Brittany Hale wins annual PPPA paper prize

Posted on June 1, 2014 by pppauwt

Brittany Hale is the 2014 PPPA Paper Prize winner, an award won for her PP&E capstone paper on medical marijuana. Brittany wrote this paper while interning during the winter quarter for the Washington State Legislature. The annual award, given to the student with the best capstone paper for the year, was announced April 30th at the PPPA Internship/Paper Prize Event in William Philip Hall, and Brittany presented her paper during a lunchtime seminar May 15th in the Tacoma Room. Hale states, “My time in Olympia as a legislative intern piqued my interested in public policy. All of the proposed legislation around medical marijuana in this last session provided an important focus for my research paper. I am honored and excited to receive recognition from UWT, and I’d like to thank Professor Baird for helping me focus my research and perfect my paper.”

Lester Burkes’ paper, “Venice Submerged,” on the topic of nuclear power, was named runner up for the prize. Lester also wrote his paper while interning for the Washington State Legislature. Congratulations to both! You can read Brittany’s paper–and those of past PPPA prize winners–in UW Tacoma’s Digital Commons.

Two faculty members leaving….

Posted on May 31, 2014 by pppauwt

Two additional faculty members will not be returning next year, and we wish them the best. After spending a year at UWT, Prof. Ben Gonzalez recently accepted a tenure track position at Highline Community College. “My time at UW Tacoma has been great and I will really miss working alongside all of the other wonderful members of faculty in PPPA and IAS. During my time here, one of the things I’ve appreciated the most is the diversity of the student body who brought a range of perspectives to our discussions of American politics that I consider invaluable. This has been a great year and I am looking forward to collaborating with UW Tacoma faculty when I am at Highline.”

Prof. Kim Earles has been teaching for us for two years, and will be leaving UW Tacoma at the end of the spring quarter to pursue other career opportunities. “Thanks to my colleagues in PPPA for all of their help and mentorship in tackling the challenges of teaching and research, and thanks for their continued support and friendship as I end my time at UW Tacoma.”

….New faculty members joining us

Posted on May 30, 2014 by pppauwt

We’re delighted that Seyed Karimi will be joining PPPA faculty this fall. Karimi, an economist, earned his BS in Electrical Engineering from Tehran Polytechnic, his MS in Industrial Engineering from the Institute for Research in Planning and Development in Tehran, and his PhD. in Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “I am interested in issues in welfare, health, gender, and religion economics in the context of both developing and developed countries. My passion for understanding the economic implications of society’s norms and institutions and socioeconomic consequences of policy interventions inspires my current research agenda, drives my teaching, and will shape my future inquiries. The interdisciplinary aspect of my academic activities is in line with the mission of IAS at the University of Washington Tacoma. Therefore, I am very enthusiastic to be a member of the school.” We look forward to his arrival this summer.

Also joining us is Eric Bugyis, who recently earned his Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Yale University. His research focuses on the intersection of modern religious thought and critical theory. He is particularly interested in contemporary constructions of “secular” and “religious” persons and publics, and the political and cultural mobilization of these categories in the service of both “conservative” and “progressive” ends. For the past five years, Eric has been an adjunct instructor at the University of Notre Dame where he has taught courses on the history of philosophy and Christian theology. At UW Tacoma, he’ll be teaching courses on Religion in the Modern World, Comparative Religion, and Philosophy of Religion, as well as developing new courses at the intersection of religion, culture, and society.

Ann Frost will be joining PPPA next year as a lecturer in American Politics. Ann has a JD from the University of Washington and is currently completing her PhD in Political Science at the University of Washington, Seattle. Having practiced law as a public defender for the past 14 years, her expertise is in the politics of the criminal justice system, the politics of race and ethnicity, and American politics. Her research focuses on state drug sentencing policies, the War on Drugs and their effect on racial minorities. Next year she will teach courses in American Politics, Media and US Politics, Race and Ethnicity, and State Government, and will also teach our two internship courses. Says Ann: “I am incredibly excited to be joining the community at UW Tacoma next year. As long time Seattle residents, my family and I truly appreciate and respect the opportunity to be part of this campus and community.”

