Department News

Department faculty attend 44th Arkansas Political Science Association (ArkPSA) annual meeting at ATU

The 44th annual meeting of the Arkansas Political Science Association (ArkPSA) was held on the campus of Arkansas Tech University (ATU) and Lake Point Conference Center in Russellville, Arkansas on March 3-4, 2017. Dr. Kim Maslin of Hendrix College served as President (2016-2017). Dr. Carol Strong of the University of Arkansas-Monticello (UAM) served as Vice-President (2016-2017). Dr. Michael Rogers of Arkansas Tech University served as Secretary-Treasurer (2016-2017). Dr. Chris Housenick of ATU served as Program Chair for the 2017 annual meeting. Dr. Michael Malbin, Professor of Political Science at the University at Albany, State University of New York, gave the keynote address during the Friday evening dinner on March 3rd. Congressman Steve Womack, 3rd Congressional District of Arkansas, spoke during the Saturday noon luncheon on March 4th.

Several UCA Department of Political Science faculty members and students presented research or participated on panels during the annual meeting, including Dr. Heather Yates, who served as Chair of the American Government & Politics section; Dr. Tom McInnis, who presented the paper, “What Inherent Rights?”; Dr. Heather Yates and Dr. Gary Wekkin, who presented the paper, “They Wanted a Tea Party and got a Dogfight: The Lack of GOP Discipline and the Nomination of Donald Trump”; Dr. Gizachew Tiruneh, who served as chair/discussant for the International Relations/Comparative Politics panel; Dr. Mark Elrod and Dr. Mark Mullenbach, who co-presented the paper, “Generation 9/11: An Analysis of College Student Attitudes Regarding U.S. Foreign Policy”; Dr. Clay Arnold and Dr. Mary Beth Sullivan, who participated in the Political Theory Roundtable on “The Possibility of Democracy in Communicative Capitalism”; and Danielle Casey, who presented the paper, “Race, Republicanism, and Realignment in Arkansas.”

Posted in: ArkPSA on March 7, 2017

UCA students participate in the 57th Midwest Model United Nations (MMUN) conference in St. Louis

Eleven members of the UCA Model UN student organization, representing the countries of Egypt, Ireland, and Japan, participated in the 57th annual Midwest Model United Nations (MMUN) Conference at the Sheraton Westport Chalet in St. Louis, Missouri on February 22-25, 2017. Dr. Mark Elrod, Visiting Assistant Professor, and Mr. Tyler Bittle, Admissions Counselor in the UCA Admissions Office, served as co-advisers for the delegations.

The UCA delegates included Ramatou Souleyboubacar (Egypt, 1st Committee), Spencer Burton (Egypt, 2nd Committee), Michelle Moore (Egypt, 3rd Committee), Danielle Casey (Egypt, 4th Committee), Carolyn Casey (Egypt, UN High Commissioner for Refugees-UNHCR), Jean Francois Adoupo (Egypt, Security Council-North), Alex Battaglia (Japan, Security Council-North), Quade Reed (Ireland, 3rd Committee), Ikina Kanu (Ireland, 4th Committee), Erin Whitfield (Ireland, Economic & Social Council-ECOSOC), and France Galloh (Ireland, World Food Programme-WFP).

During the Closing Session on February 25th, Alex Battaglia was presented the “Outstanding Delegate” and “Delegates Choice” awards for Security Council-North. The delegation of Ireland, represented by Erin Whitfield and France Galloh, was presented one of two “Outstanding Delegation” awards for Economic & Social Council (ECOSOC) Plenary Session. Carolyn Casey, representing Egypt in the UNHCR, was presented the “Best Position Paper-Honorable Mention” award for that committee.

2017 MMUN photo (12)

(l to r): Mr. Tyler Bittle (co-adviser), Ramatou Souleyboubacar, Spencer Burton, Michelle Moore, Alex Battaglia, Erin Whitfield, Jean Francois Adoupo, Quade Reed, Danielle Casey, France Galloh, Carolyn Casey, Ikina Kanu, and Dr. Mark Elrod (co-adviser).

