About

Education

PhD, Political Science, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio (2016)
- Fields: American Politics and Policy; Justice Politics and Policy
- Dissertation: The Legal, Institutional, and Political Factors of Congressional Court-Curbing: The Purpose and Seriousness of Attempts to Constrain the United States Supreme Court
  - Chair: Dr. Christopher P. Banks
  - Committee Members: Dr. Michael J. Ensley, Dr. Daniel P. Hawes, and Dr. Elizabeth Smith-Pryor (Outside Member, Department of History, Kent State University)
M.A., Political Science, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio (2013)
B.A., Political Science, Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa (2009)

Additional Training

Congressional Research Service (CRS) Advanced Legislative Process Institute for APSA Fellows (November 2015)
Congressional Research Service (CRS) Overview of the Federal Budget Process (November 2015)

Academic Appointments

South Dakota State University
- Assistant Professor of Political Science (August 2016-present)

Kent State University
- Teaching Fellow (August 2014-May 2015)
- Teaching Assistant (January 2012-May 2014)
- Research Assistant (January 2011-May 2014)

Fellowships

American Political Science Association’s Congressional Fellowship Program (2015-2016)
- Legislative Assistant for Representative Daniel Lipinski (D-IL-3)
  - Policy Areas: Education, Agriculture, Government Operations, Campaign Finance Reform, Voting Rights, and Native Americans
  - Science, Space, and Technology Committee
  - STEM Education Caucus

Advising

South Dakota State University
- LeadState (Fall 2018-present)
- Legal Studies Minor (Spring 2017-present)
- Pre-Law Society (Spring 2017-present)
- Honors College Independent Study Mentor (Fall 2017-Spring 2018)
  - Viraj Patel “Individualism in the U.S. Senate: A Case Study of John McCain,” Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity Day (URSCAD) (April 3, 2018; Brookings, South Dakota). [Poster Presentation]
    - Fishback Honors College Poster Award

Kent State University
- Mentor for the Columbus Program in Intergovernmental Issues (Fall 2015)
  - Anthony Ours, Representative Michael Stinziano (District 18-Columbus)

Professional Affiliations and Memberships

American Political Science Association (2012-present)
- Law and Courts
- Legislative Studies
- Women and Politics Research
Midwest Political Science Association (2012-present)
Southern Political Science Association (2017-present)
Ohio Association of Economists and Political Scientists (2012-2016)

Public Appearances

Introduction of Senator Larry Pressler for the Harding Distinguished Lecture Series (September 19, 2017)

Invited Presentations

Professional Organizations
- “Checks and Balances or Tug of War?: The Separation of Powers During the Obama and Trump Administrations” Address for the Iowa State Association of County Auditors (ISACA) Annual Summer Conference (July 13, 2017).
- “A Week in the Life of a Staffer in the U.S. House of Representatives: An Inside Look at Committee Politics, Lobbying, and Policymaking” Keynote Address for the Iowa State Association of County Auditors (ISACA) Annual Summer Conference (July 12, 2017).

South Dakota State University
- Pre-Law Society
  - “Crash Course on Cover Letters, Resumes, and Personal Statements” (April 18, 2018)
  - “LSAT Overview and Logic Games” (with Greg Peterson) (February 7, 2018)
  - “Applying to Law School” (November 29, 2017)
- Women’s and Gender Studies Speaker Series
  - “No Longer a Man’s World: Women Executives Across the Globe” (with Evren Celik Wiltse) (March 15, 2018)
  - “The Gendered Dynamics of Congressional Policymaking: Committees, Legislative Effectiveness, and STEM Education” (March 21, 2017)

Invited Panel Discussion Participation

American Political Science Association
- “Alumni Panel Discussion” Beyond the Fellowship Year: Leveraging the CFP Experience for Next Steps in Your Career” (August 10, 2018) [Forthcoming]

South Dakota State University
- “New Faculty Q&A” (with Cynde Perry and Greg Heiberger) Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning’s Faculty Focus Program (April 13, 2018)

Professional Service

Manuscript Reviewer
- Academic Journals
  - American Politics Research
  - Law & Society Review
  - Publius: The Journal of Federalism
- Undergraduate Journals
  - Aletheia–The Alpha Chi Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

University Service

South Dakota State University
- International Conference on Global Human Rights Planning Committee (Spring 2018-present)
- Ethics Lab Advisory Committee (Spring 2018-present)
- College of Arts & Sciences Faculty Council (Fall 2017-present)
- Women’s and Gender Studies Advisory Committee (Fall 2016-present)

Departmental Service

South Dakota State University
- Political Science Assistant Professor Search Committee (Fall 2018)
  - Diversity Advocate
- Marketing, Newsletter, & Website Committee (Fall 2017-present)
- History, Political Science, & Philosophy Adjunct Search Committee (Spring 2018)
  - Diversity Advocate
- J.P. Hendrickson Scholarship Selection Committee (September 2016)

Kent State University
- Graduate Student Representative on the Student Academic Complaint Committee (June 2015)
- Graduate Student Representative at Faculty Meetings (August 2014-May 2015)
- Graduate Student Representative on the Faculty Advisory Committee (August 2014-May 2015)
- Political Science Graduate Student Association
  - President (August 2013-May 2014)
  - Vice President (August 2012-May 2013)
  - Treasurer (August 2011-May 2012)

Community Service

Brookings, South Dakota
- Beyond Connections Planning Committee (September 2017-present)
- Connect 2140 Planning Committee (July 2017-present)
  - Special Events Subcommittee (July 2017-May 2018)
- Brookings Area Chamber of Commerce Business Resource Committee Membership Focus Group (May 2018)

Professional Development Workshop Participation

South Dakota State University
- Assessment
  - Student Engagement: Results from the NSSE and FSSE Surveys (November 2, 2016)
  - IDEA Faculty Training (October 13, 2016)
  - Course Assessment Design (October 4, 2016)
  - Assessment 101 (September 14, 2016)
- Research
  - Inquiry-Based, Cross Disciplinary Research (October 5, 2016)
- Teaching
  - Diving Deeper into Discussions: Best Practices for Effective Classroom Discussion (March 14, 2017)
  - Diving Deeper into Discussions: Visual Thinking Strategies (February 15, 2017)
  - The Science Behind Mindfulness as an Intervention in the Classroom (October 26, 2016)
  - Online Tutoring (October 4, 2016)
- Advising
  - Student Organization Summit (S.O.S.) (September 8, 2017)

Website Last Updated: 7/17/2018

This website does not represent the official views or opinions of South Dakota State University.