

The Department of Political Science sponsored the 47th Arkansas Model United Nations (AMUN) conference at the University of Central Arkansas on November 16-17, 2012. Some 435 delegates representing 79 countries from 27 high schools in Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Florida participated in the conference. Jake Logan, a student majoring in International Studies, served as AMUN Secretary-General, and Dr. Mark Mullenbach served as Coordinator of the AMUN conference.

UCA President Tom Courtway gave the welcoming address to the delegates during the Opening Session in Ida Waldran Auditorium on Friday, November 16th. Hristijan Gjorgievski gave the keynote address during the Opening Session. Hristijan Gjorgievski previously served as AMUN Secretary-General in 2005 and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and French from UCA in 2006. He graduated with a Master’s degree in International Relations from the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in 2009. Starting in 2009, Hristijan Gjorgievski has worked for the Washington DC-based National Democratic Institute (NDI) in Macedonia and Pakistan. As a program manager, he develops and manages democratization projects for NDI.

Committee chairs included Logan Spurlock (Special Political Committee), Willis Arnold (Social & Humanitarian Committee), Tyler Bittle (Economic & Finance Committee), Jeffery Montgomery (Legal Committee), Stephanie Gray (Security Council), Juan Mayen (Economic & Social Council), and Kate Loyd (Human Rights Council). During the Closing Session, the “Outstanding Delegation” award was presented to the Iranian delegation (Pope John Paul II High School, Hendersonville, TN), and the “Outstanding Delegation Runner-Up” award was presented to the Belgian delegation (DeSoto Central High School, Southaven, MS).

Top: Hristijan Gjorgievski and Jake Logan

Bottom: Dr. Mark Mullenbach, Jake Logan, Hristijan Gjorgievski, and President Tom Courtway

Posted in: AMUN on May 11, 2014

Department hosts the 39th Arkansas Political Science Association (ArkPSA) conference at UCA

The 39th annual meeting of the Arkansas Political Science Association (ArkPSA) was held at the University of Central Arkansas on February 24-25, 2012. Dr. Kim Hoffman, Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science, served as Program Chair for the 2012 annual meeting. Dr. Charles Bullock, the Richard B. Russell Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Georgia, was the guest speaker during the Friday evening dinner on February 24th. Honorable Preston Scroggin, Faulkner County Judge and 1989 graduate of the UCA Department of Political Science, spoke during the Saturday luncheon on February 25th.

Dr. Rebecca Anne Glazier (University of Arkansas at Little Rock) and Dr. William J. Miller’s (Southeast Missouri State University) research paper, “Whose ‘Clash’? Comparing Anti-Americanism and Anti-Muslim Attitudes,” was chosen as the Best Faculty Paper presented at the 2012 annual meeting. Daniel Chand, Renee Deshommes, Kuatbay Bektemirov, and Leland McQueen’s (University of Arkansas at Fayetteville) research paper, “Local Enforcement of Federal Immigration Policies: An Analysis of the 287(g) and Secure Communities Programs in Arkansas,” was chosen as the Best Graduate Student Paper presented at the 2012 annual meeting. Kelly Reed’s (University of Arkansas at Monticello) research paper, “The Rise of the Opposition: A Theoretical Appraisal of the Recent Arab Spring,” was chosen as the Best Undergraduate Student Paper presented at the 2012 annual meeting.

Posted in: ArkPSA on May 11, 2014

UCA students participate in the 52nd Midwest Model United Nations (MMUN) conference in St. Louis

Eight members of the UCA Model UN student organization participated in the 52nd Annual Midwest Model United Nations (MMUN) Conference in St. Louis, Missouri on February 15-18, 2012. Dr. Mark Mullenbach, Associate Professor of Political Science, served as Faculty Adviser for the UCA delegations to the conference. The UCA delegates included Willis Arnold (1st Committee, Portugal), Justin Hughes (2nd Committee, Portugal), Kate Lloyd (3rd Committee, Portugal), Stephanie Gray (Security Council-A, Portugal), Tyler Bittle (1st Committee, Spain), Christina Huynh (1st Committee, Spain), Juan Mayen (3rd Committee, Spain), and Matthew Peterson (Security Council-B, China).

