Department News

UCA’s Alpha Delta Theta Chapter of the national political science honors society hosts “Pizza & Politics” series

The UCA Department of Political Science’s Alpha Delta Theta Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha (PSA), the national political science honor society, hosted the “Pizza & Politics” series during Spring Semester 2019. PSA was founded in 1920 and includes more than 500 chapters at colleges and universities throughout the United States. Dr. Tom Williams, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts (CLA), was the featured speaker for the first program in the “Pizza & Politics” series on Thursday, February 21st. Dr. Taine Duncan, Associate Professor of Philosophy, was the speaker for the second program on Thursday, March 14th, and Dr. Phillip Fletcher, Executive Director of the City of Hope Outreach, was the speaker for the third program on Thursday, April 4th. All interested UCA faculty, staff, and students were invited to attend. Political Science student Itzel Velazquez served as the President of UCA’s chapter of PSA in 2018-2019. Dr. Heather Yates in the Department of Political Science served as the faculty advisor of the chapter.

Posted in: Pi Sigma Alpha on February 27, 2019

Department alumnus hired by the International Organization for Migration in Cote d’Ivoire

Jean Francois Adoupo, who graduated from UCA with a B.A. degree in Political Science and International Studies in August 2017, was recently hired to the staff of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in his home country of Cote d’Ivoire. The IOM provides assistance to thousands of displaced individuals and migrant workers who have gone to Cote d’Ivoire in recent years from West African neighboring countries, as well as to Ivorian migrants who have recently chosen to return to Cote d’Ivoire after years of political instability.

According to the IOM’s Regional Office for West and Central Africa, “Côte d’Ivoire is one of the West African countries with the highest number of migrants on its territory, with 2.2 million people living and/or working in the country….[b]etween January 1^st, 2017 and October 31^st, 2018, IOM Côte d’Ivoire assisted 4,889 Ivorian migrants in their voluntary return to Côte d’Ivoire, including 1,284 women (26%).”

The IOM was originally established in 1951 to assist individuals displaced in Europe following the Second World War. Nearly one million migrants in Europe were resettled with the assistance of the IOM during the 1950s. Currently, there are more than 170 member-states of the IOM, which is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The IOM has an annual budget of $1.8 billion and worldwide staff of 11,500 employees.

Posted in: Alumni News on February 15, 2019

Department hosts the 53rd Arkansas Model United Nations (AMUN) conference at UCA

The Department of Political Science hosted the 53rd Arkansas Model United Nations (AMUN) conference at the University of Central Arkansas on November 16-17, 2018. Some 560 delegates from 30 high schools in Arkansas, Tennessee, and Texas participated in the conference. Spencer Burton served as Secretary-General, and Willis Arnold served as Deputy Secretary-General of the conference. Dr. Mark Elrod served as AMUN Conference Coordinator, and Dr. Mark Mullenbach served as AMUN Faculty Advisor Liaison.

During the opening session held in Ida Waldran Auditorium in Main Hall on Friday, November 16th, Dr. Tom Williams, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, gave the welcoming address to the assembled delegates. In addition, four students spoke to the assembled delegates, including Drew Janes (United Kingdom) of Pope John Paul II High School, Landon Perdue (Equatorial Guinea) of Brookland High School, Genrietta Churbanova (Russian Federation) of Pulaski Academy, Seylor Cluck (France) of Haas Hall Academy-Fayetteville, and Madi Bagsby (Morocco) of Pope John Paul II High School. The delegation representing France (Haas Hall Academy-Fayetteville) was presented the Outstanding Delegation award during the closing session on Saturday, November 17th. The delegations representing the Russian Federation (Pulaski Academy) and the United Kingdom (Pope John Paul II High School) were presented the Outstanding Delegation Runner-Up awards during the closing session.

Posted in: AMUN on January 27, 2019

Department hosts the 8th Arkansas Collegiate Model United Nations (ACMUN) conference at UCA

The Department of Political Science and the UCA Model United Nations (MUN) student organization hosted the 8th annual Arkansas Collegiate Model United Nations (ACMUN) conference at the University of Central Arkansas on November 2, 2018. Nearly 100 college and university students from Arkansas State University-Beebe, Arkansas State University-Jonesboro, Arkansas Tech University, Hendrix College, Harding University, Lyon College, Northeastern State University (Tahlequah, Oklahoma), Northwest Arkansas Community College-Bentonville, University of Arkansas-Little Rock, and UCA participated in the conference, including simulations of the Security Council, Human Rights Council (HRC), Economic & Social Council (ECOSOC), and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). UCA students represented the delegations of Bolivia, Brazil, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, France, Kazakhstan, Panama, Peru, South Africa, and Sweden. Dr. Mark Elrod and Dr. Mark Mullenbach served as faculty advisors for the UCA delegations participating in the conference.

