SHAPING A GLOBAL COMMUNITY 2017 OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: DANIEL SHANKS AT DSHAN001@ODU.EDU
What We Do... Ph.D.s Felicia Grey, Maurizio Geri and Ph.D Candidate Mary Bell along with John Mearsheimer
Recent GPIS Graduates
Three students represented GPIS at Capstone Simulation and Modeling Conference and all three won awards! Felicia Grey and Joshua won the Best presentation, and Niloufar won the Best Paper!
What We Do...
GPIS Students representing at the NATO simulation project, Ph.D. Student Sedrique Kangueu, Anita Ross (MA 2017), and Ph.D. Student Aaron Stacey.
GPIS and GSIS Hosting the 16th Annual Conciliation and International Luncheon
What We Do...
On November 4 - 6, 2016, Christina Slentz (left) and Felicia Grey (right) participated in the ISAC - ISSS Joint conference at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana. The title of the conference was “May You Live in Interesting Times.” Christina presented a paper on “Environmentally - Induced Urbanization and (In) Security, while Felicia’s paper was titled “The Sino - African Courtship and the Glaring Absence of Trade Disputes.”
15th Annual GPIS/GSIS Graduate Research Conference
Vibrant Academic Community PhD student Ryan Roberts is attending the Summer Program in Quantitative Social Research at the University of Michigan in the Summer of 2017. Since 1963, the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) has offered the ICPSR Summer Program in Quantitative Methods of Social Research as a complement to its data services. The ICPSR Summer Program provides rigorous, hands-on training in statistical techniques, research methodologies, and data analysis. ICPSR Summer Program courses emphasize the integration of methodological strategies with the theoretical and practical concerns that arise in research on substantive issues.
MA student Samantha Golden received an internship at National Defense University for the Summer of 2017. She is working in the College of International Security Affairs where she is researching counterinsurgency and counterterrorism kinetic operations and information strategy.
MA student Lora Ilieva received an internship at NATO-ACT for academic year 2017-2018. Lora will be working in the Division of Capability and Engineering in the Operational Analysis Section where she will be providing structured analytical methods to problems, in order to provide evidence-based advice for better decision making.
PhD student Ryan Nixon has been performing brilliantly in several capacities within GPIS. Ryan is the marketing coordinator for the Graduate Society of International Societies (GSIS) and will begin his second year as editor of the GPIS Weekly Bulletin.
Vibrant Academic Community MA student Jane Close has been working for the ODU Social Science Research Center as a research assistant and I work part time as a trivia host for Team Trivia Virginia Beach. Mrs. Close is also in the process of transitioning to a full time government analyst position.
PhD student Niloufar Salimi won the best paper prize at the Virginia Modeling and Simulation Student Capstone Conference; Niloufar’s paper was titled: “Impact of Social Media on Women Movement”.
MA student and Fulbright Scholar Visar Xhambazi will have an article, “The Bald Eagle Nests: The United States Role in State-Building: Germany, Kosovo, and Iraq” published in The Journal of Political Sciences and Public Affairs.
Successful Graduates Dr. Beyza Unal (PhD, 2014), has been working at the Chatham House, the UK’s leading research institute, in London, as a Research Fellow in Nuclear Weapons Policy since 2015. She was also cited as a nuclear weapons expert in a DW Academie March 2016 article about the Obama administration-led nuclear summit in Washington, D.C. In 2012, she won a competitive fellowship to participate in the International Safeguards Policy and Information Analysis Intensive Course at the Monterey Institute of International Studies.
Dr. John Callahan (2015) is Military Program Director - International Studies and Homeland Security Programs at New England College where he Manages a team of instructors focused on International Studies and Homeland Security Programs. John is also Public Affairs Exercise Specialist at Nusura in Norfolk VA where he provides public affairs and strategic communication subject matter expertise to a variety of government and private clients.
Dr. Erika Frydenland (2015) is Research Assistant Professor at Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center (VMASC) at Old Dominion University. Dr. Frydenland Her research examines applications of modeling and simulation to address social justice issues. Currently, my two core focus areas are Environmental Justice and Transportation Access and Protracted Refugee Camps and Contexts.