Faculty hold research colloquium in Silverdale

Posted on May 29, 2014 by pppauwt

This May, PPPA held its first annual research colloquium retreat. Organized by Prof. Turan Kayaoglu, the event took place over a long weekend where eight faculty members participated in sessions discussing six different research papers. Chaired by Profs. Turan Kayaoglu and Brad McHose, the sessions included papers presented by Mary Hanneman (“Surrender, Society and National Identity: Implications of Japan’s WWII Surrender“); Rob Crawford (“The Politics of Accountability for U.S. Torture“); Jane Compson (“The CARE Protocol: A model for introducing healthcare professionals to self-care literacy“); Will McGuire, (“Institutional Barriers to Creative Destruction and the Future of China’s Economic Development“); Etga Ugur (“Contextualizing Islamist Politics: Egypt, Tunisia, and Turkey in Comparative Perspective“); and Katie Baird (“Financial Crises and Transfers to the Poor: A comparison of social policies in eight European nations”). The colloquium took place in Silverdale, and in addition to the scholarly sessions, faculty also enjoyed meals together (above) and a game of disco bowling (no picture included). It was a very successful retreat, and we are now planning for next year’s second annual colloquium.

UW Tacoma alum Mohamed Abdel Halim graduates with double degrees–twice

Posted on May 27, 2014 by pppauwt

After graduating from UW Tacoma (2011) with two majors, PP&E and International Business, and a minor in Non Profit Studies, Mohamed Abdel Halim decided to head back to the classroom for another two degrees—an MBA and MPA from Eastern Washington University. Halim states that studying International Business and Politics at the same time has given him a strong understanding of political systems, economic policy, and the living standards in several diverse cultures. He also remarks that EWU’s Spokane campus reminded him of UWT, noting “faculty members and program directors are very approachable. In both schools, the majority of people knew me by name which made my interactions very personable.”

A native of Egypt, Halim credits the people he’s met with helping him come as far as he has in both education and life. “Dr. Turan Kayaoglu has been a mentor and a role model for me. The things he taught me were very powerful and while I am making education and career decisions, I always think of what he said. It amazes me sometimes how much motivation and encouragement this man has provided me.”

Read more about Halim’s experiences in “EWU’s Newsletter.”

Annual PPPA student-faculty softball game

Posted on May 26, 2014 by pppauwt

In what has become an annual ritual, students and faculty engaged in a hotly contested game of softball at Tacoma’s Vassault Park this May. We all enjoyed the sun and warm breezes blowing in from left field, and a fine game of softball followed by a BBQ. After four successive years of defeat, the students this year came out determined to win. And win they did! It was a close game, but graduating Law and Policy senior Grady Heins squashed the faculty’s early celebrations by socking a second home run, this one a three-run blast in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, allowing students to eke out a hard-fought but well-earned victory against us. Since alumni play for the faculty team, we look forward to having Grady on our side next year.

Andreas Neiderberger speaks at Philosophy Roundtable events

Posted on May 25, 2014 by pppauwt

As part of this year’s Philosophy Roundtable, Andreas Neiderberger, Professor of Political and Social Philosophy at Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany spoke at UW Tacoma and Seattle in April. AT UW Tacoma he spoke of the theme of “Human Rights & Global Constitutionalism,” and at UW Seattle he discussed “Are Human Rights Moral Rights?” While in the Puget Sound area, he also attended a music recital at the University of Puget Sound, and spoke to the Research Group on Human Rights in the Suzzallo Library at UW Seattle. His talks were part of the Interdisciplinary Research Cluster Human Interactions and Normative Innovation (HI-NORM). His talks were made possible by support from PPPA as well as the Simpson Center for the Humanities, and the UW Seattle Department of Philosophy.

