Authors
Fighting to Preserve the College Experience
by Michael A. Smith, Professor of Political Science, Emporia State University Where have all the posters gone? This past academic year, my colleagues and I experienced a major restructuring at Emporia State University. I have strong opinions on these events, but this is not the place for a…
The Challenges of Measuring Lethal Violence in Central America. An Interview with Laura Blume.
By Juan Corredor-Garcia, PhD student in political science at the Graduate Center, City University of New York While Latin America represents only 9% of the global population, it is home of more than 30% of the homicides around the world. What explains these high levels of violence? Laura Blume,…
Prioritizing the Undergraduate Experience
By Emily Boykin, Doctoral Candidate in Public Administration at Florida State University As a newfound Ph.D. candidate and first-time instructor of record this past semester for an undergraduate course, I’ve reflected quite a bit on my educational progression and informed pedagogy. With my blogging…
The Trump Effect on Immigration Court Cases
By Elise Blasingame, University of Georgia; Christina L. Boyd, University of Georgia; Roberto F. Carlos, The University of Texas at Austin; Joseph T. Ornstein, University of Georgia The following blog post is a summary of the research that co-won the Midwest Political Science Association’s Evan…
Best Practices in Discussant Roles & Interactions
By Emily Boykin, Doctoral Candidate in Public Administration at Florida State University Social science scholars continually choose to attend MPSA’s annual conference in part due to the quality of panel attendance and corresponding richness of paper or poster feedback. The role of the discussant is…
The Politics of Higher Education Reform
By Kenneth Burke The criticisms of higher education have become more vocal and visible, particularly in relation to issues such as political correctness, diversity, and inclusion. Political conservatives have recently voiced these criticisms loudly, viewing higher education as a hotbed of liberal…
Overheard at the Palmer House – A Love Letter to the 80th MPSA
By Kelsey Larsen, Assistant Professor at the University of Central Florida MPSA2023 finally wound down—the badges were all printed, the Zoom sessions were troubleshooted, and number of people sitting in the Palmer House lobby with their carry-ons ebbed then flowed. People had finally figured out…
Insights From a MPSA First-Time Attendee
By Juan Corredor-Garcia, PhD student in political science at the Graduate Center, City University of New York Academic conferences are privileged spaces for graduate students for various reasons. Whether it is submitting a work-in-progress, a dissertation chapter, or an article to submit to a…
Coherence Over Linearity: Transitioning to Administrative Roles
By James Steur, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Over the course of a career, it is natural for your professional goals to change over time. For many members of the academy, especially faculty members, moving into staff and administrative roles are one prominent and…
Less is More
By Kelsey Larsen, Assistant Professor at the University of Central Florida One of the defining things about conferencing is wondering what your audience will be like. Maybe you’re the person is so excited that you can’t help but wonder what lies ahead—whether the audience will have good feedback,…