Welcome New Faculty Political Science
Christopher Burdett Instructor - Political Science clburdett@vcu.edu Dr. Christopher Burdett received his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, where he completed his dissertation on education, identity, and imperialism in late 19th-century France and England. He holds an M.A. in European Affairs and International Economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a B.A. in Government from the College of William and Mary. He has also completed programs at the SAIS-Bologna Center and the Free University of Brussels. Prior to arriving at VCU, Dr. Burdett held research positions at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and The Carter Center, and twice served on the staff of Pat Cox, Member and former president of the European Parliament. Since the spring of 2006, Dr. Burdett has been an instructor in Political Science at VCU, offering courses in political theory, European government and politics, international political economy, world politics, and social science research methods. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Dr. Burdett continues to pursue research interests involving post-Cold War security cooperation in Europe, particularly security and defense cooperation in the European Union, as well as themes related to education, identity construction, and international politics.
John Froitzheim Instructor - Political Science and School of World Studies jfroitzheim@vcu.edu Dr. John Froitzheim earned his Ph.D. in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia. His dissertation focused on the development of democracy in Africa. Dr. Froitzheim also has degrees from McGeorge School of Law in California and St. John’s University School of Law in New York. Dr. Froitzheim’s primary teaching interests are in comparative politics, international relations and public law. Dr. Froitzheim’s research interests include the politics of developing countries, with a special focus on African countries, the challenges of modern state building and factors responsible for state collapse, and global environmental politics.
Ravi Perry Associate Professor - Political Science rkperry@vcu.edu Dr. Ravi K. Perry holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan and a M.A. and Ph.D. from Brown University, each in political science. Dr. Perry’s broad research interests focus on an evolving and prolific take on issues facing African-Americans in the United States with specializations in Black politics, minority representation, urban politics, American public policy, and LGBT minority politics. Dr. Perry is the editor of “21st Century Urban Race Politics: Representing Minorities as Universal Interests.” His second book is entitled “Black Mayors, White Majorities: The Balancing Act of Racial Politics.” His third book, just published last May, is titled “The Little Rock Crisis: What Desegregation Politics Says About Us”, and describes the power of direct and learned memories of the 1957 desegregation crisis in Little Rock, Arkansas. Perry is currently President of the National Association for Ethnic Studies; a member of the Executive Council with the National Conference of Black Political Scientists; and member of the Executive Committee with the Urban Politics Section of the American Political Science Association. The recipient of numerous awards and honors, Dr. Perry has been recognized as one of the Andrew Goodman Foundation’s 50 “Hero Citizens;” Out Magazine’s “Hidden 105” and The Advocate’s “193 Reasons to Have Pride,” and its 2011 edition of “40 under 40.”