Dr. Katerina Oskarsson (2014) is Deputy Chief Resilience Officer with the City of Norfolk. Katerina worked as a Knowledge Manager at the NATO Civil Military Fusion Center in 2012. In the 2012-13 academic year she published three articles: “Economic Sanctions on Authoritarian States: Lessons Learned,” Middle East Policy, 19, no. 4, (Winter 2012): 88-102; “EnergyDevelopment-Security Nexus in Afghanistan,” Journal of Energy Security, November 2012; “Russia and the Persian Gulf: Energy, Trade and Interdependence,” Middle East Journal, with Dr. Steve A. Yetiv.
Dr. Omar Hawthorne (2012) is Lecturer with the University of the West Indies, Jamaica, Department of International Relations.published her book “Do International Corruption Metrics Matter: the Impact of Transparency International’s Corruption Perception” with Lexington Books
Successful Graduates in October 2015. She is presently conducting a funded research project on her second book, which examines the impact of corruption and how it affects foreign businesses, specifically, American businesses located in Jamaica.
Dr. Christopher White (2011) is currently Assistant Professor at Livingstone College, North Carolina where he teaches courses in American Politics, International Politics, Political Theory, US Foreign Policy. He published his book: “Immigration and Regional Integration in a Globalizing World: Myths and Truths about Migration” with Lexington Books in October, 2015.
Nurullah Ayyilmaz’s (MA, 2015) paper, “Exploring the Motivations behind the Humanitarian Aid: Does USAID Grant the Humanitarian Aid According to Needs?” was presented at the 2016 ISA National Conference. In 2016, he was awarded a Student Collaborator Fellowship with Princeton University’s Middle East Center.
Dr. Jan Nalaskowski (2015) is KMD Business Scientist at Cambridge Social Science Decision Lab Inc, Washington, DC. In 2015, he spent four weeks at the Empirical Implications of Theoretical Models (EITM) Institute hosted at Duke University, under the supervision of Dr. Scott de Marchi and received a prestigious internship with the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC. In 2012, Jan presented a paper titled “Measuring Success of Separatists’ Demands: Development of the Tool” at the 2013 Modeling, Simulation and Visualization Student Capstone Conference (VMASC) and won “Best Paper” award.
Dr. Scott Duryea (2015) is a Staff Writer at Ballotpedia and teaches at Guilford Technical Community College, North Carolina. Scott was awarded the Humane Studies Fellowship through the Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University. Scott has had articles published in Globalizations and Studies in Ethnicity and Nationalism.
Successful Graduates
Dr. Hamza Demirel (2016) was awarded a Student Collaborator Fellowship with Princeton University’s Middle East Center, New Jersey, in 2014.
Tuan Luc, (MA, 2014) Fulbright student from Vietnam, received a PhD Fellowship from Western Australia University to pursue his doctoral studies.
Jeffrey Becker (MA, 2002) is Principal Analyst and Independent Defense Consultant at the ContextLLC, Norfolk, Virginia where he provides deep futures studies and analysis for national security and operational military clients.
Przemyslaw Ozierski was a Fulbright Fellow at ODU from 2009-2010. Currently Przemyslaw is pursuing his PhD at Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration in Moscow.
Dr. Jennifer Slama Schiff (2010) is Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of International Studies at the Western Carolina University, Ashville, North Carolina.
Successful Graduates
Dr. Daniel Kuthy (MA, 2006) is currently Assistant Professor of Political Science at the Brescia University, Owensboro, Kentucky. He received his PhD in 2012 from Georgia State University in Atlanta.
Dr. Charles Pasquale (2007) is a Research and Analysis Manager for the US Government, Visiting Faculty at the National War College of the National Defense University, American University, and Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
Dr. Ivan Medynskyi (2015) is a Research Fellow at the Institute of World Policy in Kiev. In 2014, he presented a paper entitled “Path Dependence in Intrastate Conflicts: Comparing Onset and Termination” which was accepted to the ISA National Conference. He was also awarded an Open Society Foundation Global Supplementary Grant the same year.
Kimberly Ganczak (MA, 2014) was admitted to the University of Virginia’s doctoral program in International Affairs where she is a Graduate (Research) Assistant who focuses on international relations, game theory, and statistics. Her recent focus has been on North Korea and interests include most destabilized and failed states such as Somalia. Kim was awarded the Best Graduate Student Paper award by the Virginia Social Science Association in 2014.
Successful Graduates Dr. Sara Hoff (2014) is with the U.S. Department of Energy Information Administration in the Office of Energy Statistics. In 2014, Sara was awarded a Presidential Management Fellowship.
