Administration

ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE

(INCLUDING SELECT SHARED GOVERNANCE)

Chair (July 2012-present). Department of Political Science. Loyola University Chicago

Currently manage a large, complex department that as of spring 2020 includes 23 full-time and 11 part-time faculty, 583 declared Political Science majors, 137 declared Political Science minors, and four graduate programs (BA/MA, MA/JD, MA, and PhD).
Fostered equity and inclusion beginning in my first year as Chair (2012-13) by putting in place a standard for integrating full-time, non-tenure-track (NTT) faculty as equal members of the department, including full voting rights on all issues at department meetings, class scheduling parity, inclusion in department committees, and critical teaching support (e.g., individual offices). According to a university administrator involved in the SEIU Collective Bargaining Agreement, this approach embodied the “gold standard” for what was later incorporated into the SEIU agreement.
Promoted greater faculty unity and involvement in departmental affairs through transparency in governance, timely and regular communication, adoption of inclusive and collaborative decision-making that seeks out and builds on all viewpoints within the department, and the creation and expansion of unifying department events, such as a monthly luncheon presentation of faculty research, department-sponsored lecture series, and annual faculty social events.
Demonstrated leadership in fostering an outstanding, diverse faculty that is increasingly reflective of our diverse student body. In terms of gender, for example, the department has witnessed a transformation from including only two full-time female faculty (or 10.5 percent of a nineteen-member faculty) in 2006-07, to nine full-time female faculty (or 39 percent of a twenty-three-member faculty) as of 2019-20, with six of those hires taking place during my time as Chair. During 2019, the department under my leadership developed and adopted a comprehensive hiring strategy designed to further diversify our ranks with outstanding faculty from under-represented groups. This strategy is central to the replacement of five full-time faculty who are retiring as part of the university’s VTIP program.
Restructured the department’s budgetary and class scheduling processes beginning in my first year as chair (2012-13) so as to facilitate more effective financial strategic planning, resource allocation and financial stewardship, and human resource management. This has permitted us as a department to nimbly adjust to changing enrollment and financial circumstances.
Oversaw a multiyear effort designed to enhance undergraduate offerings that resulted in a 44 percent increase in declared Political Science majors from 406 declared majors in September 2015 to 583 declared majors in April 2020. Specific initiatives as part of this effort ranged from multifaceted student outreach to strengthening a culture of teaching excellence in the department.
Led the development and launch in Fall 2016 of an interdisciplinary undergraduate Washington DC Center in coordination with Loyola’s School of Communication and the Office of Government Affairs that permits undergraduate students from all of Loyola’s Schools and Colleges to spend a semester interning in Washington DC while taking a full course load with classes taught by Loyola faculty. The program and budget are housed in Political Science, and the Resident Director in Washington DC reports to the Political Science Chair. Enrollment was twenty-seven students in the 2019-20 academic year.
Collaborated with deans, chairs, and graduate program directors to develop a new interdisciplinary MA in International Affairs (including dual BA/MA-BS/MA tracks) that incorporates graduate classes from five Schools and Colleges at Loyola, including eight departments in the College of Arts and Sciences. The program, to be housed in Political Science, was unanimously approved in April 2020 by the Council of Graduate School Programs. Our hope is that the university review process will be completed this summer, enabling us to bring in the first cohort of twenty new MA students in fall 2021 as well as open the BA/MA-BS/MA tracks to our very best undergraduate students.
Oversaw the expansion of teaching and programmatic contributions to fourteen interdisciplinary programs, making Political Science one of the largest departmental contributors to interdisciplinary programs in the College and the wider University.
Launched an alumni gift initiative in coordination with the Director of Development in CAS and Alumni and Donor Relations to increase the number and size of alumni gifts. Select examples of new alumni-funded projects include an award for the top graduating senior in Political Science, a faculty research project with an undergraduate student, a $25,000 fund to support special undergraduate events at our Washington DC Center, and an interdisciplinary initiative with the Department of Fine and Performing Arts in which four politically-oriented plays were presented and attended free of charge by Political Science students and faculty over a four-year period (2016-20).
Procured donor funding to launch a series of new undergraduate experiential learning programs that are housed in Political Science but that are open to students across the College of Arts and Sciences, including student involvement in the Chicago Model United Nations, a regionally based Model European Union, and national Moot Court competitions. I also pursued donor funding to expand existing undergraduate experiential learning programs, most notably student involvement in the New York Model United Nations and national Mock Trial competitions.