Posted in: UCA Model UN on March 7, 2017

Department hosts the 51st Arkansas Model United Nations (AMUN) conference at UCA

The Department of Political Science sponsored the 51st Arkansas Model United Nations (AMUN) conference at the University of Central Arkansas on November 18-19, 2016. Nearly 600 delegates from 27 high schools in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Tennessee participated in the conference. Alex Battaglia, a senior majoring in International Studies at UCA, served as Secretary-General. Dr. Mark Mullenbach served as Coordinator of the AMUN Conference. Robert Andrew, U.S. Department of State Diplomat-in-Residence at the University of Oklahoma, gave the keynote address during the opening session on Friday, November 18th. The delegation representing the United Kingdom (Pope John Paul II High School in Hendersonville, TN) was presented the Outstanding Delegation award during the closing session on Saturday, November 19th.

Alex Battaglia, Secretary-General of the 51st AMUN, presided
over the closing session on Saturday, November 19th

Posted in: AMUN on December 17, 2016

Department faculty participate in the 2016 Presidential Election “Teach-In” at UCA

Several members of the UCA Department of Political Science participated in a Presidential Election “Teach-In” on the lawn in front of McAlister Hall on Tuesday, September 20, 2016. The “Teach-In” was sponsored by the Campus Election Engagement Project and UCA’s Learning Communities. A total of 15 UCA professors participated in the “Teach-In”, including Dr. Mark Elrod, Dr. Heather Yates, Dr. Gizachew Tiruneh, and Dr. Mark Mullenbach. Retired political science professor, Dr. Gary Wekkin, also participated in the event.

Posted in: Department of Political Science on December 17, 2016

Department announces Outstanding Students for 2015-2016

The UCA Department of Political Science announced its “Outstanding Students” for 2015-2016: Kenneth Stice & Meredith Herring (Political Science program), Clara Plum & Katelyn Wilkins (Public Administration program), and Kayla Close & Stephanie Daigle (International Studies program). Kayla Close, Meredith Herring, and Katelyn Wilkins were also honored as finalists for the College of Liberal Arts “Outstanding Student” award for 2015-2016.

Dr. Clay Arnold, Chairperson of the UCA Department of Political Science, presented the awards to the students during the UCA College of Liberal Arts’ Academic Honors Convocation held in Doyne Health Science Center held on Sunday, April 24, 2016. Dr. Steven Runge, UCA Provost, and Dr. Maurice A. Lee, Dean of the UCA College of Liberal Arts, spoke at the honors convocation, which included undergraduate and graduate student recipients of outstanding student awards and scholarships from the Departments of English, History, Philosophy & Religion, Political Science, Sociology, and Languages, Linguistics, Literatures & Cultures.

I.S. Outstanding Student (2) - 2016

I.S. Outstanding Student (1) - 2016

P.A. Outstanding Student (1) - 2016

P.A. Outstanding Student (2) - 2016

P.S. Outstanding Student (1) - 2016

Posted in: Outstanding Student Awards on April 24, 2016

Department holds the 2016 Pi Sigma Alpha induction ceremony

The 2016 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 Wednesday, April 13, 2016. Dr. Joseph Howard, Associate Professor in the UCA Department of Political Science, served as Faculty Adviser for the UCA Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, and Katelyn Wilkins served as President of the UCA Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha in 2015-2016. Dr. Maurice A. Lee, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at UCA, welcomed the students and guests to the induction ceremony.

Nine UCA students were formally inducted during the ceremony, including Jean Francois Adoupo, Danielle Casey, Jillian Casper, Laura Craig, Eric Durham, Meredith Herring, Casey Jean-Elliott Johnson, Maleka Momand, and Bryce Moore. The Chairman of the UCA Department of Political Science, Dr. Clay Arnold, also presented Janet Harris with the UCA Department of Political Science’s 2016 Distinguished Alumnus Award. Janet Harris, who graduated with a bachelors degree in public administration from UCA in 1995, served as Deputy Auditor of the State of Arkansas (2011-2015) and Deputy Secretary of State of the State of Arkansas (2003-2011). She currently serves as Director of Programs at The Winthrop Rockefeller Institute (2016-present).