Outstanding Delegations:
Security Council – Cote d’Ivoire (Hendrix College)
Economic & Social Council – Australia (Harding University) and Nigeria (Hendrix College)
Human Rights Council – Senegal (Hendrix College)
UN Environment Programme – Senegal (Hendrix College)

Outstanding Delegation-Honorable Mentions:
Security Council – France (UCA), Kuwait (UA-Little Rock), Netherlands (NSU), Russian Federation (ATU), United Kingdom (ASU-Jonesboro)
Economic & Social Council – Democratic Republic of Congo (Hendrix College), France (UCA), Republic of Korea (Lyon College), Rwanda (ASU-Jonesboro), Sweden (UCA), and United Kingdom (ASU-Jonesboro)
Human Rights Council – Cote d’Ivoire (Hendrix College), Democratic Republic of Congo (Hendrix College), Ethiopia (UCA), Nigeria (Hendrix College), Philippines (ATU), and United Arab Emirates (UA-Little Rock)
UN Environment Programme – Australia (Harding University), Democratic Republic of Congo (Hendrix College), Kuwait (UA-Little Rock), Nigeria (Hendrix College), Peru (UCA), Russian Federation (ATU), and Saudi Arabia (UA-Little Rock)

Best Overall Delegation:
Nigeria – Hendrix College

Best Overall Delegations-Honorable Mentions:
Australia – Harding University
Cote d’Ivoire – Hendrix College
Democratic Republic of Congo – Hendrix College
France – University of Central Arkansas
Guatemala – Arkansas State University-Beebe
Kuwait – University of Arkansas-Little Rock
Russian Federation – Arkansas Tech University
Senegal – Hendrix College
Tunisia – University of Arkansas-Little Rock
United Kingdom – Arkansas State University-Jonesboro

Posted in: ACMUN on December 29, 2018

Department hosts 2018 International Affairs Summer Camp at UCA

The Department of Political Science hosted the second Arkansas and the World: International Affairs Summer Camp at the University of Central Arkansas on July 15-20, 2018. More than 30 Arkansas high school students participated in a unique, interactive learning experience designed to enhance their understanding of international relations, diplomacy, and international organizations. The students participated in educational workshops on international relations, the United Nations, and the fundamentals of Model United Nations. The students also represented assigned countries in interactive simulations of the UN General Assembly, including committee and plenary sessions held throughout the week. The students also competed in a Global Trivia Competition held each night of the summer camp.

The summer camp was funded by an Academic Enrichment for Gifted/Talented in Summer (AEGIS) grant awarded to the department by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE). Dr. Mark Mullenbach, Associate Professor of Political Science, served as Summer Camp Director. Eight individuals, mostly UCA students, served on the summer camp staff as resident assistants/counselors. Guest speakers during the week-long summer camp included Governor Asa Hutchinson, State of Arkansas; Cindy Sellers Roach, Community Development Management at Heifer International; Warwick Sabin, Senior Director of U.S. Programs, Winrock International; and Honorable Rodrigo Morales Salazar, Director of the Protection & Legal Affairs Department at the Consulate of Mexico in Little Rock.

Posted in: International Affairs Summer Camp on September 1, 2018

Department announces Outstanding Students for 2017-2018

The College of Liberal Arts (CLA) Academic Honors Convocation was held in McCastlain Hall on Sunday, April 29, 2018. Dr. Peter Mehl, Interim Dean of the CLA, welcomed faculty, students, and family members attending the convocation. Dr. Michael Hargis, Interim UCA Provost and Dean of the College of Business, gave opening remarks in which he congratulated the students chosen for the awards presented by the departments of English; History; Languages, Linguistics, Literatures, & Cultures; Philosophy & Religion; Political Science; and Sociology, Criminology, & Anthropology.

Dr. Clay Arnold, Chair of the Department of Political Science, announced the winners of the department’s annual awards:

Outstanding Student in Political Science: Keely Smith

Outstanding Student in Public Administration: Aaron Newell and Chad Jones

Outstanding Students in International Studies: Sydney McConnell and Alexis Bibbs

Posted in: Outstanding Student Awards on May 1, 2018

Departments hold the 2018 Pi Sigma Alpha induction ceremony

The 2018 Induction Ceremony for the UCA Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the national Political Science Honors Society, was held in the Fireplace Room in McCastlain Hall on Wednesday, April 25, 2018. Dr. Heather Yates, Assistant Professor in the UCA Department of Political Science, served as Faculty Adviser for the UCA Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, and Danaej Brooks served as President of the UCA Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha in 2017-2018. Dr. Peter Mehl, Interim Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at UCA, welcomed the students and guests to the induction ceremony. Dr. Clay Arnold, Chairperson of the UCA Department of Political Science, presided over the induction ceremony.