Rodrigu Mezu (MA, 2012) has been assigned to the Office of Foreign Affairs as a Colombian Air Force Officer. He is currently pursuing a PhD from the University of the Andes, Colombia.
Ruslan Ismayil-Zada (MA, 2012) is Communications Officer at the United Nations Office in Baku, Azerbaijan / UNDP. He began his post-GPIS career by working as an External Affairs Officer at the Ministry of Taxes of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Ruslan also was accepted to the third Antall Jozsef Summer School, July 2015 in Budapest, Hungary.
Dr. Melodee Baines (2013) is Asylum Officer with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Melodee has worked in both the New York and Houston Asylum Offices. She has spent most of her career in asylum working with women and children at the southwest border. She was formerly appointed as Democracy and Governance Specialist Staff Associate at Tetra Tech ARD in Burlington, Vermont.
Dr. Tasawar Baig (2014) is Director of the Karakoram Centre for Cultural Studies & Heritage at Karakoram International University in Pakistan. Together with Mustafa Kemal Dagdelen, he has published an article in the Journal of European Studies entitled, “Re-Emergence of Othering in Europe: A Threat to European Integration� in 2013.
Dr. Lauren McKee is the Assistant Professor of Political Science and Asian Studies. A significant resource in the community, McKee is also the instructor for the Model African Union for this semester. With the current
Successful Graduates issues concerning immigration and executive orders signed by the newly elected President Donald J. Trump, the Pinnacle had the opportunity to interview McKee.
Dovile Budryte, Ph.D, is a professor of political science at Georgia Gwinnett College. Her areas of interest include gender studies, trauma and memory in international relations and nationalism. She was a 2004 National Endowment for the Humanities grant recipient, 2000-01 Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs (New York) Fellow, and a 1998-99 Fellow at the College for Advanced Central European Studies at Europa University Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany. Her publications include articles on gender issues, minority rights and democratization in the Baltic states and four books, Taming Nationalism? Political Community Building in the Post-Soviet Baltic States (2005), Feminist Conversations: Women, Trauma and Empowerment in Post-Authoritarian Societies (co-edited with Lisa M. Vaughn and Natalya T. Riegg, 2009), Memory and Trauma in International Relations: Theories, Cases and Debates (co-edited with Erica Resende, 2013) and Engaging Difference: Teaching Humanities and Social Science in Multicultural Environments (co-edited with Scott A. Boykin, 2017).
Dr. Renata Giannini (2013) is Researcher with the Igarape Institute in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. While at ODU, she was involved in launching an original web-based research initiative on separatisms at http://ibsep.org/.
Dr. Sabine Hirschauer (2012) is Assistant Professor at New Mexico State University/Las Cruces, New Mexico. Her dissertation “The Securitization of Rape: Women, Conflict and Sexual Violence� was published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2014.
Dr. Stephen Magu (2013) is Laureate (Democratic Governance Institute) at CODESRIA. He received a book contract offer from Lexington Press to publish his dissertation. He is Assistant Professor at Norfolk State University in Virginia.
Successful Graduates
Dr. William Patterson (2014) works for the U.S. Department of State. Prior to that, William was the Criminal Justice program director at Paul D. Camp community college in Suffolk, Virginia. William Patterson is an author of the book “Democratic Counterinsurgents: How Democracies Can Prevail in Irregular Warfare (Rethinking Political Violence)” published in June, 2016, by Palgrave Macmillan. This book explores the ways in which democracies can win counterinsurgencies.
Dr. Anjali Sahay (2006) is Professor in Political Science with extensive experience in Online and In-Class Teaching at Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania. Her book “Indian Diaspora in the United States: Brain Drain or Gain?” was published in May 16, 2009 by Lexington Books.
Dr. Carlos Teixeira (2011) is Professor and Deputy Course Coordinator at PUC-SP | Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, Brazil. Carlos’ dissertation “Brazil, the United States, and the South American Subsystem: Regional Politics and the Absent Empire” was published by Lexington Books in 2012. It was named as one of the best books in the field by Foreign Affairs.
Murat Yetgin (ABD) was appointed Academic Dean, Turkish Military Academy, Ankara, Turkey.
Successful Graduates
Sydney Sheppard (MA, 2014) is Pricing Analyst at Independent Container Line, Richmond, Virginia. She was selected by the DACOR Bacon House Foundation for a competitive fellowship that supported the second year of her MA studies in 2012.