PSA Induction 2016 - 1

PSA Induction 2016 - 2

PSA Induction 2016 - 3

PSA Induction 2016 - 4

Posted in: Pi Sigma Alpha on April 14, 2016

International Studies Club hosts 5th Annual Spring Cultural Event at UCA

The International Studies Club at UCA, which is advised by Dr. Gizachew Tiruneh in the Department of Political Science, hosted the 5th annual Spring Cultural Event in the Student Center on Tuesday, March 1, 2017. Each year’s cultural event focuses on a particular country theme. Previous cultural events sponsored by the International Studies Club have focused on Tanzania, Turkey, Honduras, and Russia. The country theme of this year’s cultural event was South Korea. Kayla Close, the club’s president, addressed the more than 50 UCA students and faculty who participated in the event. The participants included members of the Korean Club at UCA. The event include music videos by well-known South Korean singers and Korea food.

Posted in: International Studies Club on March 2, 2016

Department faculty attend the 43rd Arkansas Political Science Association (ArkPSA) annual meeting at UAM

The 43rd Annual Meeting of the Arkansas Political Science Association (ArkPSA) was held on the campus of the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) on February 26-27, 2016. Dr. Steven Breezeel of Harding University served as President (2015-2016). Dr. Kim Maslin of Hendrix College served as Vice-President (2015-2016). Dr. Michael Rogers of Arkansas Tech University served as Secretary-Treasurer (2015-2016). Dr. Carol Strong of UAM served as Program Chair for the 2016 annual meeting. Mr. Christopher A. Masingill, Federal Co-Chairman of the Delta Regional Authority, gave the keynote speech during the Friday evening dinner on February 26th. Dr. John Kyle Day, Associate Professor of History at UAM, talked about his book, The Southern Manifesto: Massive Resistance and the Fight to Preserve Segregation, during the Saturday noon luncheon on February 27th.

Several UCA Department of Political Science faculty members and students presented research or participated on panels during the annual meeting, including Dr. Mark Elrod who served as Chair of the International Relations/Comparative Politics section; Meredith Herring who presented the paper, “Understanding the Legal History Leading up to the Landmark Decision in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015); Dr. Gizachew Tiruneh who discussed his book The Rise and Fall of the Solomonic Dynasty of Ethiopia: Is the Kebra Nagast a Time-Bound Document?; Dr. Mark Elrod and Dr. Mark Mullenbach who co-presented the paper, “Hawks or Doves? A Preliminary Analysis of College Student Attitudes Regarding U.S. Foreign Policy”; Dr. Clay Arnold and Dr. Mary Beth Sullivan who participated in a Political Theory Roundtable Discussion; Dr. Heather Yates who presented the paper, “The Emotional Voter: The Role Emotions Have on Voting Behavior”; Dr. Gizachew Tiruneh and Dr. Joseph Howard who co-presented the paper, “What Determines the Political Orientations of College Students? A Comparative Study of Two Universities”; and Dr. Mark Elrod who participated in a Roundtable Discussion of the topic, “What to do about I.S.I.S.?”

Posted in: ArkPSA on March 1, 2016

UCA students participate in the 56th Midwest Model United Nations (MMUN) conference in St. Louis

Eighteen members of the UCA Model UN student organization, representing the countries of Argentina, Austria, Lithuania, and Uganda, participated in the 56th Annual Midwest Model United Nations (MMUN) Conference in St. Louis, Missouri on February 10-13, 2016. Dr. Mark Elrod, Visiting Assistant Professor, and Mr. Tyler Bittle, Admissions Counselor in the UCA Admissions Office, served as co-advisers.