Twenty-one political science students were formally inducted during the ceremony, including Aaron Anderson, Carolyn Casey, Joshua Eddinger-Lucero, Gregory Eichelberger, Emily Evans, Jesi Feld, Caleb Gibby, Corban Gotcher, Evan Hamling, Bethany Hays, Kylee Horst, Chad Jones, Stephen Kelley, Cagney Kilgroe, Hawa Nouhou Abarchi, Austin Powell, Raegan Sharp, Keely Smith, Alexandra Taylor, Jacob Thomas, and Itzel Velazquez. The Chairman of the UCA Department of Political Science, Dr. Clay Arnold, also presented the Robin Gifford with the UCA Department of Political Science’s 2018 Distinguished Alumnus Award. Mrs. Gifford has served in a variety of governmental administrative positions in Arkansas since graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration in 2005. She is currently serving as a Program Administrator for the Arkansas State Police.

Posted in: Pi Sigma Alpha on April 27, 2018

International Studies Club hosts 2018 Spring Cultural Event at UCA

The International Studies Club at UCA hosted the 7th annual Spring Cultural Event in the Student Center on Tuesday, March 27, 2018. The country theme of this year’s cultural event was the Kingdom of Thailand. Dr. Gizachew Tiruneh, Associate Professor of Political Science at UCA and the I.S. Club faculty adviser, welcomed the faculty members, staff. and students who participated in the event, which included videos of Thai dancing and food. Matthew Dendy, the club’s president in 2017-2018, did a presentation on culture, economy, geography, and politics of Thailand.

Posted in: International Studies Club on March 28, 2018

Department faculty attend the 45th Arkansas Political Science Association (ArkPSA) annual meeting at ASU

The 45th annual meeting of the Arkansas Political Science Association (ArkPSA) was held on the campus of Arkansas State University (ASU) in Jonesboro, Arkansas on March 2-3, 2018. Dr. Carol Strong of the University of Arkansas-Monticello served as President (2017-2018). Dr. Christopher Housenick of Arkansas Tech University served as Vice-President (2017-2018). Dr. Michael Rogers of Arkansas Tech University served as Secretary-Treasurer (2017-2018). Dr. Matt Evans of Northwest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) served as Secretary (2017-2018). Dr. Hans Hacker of ASA served as Program Chair for the 2018 annual meeting. Dr. Ronald Keith Gaddie, Professor of Political Science at the University at Oklahoma, gave the keynote address following the Friday evening dinner on March 2nd. Congressman Rick Crawford, 1st Congressional District of Arkansas, spoke following the Saturday noon luncheon on March 3rd.

Several UCA Department of Political Science faculty members participated on one or more panels during the annual meeting, including Dr. Tom McInnis, who served as Moderator of the American Politics Roundtable, “The U.S. Federal Courts in Review,”; Dr. Clay Arnold and Dr. Mary Beth Sullivan, who were panelists on the Political Theory Roundtable, “Applying Insight from Vaclav Havel’s ‘Power of the Powerless’ to Current Trends in Minority Politics,”; Dr. Heather Yates, who presented the paper, “An Analysis of Voters’ Emotional Responses and Attribution in the Highly Negative Presidential Campaigns of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton,”; Dr. Clay Arnold, who served as chair/discussant for the Public Administration Panel, “Administrative Law, Language, and Politics,”; and Dr. Clay Arnold, who served as chair/discussant of the American Politics Panel, “Citizenship & Civic Literacy in Arkansas”.

Posted in: ArkPSA on March 23, 2018

Department faculty member recognized in Washington DC ceremony

Dr. Gizachew Tiruneh, an Associate Professor in the UCA Department of Political Science, was recognized for his 2015 book, The Rise and Fall of the Solomonic Dynasty of Ethiopia: Is the Kebra Negast a Time-Bound Document? At a special ceremony held in Washington DC on March 3, 2018, Dr. Tiruneh was made an Officer of the Order of the Star of Honor of Ethiopia, which is one of the oldest orders of chivalry of the 3000-year old Solomonic Dynasty. Dr. Tiruneh was formally invested with the Order by His Imperial Highness Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie, the President of the Crown Council. Prince Ermias is a grandson of the former Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie, who was deposed in a military coup in 1974. According to Prince Ermias, “the great contributions made to Ethiopia and Africa by devoted individuals at the University of Central Arkansas has been remarkable, and the award to Dr. Tiruneh starts to recognize the debt which Ethiopia happily owes to its expatriates, and also to those non-Ethiopians in American academia who have helped preserve our culture and civilization.”

Posted in: Faculty News on March 8, 2018