Dr. Vessela Chakarova (2009) is Lecturer at the Amsterdam University College, the Netherlands. Her book “Oil Supply Crisis: Cooperation and Discord in the West” was published by Lexington Books, in November, 2012.
Dr. Anouar Boukhars (2005) is a nonresident scholar in Carnegie’s Middle East Program and associate professor of international relations at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. Anouar is a former fellow at the Brookings Doha Center and author of Politics in Morocco: Executive Monarchy and Enlightened Authoritarianism (Routledge, 2010). He is also a co-editor of Perilous Desert: Sources of Saharan Insecurity (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2013) with Frederic Wehrey, and Perspectives on Western Sahara: Myths, Nationalisms and Geopolitics (Rowman and Littlefield, 2013) with Jacques Roussellier. His other publications have appeared in a number of outlets, including the Journal of Conflict Studies, International Political Science Review, European Security, Terrorism Monitor, and Columbia International Affairs Online.
Dr. Ping Deng (1998) is the Monte Ahuja Endowed Chair of Global Business and professor of management at the Monte Ahuja College of Business, Cleveland State University (CSU), Ohio. Before joining CSU in
Successful Graduates August 2013, he was a tenured full professor of business administration at Maryville University of St. Louis.
Dr. William T. Eliason (2010) is the Director of the National Defense University Press and Editor of Joint Force Quarterly, the professional military journal of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and serves as Adjunct Professor, Defense Strategy and Resources at the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy at Ft McNair in Washington, DC. He holds the academic rank of University Professor.
Dr. Catherine Banks (2004) is Research Associate Professor at the Virginia Modeling, Analysis, and Simulation Center (VMASC) at ODU. She is currently working on the development of a medical immersive simulation training tool for a specific application and a simulation program to analyze the impact of the obesity epidemic on the medical community. Her research also includes modeling states and their varied histories of revolution and insurgency, political economy and state volatility, and human behavior/ human modeling with applications in both the social sciences and the health sciences. Dr. Banks is the co-editor of Principles of Modeling and Simulation: A Multidisciplinary Approach published in 2009; co-author of Modeling and Simulation for Analyzing Global Events published in 2009; co-editor of Modeling and Simulation Fundamentals: Theoretical Underpinnings and Practical Domains published in 2010; and coeditor of Modeling and Simulation for Medical and Health Sciences published in 2011.
Dr. Georgeta Pourchot (2000) is the Director of the OLMA/Northern Capital Region, Virginia Tech. Georgeta teaches online courses in American foreign policy, global security, international relations theory, and global governance for the Department of
Successful Graduates Political Science and for the Government and International Affairs department in the School of Public and International Affairs. Her publications include Eurasia Rising: Democracy and Independence in the Post-Soviet Space (Praeger, 2008); articles in academic journals such as European Security, and Journal of Eurasian Affairs; and CSIS policy reports. She is a frequent opinion contributor to media outlets in Central Europe. Voice of America, and the Moscowbased Eurasia Heritage Foundation. She is currently working as co-author on a book on European International Society and Global Order.
Dr. Eva Svobodova (2008) is the Public Affairs and Strategic Communications Advisor to Chairman of NATO Military Committee. Prior to this position Eva has been a Defence Adviser with the Permanent Delegation of the Czech Republic to NATO, a Political Adviser with the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic, and a Senior Analyst and Adviser to the European Union Police Mission in Afghanistan.
Dr. Robert Pauly (2001) is Interim Associate Dean for the College of Arts and Letters on the Gulf Coast and a Tenured Associate Professor of International Policy and Development at Southern Miss. He has published numerous books, articles and book chapters on subjects ranging from the war on terrorism to the liberal bias in the American media.
Dr. Tom Lansford is professor of political science in the College of Arts and Letters was academic dean for The University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Coast operation from 2009 to 2014. His expertise is in the areas of international relations and security, homeland security, American foreign and security policy, and U.S. government and politics.
Successful Graduates Dr. Jack Kalpakian (2000) is Associate Professor and MAISD Coordinator at the Al Akhawayn University, Ifrane, Morocco. Jack specializes in Political Economy and Security issues.
Dr. Patrick Magee (2005) is Senior Analyst at the United States Government’s Office of National Intelligence, Washington, D.C.
Dr. Matthew Slater (2002) is Senior Planning and Policy Analyst at the Training and Education Command (TECOM), Marine Corps University, Quantico, Virginia.
