ECU is again hosting the Foreign Policy Association’s Great Decisions program. The program consists of a series of eight lectures by academic and professional experts on topics of global significance.

The topic for the Jan. 30 session is Media and Foreign Policy, with John Howard, Professor, ECU School of Communications.

The Great Decisions Program is the oldest and largest grassroots world affairs educational program of its kind in the country. Established in 1954, it is the flagship program of the Foreign Policy Association, a non-partisan, non-governmental organization. The goal of the Great Decisions program is to discuss, debate, and learn about international affairs, national security and U.S. foreign policy.

PLACE: Rivers West Building, Auditorium 105

TIME: 6:00 – 7:30 P.M.

COST: $10.00, but Students, Faculty & Staff Attend for Free!

ECU Political Science Department Alumni News

Dr. Raymond Williams (POLS BS, 2010) graduated with his PhD in Political Science at the University of Maryland-College Park in December 2017.  His dissertation was entitled “A Simple Twist of the Wrist:  Presidential Usage of Executive Orders and Proclamations in Times of Crisis, 1861-2012.”

Dr. Williams is now working as a research assistant at the Congressional Research Service in Washington, DC.

Congratulations, Dr. Williams, on your accomplishments and we wish you continued success!

If you are an alumnus of the department and have updates or accomplishments you would like to share on our newsfeed, please send the information (with a photo, if you wish) to cooka@ecu.edu.

Dr. Carmine Scavo was quoted in a Washington Post article about Walter B. Jones on 28 December.  The article, “A Republican Deficit Hawk Flies Alone” by Jeff Stein, can be accessed at:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/12/28/is-this-the-last-deficit-hawk-in-the-republican-party/?utm_term=.f49615e2378e

Congratulations to Dr. Scavo for this national-level exposure!

 

The Department of Political Science and The Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences will host the Foreign Policy Association’s Great Decisions program. The program consists of a series of eight lectures by academic and professional experts on topics of global significance.

The Great Decisions Program is the oldest and largest grassroots world affairs educational program of its kind in the country. Established in 1954, it is the flagship program of the Foreign Policy Association, a non-partisan, non-governmental organization. The goal of the Great Decisions program is to discuss, debate, and learn about international affairs, national security and U.S. foreign policy.

On January 16, R. Scott Barker, USAF Col. (Ret) will speak on U.S Global Engagement and the Military.

The event will be held in Rivers West Building (Main Campus), Auditorium 105, from 6:00 – 7:30 P.M. Admission is $10.00.

Dr. Peter Francia and Dr. Jonathan Morris, working through the Center for Survey Research, recently assisted in the completion of a public opinion survey that assessed Greenville residents. The forthcoming research that will follow from the survey is led by Dr. Heidi Bonner in the Department of Criminal Justice.

From November 30 to December 1, 2017, Bonnie G. Mani was a member of East Carolina University’s delegation to a conference related to students’ behavioral health. Dr. Mani joined staff members from ECU’s counseling center, police department, athletic department, advising center, and Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, as well as delegations from all the other constituent universities of the University of North Carolina System, to address concerns for issues like alcohol and drug use, and suicides. The ECU delegation returned to Greenville from the Winston-Salem conference and will develop strategies to address these problems on our campus.

For the past year Dr. John Williams has been part of a select group providing comments , suggestions, and additions to a series of articles by Walter Posch, a colleague who works at the National Defense Institute in Vienna Austria. The articles focus on Middle Eastern issues, such as the politics and status of the Kurds in various countries, the changing fortunes of ISIS, the activities of Shiite militias in the region. One of the more recent ones discussed characteristics of military forces in the region, ranging from armed gangs up to government troops.

Boston Terrier Sophia Saint Rocco Mani and Department of Political Science Professor Bonnie G. Mani participated in the program that brings therapy dogs to Joyner Library to help reduce stress levels of students studying for final examinations.

Many thanks to Dr. Mani!

Dr. Peter Francia, along with Dr. Jonathan Morris, also recently completed and co-authored a study on fake news entitled, “A Fake News Inoculation? Fact Checkers, Partisan Identification, and the Power of Misinformation,” which, using an experimental design, found that fact-checking efforts to correct public misperceptions driven by fake news stories appear to have little impact. Instead, the results show individuals are more likely to accept or reject misinformation based on whether or not it is consistent with their pre-existing partisan and ideological beliefs.

Armin Krishnan will be participating in the Chancellor’s Leadership Academy (CLA) in Spring 2018. The CLA was established in 2004 with the intention of expanding the leadership capabilities of high-potential members of the university and to enhance their contribution to the institution by teaching them leadership skills. Every year ten individuals are selected for the CLA. The program consists of ten sessions that cover key aspects of leadership in higher education. Participants are also expected to work on and complete a community project during the Spring term.