Posted in: UCA Model UN on May 11, 2014

Department announces Outstanding Students for 2011-2012

The UCA Department of Political Science “Outstanding Students” for 2011-2012 are the following: Megan Rutherford Danielson, Sara Bayles, & Austin Hall (Political Science program), Brett Roberts (Public Administration program), and Michael Tyler & Shannon Kelly (International Studies program). Each of the students was honored at the UCA College of Liberal Arts’ Academic Honors Convocation in Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center on April 29, 2012.

(Back Row, left to right): Sara Bayles (Political Science), Austin Hall (Political Science), Brett Roberts (Public Administration), Michael Tyler (International Studies)

(Front Row, left to right): Megan Rutherford Danielson (Political Science), Shannon Kelly (International Studies), and Dr. Kim Hoffman (Interim Chairperson, Department of Political Science).

Posted in: Outstanding Student Awards on May 11, 2014

Department holds the 2012 Pi Sigma Alpha induction ceremony

The 2012 induction ceremony for the UCA Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the national Political Science Honors Society, was held in the Mirror Room in McAlister Hall on April 18, 2012. Dr. Joseph Howard, Associate Professor of Political Science, served as Faculty Adviser for the UCA Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha. The chapter’s officers in 2011-2012 were Ben Maddox (President), Naruhiko Tsukuda (Vice-President), Sara Bayles (Secretary), and Hitomi Kawakami (Treasurer). Nine UCA students – Raymond Terry, Jack Phillips, Emily O’Neal, Willis Arnold, Brett Roberts, Brittani Burnette, Brandi Starnes, Wendy Marin and Shannon Kelly – were formally inducted into Pi Sigma Alpha during the ceremony.

Posted in: Pi Sigma Alpha on May 10, 2014

Department hosts the 46th Arkansas Model United Nations (AMUN) conference at UCA

The Department of Political Science hosted the 46th Arkansas Model United Nations (AMUN) conference at the University of Central Arkansas on November 18-19, 2011. Thomas Willis Arnold, a student majoring in International Studies, served as AMUN Secretary-General, and Dr. Mark Mullenbach served as Coordinator of the AMUN conference. During the Opening Session, Dr. Clea Bunche of the Department of History at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock gave the keynote address. Ali Rajab, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from the UCA Department of Political Science in May 2010, also spoke during the Opening Session.

Committee chairs included Tyler Bittle (Special Political Committee), Thomas Kibwana (Social & Humanitarian Committee), Jake Logan (Economic & Finance Committee), Jeffery Montgomery (Legal Committee), Sam Tamo (Security Council), Naruhiko Tsukuda (Economic & Social Council), and Megan Parrish (Human Rights Council). During the Closing Session, the “Outstanding Delegation” award was presented to the United Kingdom delegation (Pope John Paul II High School, Hendersonville, TN).

Posted in: AMUN on May 9, 2014

Department holds the 2011 Pi Sigma Alpha induction ceremony

The 2011 induction ceremony for the UCA Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the national Political Science Honor Society, was held in the Mirror Room in McAlister Hall on April 21, 2011. Dr. Joseph Howard, Assistant Professor of Political Science, served as Faculty Adviser for the UCA Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha. The chapter’s officers in 2010-2011 were Mitchell Adams (President), Ben Maddox (Vice-President), Sara Bayles (Secretary), and Jordan Dunn (Treasurer). The UCA Department of Political Science “Outstanding Students” for 2010-2011 were Adam Williams (Public Administration), Jared Bridgeman (Political Science), and Nicholas Rogers & Matthew Severs (International Studies).

2011 Pi Sigma Alpha Inductees (left to right): Naruhiko Tsukuda, Taylor Slaton, Jamie Massey, Justin Blackburn, Zakhar Kravtsov, Jordan Huntze, Casey Bates, Tammy Eick, Kelsey Boggan, Brianna Virden, Hitomi Kawakami, and Dr. Joseph Howard (UCA Chapter faculty advisor). Not pictured: Kyle Cox and Adam Williams.

Posted in: Pi Sigma Alpha on May 26, 2011