Jeffrey Mistich (MA, 2011) is Political Economist of Quantitative Methodology and Data Science at the Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida. Jeffrey specializes in evaluating the structure of historical data within the context of policy or business environments to develop predictive models that inform strategic decision-making. He is currently pursuing his PhD at Florida State University.
Delgerjargal Betcher (MA, 2011) is an International Student Advisor at the Visa and Immigration Service Advising, Old Dominion University. She received a Master’s degree in Public Administration in 2014 and a Master’s degree in International Studies in 2011 from ODU.
Stefanie C. Nijssen (MA, 2010) is a Policy Advisor for the Cabinet Office in London as an anti-corruption specialist working at the United Kingdom government administration. In 2013, she was a co-founder of the Bilu-Gerie Foundation which supports the dreams of a few to help the many – the
Successful Graduates foundation intends to support aspiring students from Cameroon in achieving their educational goals by attending a university in Africa.
Dr. Sagar Rijal (2015) is Associate Corporate Governance Advisor for ISS Corporate Solutions in Rockville, MD where he advises managementlevel clients of a variety of public companies on issues of corporate governance, executive compensation and shareholder activism; assisted them by producing research and modeling-based client deliverables.
Alexandra Rice (MA, 2012) is Development Officer at Tidewater Community College, Norfolk, Virginia.
Savannah Russo (MA, 2012) is Senior Associate of Policy and Advocacy at Women Deliver, New York. Savannah is a devoted professional with over six years of international and cross-cultural experience in advocacy, program management, policy, communications and research.
Dr. Wiebke Lamer (2014) is a Research Professional and Expert on the Global Politics of Press Freedom; EIUC - European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratization.
Felicia Grey, PhD (2017) recently had her article “How Oil Twists the Hegemon’s Arm: The Case of the United States and Saudi Arabia and their Ambivalent Partnership” in the DOMES (Digest of Middle East Studies).
Successful Graduates
Khatera Alizada, PhD (2017) '17 was awarded a postdoc fellowship at the Center for Mind and Culture in Boston.
2017 Doctoral Dissertations Felicia Anneita Grey, Empty Chair at the Table: Bargaining, Costs and Litigation at the World Trade Organization Charles Mark Davis, Jointness, Culture, and Inter-Service Prejudice: Assessing the Impact of Resident, Satellite, and Hybrid JPME II Course Delivery Methods on Military Officer Attitudes Bo Ram Yi, The Memorialization of Historical Memories in East Asia William Eger, Endpoints After Empire, Explaining Varying Levels of Democracy in PostCommunist Eastern Europe Sandis Sraders, The Little Lady that Could: Small Latvia Rejoins the Euro-Atlantic Community Maurizio Geri, The Treatment of Ethnic Minorities in Democratizing Muslim Countries: The Securitization of Kurds in Turkey versus the Autonomization of the Aceh in Indonesia Khatera Alizada, Global Diffusion of Policies: Renewable Energy Policies Nicholas B. Law, The Franchising Effect on the Al-Qaeda Enterprise and Related Transnational Terror Groups: Patterns of Evolution of Al-Qaeda Affiliates in the 21st Century
6 Students took comprehensive exams to complete their MA requirements
2016 Doctoral Dissertations Eric Fowler, Culture and Military Effectiveness: How Societal Traits Influence Battle Outcomes Aaron G. Sander, Visegrad Revival: Where Less Is More, in the Prospect of Smaller Numbers Hamza Demirel, Assessing the Role of The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ Extraterritorial Activities in Attaining Iran’s Foreign Policy
Successful Graduates 9 students took comprehensive exams to complete their MA requirements. 2015 Doctoral Dissertations Scott Duryea, Removing The Rust: Comparative Post-Industrial Revitalization in Buffalo, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh Jennifer Jones Cunningham, U.S. Military Aid and the Role of Foreign Armies in Civil Politics Sagar Rijal, In Search of Autonomy: Nepal as a Wedge State Between India and China John Marshall Callahan, Armed Humanitarian Intervention: The Role of Powerful Leaders in Framing and National Security Decision Making Jody-Ann Jones, Tempering the Resource Curse in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Explanatory Analysis of the Variance of the Resource Curse in Nigeria and Botswana Erika Frydenlund, ‘Home was Congo’: Refugees and Durable Displacement in the Borderlands of 1,000 Hills Ivan Medynskyi, Path Dependence in Intrastate Conflicts: Resources, Regimes, and Interventions Saltuk Karahan, Explaining the Turkish-Russian Rapprochement: The Energy Dimension Mustafa Karapinar, Poverty within Nation-States: The Impact of Corruption, Trade, Income Inequality, Population Growth, Foreign Aid, and Military Expenditure Patricia Raxter, Unnatural Selection: Wildlife Crime and Other Challenges to Resource System Resilience Jan Nalaskowski, Dwelling in Time, Dwelling in Structures Disintegration in World Politics
