Last fall, Hanna began translating Islamic political party programs in Morocco and Tunisia from Arabic to English. Now that both parties in question are in power in their respective countries, Hanna is collecting qualitative data by analyzing the rhetoric from the parties’ official websites and public statements to find which policies they actually implemented and how they correlate with what they promised to implement. His reports on Morocco and Tunisia supplement Kirdis’ focus on Egypt and on Turkey, which is the model democracy in the Middle East. This academic collaboration enables the pair to explore whether these political parties are trying to emulate each other or implement the Turkish democratic model.
Hanna’s work with Kirdis has augmented both his studies and his career ambitions. “This has helped me in international studies because I’m focusing on the Middle East to see how these people are trying to change the traditions of authoritarian regimes to implement democracy,” he says. Hanna feels his research has strengthened his conception of international governments. “If I want to live in the Middle East, I need to understand their governmental structures.” His academic research is laying a foundation for his diplomatic aspirations. Hanna, who is studying education in South Africa this summer, explains, “I’m minoring in education and want to do something in international education reform, maybe working in the state department, focusing on the Middle East region.”
Hanna’s position is funded through the Student Research Associate Program, run out of the Dean of the Faculty’s office. Faculty members apply for assistants to help with their personal research projects. In return, the students earn $550 per semester and work around five hours per week.
component to my Central Europe Study Abroad Program. Furthermore, both instructors demonstrate that a true scholar possesses enormous versatility— not only excellent instruction but also service to the college, advising undergraduates, policy and public engagement, and academic scholarship. Drs. Wirls and Michta continue to embody the spirit of a liberal arts professor through their broad excellence in all aspects of the academy. The inspiration and passion
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I have for being a professor are based upon those incredible experiences in the classroom under their tutelage at Rhodes, and I hope that I might be able to instill the same love for political science in my students that they instilled in me. — Dr. J. Patrick Rhamey, Jr. ’06
SUMMER 2014 • RHODE S r hodes.edu
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