Elected Chair (2009-2010). Faculty Council. Loyola University Chicago (with added service 2005-2012 as elected faculty representative, and 2007-2012 as elected member of the executive committee)

Elected Chair of the body that represents faculty of all Schools and Colleges at the Lake Shore, Health Sciences, and Water Tower campuses.
Worked directly with the President and the Senior Academic Officers on numerous faculty-related issues, including salary, teaching loads, leave policies, gender equity, tenure-and-promotion guidelines, and rights and privileges of full-time, non-tenure-track faculty.
Contributed to the restructuring of Loyola’s shared governance system that led to the creation of a new University Senate representing administrators, faculty, staff, and students.
Developed greater linkages between faculty at the Lakeside campuses (Water Tower and Lake Shore campuses) and the Health Sciences campus.
Fostered a spirit of cooperation between faculty and administration through regular meetings with the President and the Provost and presentations before the Board of Trustees.

Graduate Program Director (2008-2012). Department of Political Science. Loyola University Chicago

Directed four graduate programs (BA/MA, MA/JD, MA, and PhD).
Managed a restructuring of the department’s PhD program to focus on “Global Politics” as part of the University’s focus on the internationalization of the curriculum.
Worked with the Graduate School to increase the number of internally and externally funded graduate students.
Oversaw admissions process, funding decisions, course offerings, comprehensive exams, and student advising.
Coordinated with the Graduate School to enhance the diversification and internationalization of the graduate student body.
Served as department representative to the Graduate School’s Council of Graduate School Programs.

Elected Chair (2008-2009). Faculty Affairs University Policy Committee (FAUPC). Loyola University Chicago (with added service 2007-2008 as member)

Elected Chair of shared governance body that reviews university policies affecting faculty of all Schools and Colleges at the Lake Shore, Health Sciences, and Water Tower campuses.
Coordinated a university-wide consultative process that revised for the first time since 1993 the Faculty Handbook, with the new edition appearing in 2009 (the first time that the handbook had been revised in sixteen years).
Reviewed and developed faculty proposals for a variety of family-friendly policies, such as maternity leave, that are now operative at the university.

Acting Program Director (Fall 2005). Global and International Studies Program. Loyola University Chicago

Managed all aspects of an interdisciplinary program with several hundred majors and minors while the Director was on leave, including student advising, class scheduling, and coordination with departments that contribute courses to the program.
Added service included serving on the committee that transformed the minor into a major, teaching the introductory 101 course (1998-2004), creating and teaching the first capstone course (spring 2008), creating and coordinating an internship program and class (1998-2002), and serving on the program’s Advisory Board (2005-2011; 1996-2002; 1991-1994).

Internship Director (1998-2005), including 1998-2002 for a joint Internship Program between the Department of Political Science and the Global and International Studies Program; and 2003-2005 for the John Felice Rome Center.

Created and directed a joint internship program that involved expanding an existing Political Science internship program and creating a Global and International Studies internship program.
Developed placements, recruited students, created course and evaluation materials, and taught the internship class.
By the end of spring 2002, this joint program was annually placing nearly eighty students, with more than 50 percent of Political Science and Global and International Studies. majors graduating with at least one internship experience. The large number of enrolled students resulted in the program being split between two directors: one for Political Science and one for the Global and International Studies Program.
While serving as a visiting professor (2003-05) at Loyola’s John Felice Rome Center, and drawing on my Chicago-based administrative experience, I created and coordinated the internship program, including developing placements, placing the students, and teaching the internship class. I placed thirteen students with host organizations in Rome in spring 2004, and fifteen students in spring 2005.