Master’s Theses Kimberly Michelle Ganczak, Shaping American Foreign Policy: A Game Theoretic Analysis of the United States’ – North Korean Relationship Karmen Matusek, Under the Surface of Sex Trafficking: Social, Economic and Cultural Perpetrators of Gender-Based Violence in India Nurullah Ayyilmaz, Effects of Using Natural Gas in the Light-Duty Vehicle Fleet of the United States on its Energy Dependency and Greenhouse Gas Emissions 10 students took comprehensive exams to complete their MA requirements. 2014 Doctoral Dissertations Wiebke Lamer, Neglecting the ‘Right on Which All Other Rights Depend:’ Press Freedom in the International Human Rights Discourse
Successful Graduates Lauren McKee, Explaining Nuclear Energy Pursuance: A Comparison of the United States, Germany and Japan Tasawar Baig, Weak Links in a Dangerously Fractured Region: Fragile States as Global Threats Katerina Oskarsson, Great Powers, the Persian Gulf, and Global Oil: A Comparative Analysis Ersin Elibol, Prevention and Prosecution Challenges on the Internet in the Republic of Turkiye: Blocking and Child Pornography Ja Tum Seng, Myanmar and its Democratic Transition Shiwei Jiang, What Constitutes the Success or Failure of Multinational Corporations In Foreign Markets? A Case Study of Chinese and American MNCs Master’s Theses Ryan Nixon, Human Torches: The Genesis of Self-Immolation in the Sociopolitical Context Tuan Luc, U.S. - ASEAN Organized Crime Cooperation as a Part of Washington’s Re-balancing Policy toward the Asia-Pacific Zachariah Long, Transnational Organized Crime and the Illegal Wildlife Trade: Global Ties to a Global Crime Nika Khmolovska, The Role of the Documentary Film in The Presentation Of the North African Peoples’s Struggle for Their Civil Rights. The Saharawi People Case Study Iman Nanoua, Hijacking the Syrian Revolution 10 students took comprehensive exams to complete their MA requirements. 2013 Doctoral Dissertations Stephanie Smith, The Rhetoric/Reality Gap of Jus Cogens: An Examination of the Prohibitions of Piracy and Slavery as Peremptory Norms in International Law Stephen Macharia Magu, Soft Power Strategies in U.S. Foreign Policy: Assessing the Impact of Citizen Diplomacy on Foreign States’ Behavior Troy Lorenzo Ewing, The 2002 National Security Strategy: The Foundation of a Doctrine of Preemption, Prevention, or Anticipatory Action Nasser Lidasan, The Complexity of Armed Conflict in Mindanao: Beyond Economic Deprivation, Discrimination, and Inequality Renata Giannini, Promoting Gender to Build Peace: Evolving Norms and International Practices Alessandro Shimabukuro, The Right to Bear Space Arms: U.S. Resistance to Arms Control in Space Akin Guneri, The Transformation of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party): Exploring Domestic, Regional, and Global Dynamics Master’s Theses Nikola Kovac, Croatia Joins Europe
Successful Graduates Melissa Rodriguez, Department of Defense Resource Allocations and Progress Toward U.S. Foreign Policy Objectives in Latin America Maribel Lora, Fair Trade: An Analysis of the Effects on Poverty Alleviation and Empowerment for Women in Developing Countries 14 students took comprehensive exams to complete their MA requirements. 2012 Doctoral Dissertations Sabine Hirschauer, All is Fair in War? Violent Conflict and the Securitization of Rape Robert Donnelly, Satellite-based Navigation Systems and the Global Commons Melodee Baines, Illiterate Women’s Political Participation: Agents of Development Omar Hawthorne, Do International Corruption Metrics Matter? Assessing the Impact of Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index Kimberly VanDyke Gilligan, Nonproliferation and Domestic Politics Theory Roopa Swaminathan, Soft Focus: Bollywood Film and India’s Rise as a Global Soft Power Master’s Theses Maxim Miroshnikov, Interregionalism as a Foreign Policy of the European Union: A Case for Soft Power? Alexandra Caitlin Rice, Human Trafficking Post 9/11 Policy and Practice: Beyond Cutting the Tail Off the Snake Savannah Lynn Eck, Securing South Africa’s Future: Grandmothers against Poverty and Aids as Model for Social Development Change Mustafa Kemal Dagdelen, East, West, or Center? Turkey’s Stance Straddling Continents