The UCA delegations included Jesus Torres & Austin Clagett (Argentina, 1st Committee), Miras Kudabay (Argentina, 2nd Committee), Mallory Walker (Argentina, 3rd Committee), and Breanna Wilbanks-Head Delegate (Argentina, Indigenous Forum), Hari Rolle (Austria, 1st Committee), Ashley Park (Austria, 2nd Committee), Erin Whitfield & Nick Cartwright (Austria, 3rd Committee), Kayla Close-Head Delegate (Austria, 4th Committee), Katelyn Wilkins (Austria, Economic & Social Council), Ellen McKinnie-Head Delegate (Uganda, 1st Committee), Sidney Freyaldenhoven & Michelle Moore (Uganda, 2nd Committee), Jordan Kemp (Uganda, 3rd Committee), Carolyn Casey (Uganda, 4th Committee), Gyuhwan Park (Uganda, Economic & Social Council), and Alex Battaglia (Lithuania, Security Council).

During the Closing Session on February 13th, Breanna Wilbanks and Kayla Close were presented with Outstanding Delegate awards for performance in their respective committees. The delegation representing Argentina, headed by Breanna Wilbanks, was presented the Outstanding Delegation award for Economic & Social Council Plenary Session.

2016 MMUN (18)

Members of the UCA Delegations to the 2016 MMUN Conference – Front Row (l to r): Michelle Moore, Erin Whitfield, Katelyn Wilkins, and Kayla Close; Second Row (l to r): Sidney Freyaldenhoven, Ashley Park, Jordan Kemp, and Austin Clagett; Third Row (l to r): Gyuhwan Park, Mallory Walker, Carolyn Casey, Jesus Torres, and Alex Battaglia; Four Row (l to r): Ellen McKinnie, Hari Rolle, Nick Cartwright, and Breanna Wilbanks; Back Row (l to r): Dr. Mark Elrod and Mr. Tyler Bittle. Not pictured: Miras Kudabay.

Posted in: UCA Model UN on February 16, 2016

Department hosts the 50th Arkansas Model United Nations (AMUN) conference at UCA

The Department of Political Science sponsored the 50th Arkansas Model United Nations (AMUN) conference at the University of Central Arkansas on November 20-21, 2015. More than 560 delegates representing 122 countries from 29 high schools in Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Oklahoma participated in the conference. Breanna Wilbanks from Russellville, Sociology (major) and Anthropology (minor) at UCA, served as AMUN Secretary-General (pictured below, bottom-left) 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 20th. Mr. Bernd G. Reindl, Deputy Consul General at the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Houston, gave the keynote address during the Opening Session (pictured below, bottom-right).

Committee chairs included Jesus Torres (Special Political Committee), Kayla Close (Social & Humanitarian Committee), Willis Arnold (Economic & Finance Committee), Alex Battaglia (Security Council), Stephanie Gray (Historical Security Council), Katelyn Wilkins (Economic & Social Council), Ashley Semiche (Model Arab League), and Nick Cartwright (Human Rights Council). Dr. Mark Elrod, Visiting Assistant Professor in the UCA Department of Political Science, served as Coordinator of the Model International Court of Justice (MICJ). During the Closing Session on November 21st, the “Outstanding Delegation” award was presented to the Nigerian delegation (Pulaski Academy, Little Rock) and the “Outstanding Delegation Runner-Up” awards were presented to the French delegation (Conway High School, Conway) and United Kingdom delegation (Haas Hall Academy, Fayetteville). Several students were also awarded “Outstanding Delegate” awards for performance in each of the nine committees.

On Friday evening, a 50th AMUN Anniversary reception and dinner were held in Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center. Sixteen former AMUN secretaries-general (pictured below, top-left) and several other invited guests participated in the event, including Mr. David Gruber (AMUN secretary-general in 1967) and Mr. Brett Newcomb (AMUN secretary-general in 1968). Mr. Robert B. Andrew, U.S. Department of State Diplomat-in-Residence at the University of Oklahoma, was the guest speaker during the dinner.

Posted in: AMUN on February 9, 2016