Elected President (1998-1999). International Studies Association/Midwest (with added service 1997-1998 as Convention Coordinator)

Elected President of the Midwest regional affiliate of the parent International Studies Association.
Managed all aspects of the organization, including budget, member relations, academic committees, and the annual academic conference.

Convention Coordinator (1985-1986). International Studies Association. University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC (with added service 1986-1987 as officer for the Foreign Policy Analysis section)

Served as Convention Coordinator for the 7,000-member International Studies Association, while pursuing my Ph.D. at the University of South Carolina where the organization was based.
Coordinated all aspects of the 1986 annual convention, including annual budget, negotiations with local hotels and providers, paper submission vetting and panel creation, and on-site registration.

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS (INCLUDING OVERSEAS)

Professor (2003-present). Department of Political Science, Loyola University Chicago (Associate Professor, 1996-2003, and Assistant Professor, 1990-1996)

Visiting Professor (1 week each year, 2004-present, to teach a short graduate course). Faculty of Law and Political and Social Sciences, University of Carthage, Tunis (Tunisia)

Visiting Professor (August 2003-July 2005, and summer 2006 and summer 2017). John Felice Rome Center (Italy)

Fulbright Lecturer and Researcher (October 2002-August 2003). Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Tunis, El Manar (Tunisia) (also served in December 2004-January 2005 as a Fulbright Senior Specialist Lecturer)

Visiting Lecturer (May-June 1999 and September 1999). Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of the Antilles, Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe)

Scholar in Residence (June-August 1996). French Institute of African Research (IFRA), Harare (Zimbabwe)

Fulbright Lecturer (October 1994-June 1995 and December 1995-August 1996). Faculty of Law and Political Science, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar (Senegal)

Visiting Scholar (August 1989-July 1990). Program of African Studies, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois

U.S. State Department Intern (June-August 1987). U.S. Embassy, Djibouti City (Djibouti)

Visiting Instructor (June-August 1985). Somali National University and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mogadishu (Somalia)

SELECT SERVICE AT LOYOLA

Member (2012-present). African Studies and African Diaspora Program Advisory Board (also served on the advisory board of this program’s predecessor, Black World Studies, 1996-2002; 1991-1994)

Member (2012-present). Islamic World Studies Advisory Board

Elected Board Member (2016-2019). Our Lady of the Wayside School Board

Member (January 2017-January 2018). Financial Planning Working Group–Academic Affairs, tasked by the President and Provost’s Office with reviewing the financials of existing academic programs and exploring the costs of potential new programs

Member (2015-16). Task Force on the Structure and Future of the Interdisciplinary Global and International Studies Program

Member (2014-15). Task Force on the Structure of the College of Arts and Sciences, tasked with determining whether and how the College should be restructured to meet new needs/opportunities

Faculty Mentor (summer 2013). McNair Fellows Mentoring Program

Member (2006-2012; 1998-2002; 1990-1993). Graduate Committee, Department of Political Science

Member (2005-12). John Felice Rome Center Advisory Committee

Member (2005-2011; 1996-2002; 1991-1994). Global and International Studies Program Advisory Board

Co-Creator and Co-Organizer (2006-2007). Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Economic Literacy Project (with Nick Patricca)

Member (2006-2007). Ricci Scholarship Fellowship Committee (year-long grants for students to study/research for one semester each at Loyola’s Beijing and Rome campuses)

Member (2005-2007; 1998-2002). Graduate Fellowship Committee (university-wide graduate research grants)

Member (2005-2006). Presidential Task Force on Assessing Shared Governance at Loyola University

Founder and Faculty Advisor (2003-2005). International Relations Club, John Felice Rome Center

Campus Program Advisor (1998-1999). Fulbright Program (graduate and undergraduate students)

Faculty Advisor (1996-1999; 1990-1994). Loyola chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha (Political Science National Honor Society)

Member (1993-1994). Undergraduate Committee, Department of Political Science

Department Representative (1990-1993). Academic Council, College of Arts and Sciences