Accomplished Faculty Dual Appointed Faculty Regina Karp, Phd. - GPIS Program Director, Associate Professor Political Science and International Studies - Teaches courses in Conflict and Cooperation for GPIS - Conflict and Cooperation Concentration Coordinator
Jesse Richman, Phd. - Associate Professor of Political Science and International Studies - Teaches courses in American Politics and Research Methods for the Department of Political Science - Teaches Game Theory and Research Methods for GPIS - Modeling and Simulation Concentration Coordinator
Simon Serfaty, Phd. - Professor and Eminent Scholar, Political Science and International Studies - Research Interests include US Foreign Policy, Euro-Atlantic Relations, European Union, NATO, France - Foreign Policy and International Relations Concentration Coordinator
Steve Yetiv, Phd. - Louis I. Jaffe Professor of International Relations at Old Dominion University - Dr. Yetiv’s research explores energy security, American foreign policy and decision making, the Middle East, globalization, and theory - Transnationalism, Interdependence, and Power Concentration Coordinator
Georg Menz, Phd. - Associate Professor, International Studies
Accomplished Faculty -
Research interests lie primarily on the field of (International) Political Economy, focussing both on the dynamics of globalisation and subsequent adjustment processes at the national level.
Cathy Wu, Phd. - Associate Professor, International Studies - International relations: domestic politics and conflict processes, East Asian politics and security; Methodology: game theory, quantitative analysis, experimental methods.
Associated Faculty Angelica Huizar, Phd. - Associate Professor and Chair, World Languages and Cultures - International Culture and Studies Concentration Coordinator
Austin Jersild, Phd. - Professor and Chair, History Department, Professor International Studies - Regional and Area Studies Concentration Coordinator
Peter Schulman, Phd. - Associate Professor, World Languages and Cultures, French - Interests include French Politics and French Literature
Affiliated Faculty Muge Akpinar-Elci, Phd, Director Global Health Jennifer Fish, Phd, Associate Professor & Chair, Department of Women’s Studies Ingo Heidbrink, Phd, Professor, Department of History
Accomplished Faculty Jonathan Leib, Phd, Associate Professor, Political Science and Geography Emmanuel Rudatsikira, Phd, Professor & Chair, Communications and Environmental Health Avi Santo: Assistant Professor, Phd, Communications and Theatre Arts Glen Sussman, Phd, University Professor of Political Science
In Memoriam - Naqib Ahmad Khpulwak Master of Arts in International Studies, 2010-2012 GPIS lost one of its most accomplished alumni this academic year. On the evening of Wednesday, August 24th, 2016, a group of heavily armed terrorists forced their way into the American University of Kabul, Afghanistan. Scores of students were killed in their classrooms and many more injured in the attack. Among the victims was a professor, Naqib Ahmad Khpulwak. We may never know whether he was a deliberate target of the attack or randomly killed by a terrorist's’ gun. What we do know is that we lost one of the shining lights of our program. Naqib arrived on the ODU campus in the Fall of 2010 as a Fulbright Scholar to begin his study for the Master’s Degree in International Studies. Naqib was extraordinarily gifted. He had finished his high school education in Nangarhar at the top of his class; at Nangarhar University he was the best student in Law and Political Science in the Administration and Diplomacy Department. His BA certificate was handed to him by then President hamid Karzai in March 2008. In 2007 he earned his certificate as a Registered Defense Lawyer with the Ministry of Justice. Naqib also received a star on the INL Memorial Wall at the United States Department of State on May 16, 2017. His professional accomplishments apart, what really separates is his deep commitment not just to the study of law and diplomacy, but its practice in service to his country. As Dr. Regina Karp recalled: “Making his country a better place for its people was Naqib’s mission. A great mission demands many sacrifices. Though he knew this, he persevered to the last. For all of us, he remains a shining example of what is best in this world. The bonds we forged through him will now grow even stronger and his example increases our courage to become even better at what we do. That is his legacy, though we would rather see his easy smile and share his laughter.”