2014 graduate Chelsea Hagar

Posted on May 23, 2014 by pppauwt

2014 PP&E graduate Chelsea Hager recently landed a full time job working for Congressman Derek Kilmer in his Tacoma office. Hager welcomes the opportunity to expand her professional development, enhance her interpersonal skills, and have some fun before pursuing her post-graduate education.

Chelsea transferred to UWT from the University of Hawaii, Manoa. With her family and friends in Washington state—she is one of six daughters—she missed the Pacific Northwest, and was happy to come back home. Upon arriving she quickly choose to major in Politics, Philosophy & Economics as the major “encompasses all of my academic interests.”

In her senior year, Chelsea began to work in Rep. Kilmer’s Tacoma office as a way to gain experience and meet her capstone requirement. In March 2014, Hager was hired as the Staff Assistant and has taken on the coordination for the Tacoma District Office internship program. While the position is very challenging, it aligns with her interests in public service and her passion for politics. Earlier this year, Chelsea gained admission to seven law schools. However, but she has since decided to delay law school for one year. She will reapply next fall, and plans to practice public service law one day. For now, she enjoys running and has recently completed a 15k, with her sights set on finishing a half-marathon. Perhaps–someday–she’ll even run for office!

Faculty research China’s wine industry

Posted on May 23, 2014 by pppauwt

Faculty members Jeff Begun and Cynthia Howson (below) recently published an article in the magazine Alternative Emerging Investor focusing on China’s rapidly growing (and improving) wine industry. This issue also includes contributions from Nobel Prize winner Michael Spence and American economist Nouriel Roubini–who among other things, predicted the collapse of the United States housing market and the worldwide recession which began in 2008. On May 30th the two presented their research in the Carwein Auditorium as part of the PPPA China Seminar. The talk was followed by a lively reception and complimentary wine tasting at Anthem Beverage and Bistro, where those present were introduced to a sampling of wines from China’s top vineyards.

Professor Hashemi keynote speaker in Middle East and Africa seminar

Posted on March 12, 2014 by pppauwt

PPPA’s seminar series focusing on the Middle East and Africa continues this Spring with a keynote address by Professor Nader Hashemi (right) of the University of Denver (UD). Prof. Hashemi is an Associate Professor of Middle East and Islamic Studies at UD’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies. He is also Director of UD’s Center for Middle East Studies, and the author of several books on politics and the Middle East. As a frequent guest on national television and radio shows, and with opinion pieces in places such as the New York Times, Prof. Hashemi has quickly become one of the most sought after experts on the Middle East. His address is titled “Is Hassan an Iranian Gorbachev? An Assessment of the Islamic Republic after the Geneva Nuclear Deal.” This talk will take place May 7th at 4 pm in the Tacoma Room.

Also on tap spring quarter: The distinguished Mr. Faisal Roble of the Institute for the Horn of Africa Studies will be visiting the UW Tacoma campus. Mr. Roble (left) is a well-respected intellectual, political analyst, and essayist with extensive experience in Africa’s Horn region. He will be delivering a lecture entitled “Post Civil War Somalia: Challenges and Opportunities,” on April 10th at 4 pm in the Carwein Auditorium. UW Seattle’s James Long (below), Assistant Professor of Political Science and an Academy Scholar at the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies, will follow this up with a talk on “Electoral Fraud and Political Violence in Africa.” Prof. Long’s research focuses on elections in fragile and developing countries, the dynamics of electoral fraud, the causes of electoral violence, and the effects of civil war and insurgency on state-building and development. Long studies these issues in both sub-Saharan Africa and Afghanistan, and will be speaking on campus April 23rd, 12:30 pm in CP 103. Rounding out the spring schedule will be our own Michael Wotherspoon, a senior in Law and Policy, who will discuss “The Press, Ethnicity and Free Speech in Kyrgyzstan”. His talk will be based on his experiences in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan where he’s been working for Spektator Magazine. May 29th, 12:30 pm in the Tacoma Room. Thanks to both IAS and UW Tacoma’s Arts and Lecturer Committee for making these events possible. Continue reading →