Staff
Barbara A. Jeffrey
Departmental Secretary II
Troy University
331 McCall Hall (MSCX)
bjeffrey@troy.edu
polsci@troy.edu
Telephone: (334) 670-5926
Chair and Directors
Richard Ledet, Ph. D.
Interim Chair
Associate Professor of Political Science
331C McCall Hall (MSCX)
Troy, AL 36082
rledet@troy.edu
Telephone: 1-334-670-5926
Research
Areas of Interest: Religion and politics, Research Methods and Applications, Political Culture and Civil Society, US Politics, Political and Democratic Development
Biography
Ph.D., Political Science, University of Notre Dame
Rich Ledet is currently an Associate Professor of Political Science at Troy University, in Troy, Alabama. A former US Army Infantryman (1995-1997), and Infantry Squad Leader in the Louisiana National Guard (1997-2000), Ledet earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Notre Dame in 2011, and served as an Army Civilian field researcher in Afghanistan in 2012. He teaches American and Comparative politics courses, and conducts research into the political consequences of identity, culture, and religion, with an emphasis on state-building and democracy.
G. Douglas Davis, Ph. D.
Director of MSIR Program / Professor
331A McCall Hall (MSCX)
Troy, AL 36082
gddavis@troy.edu
Telephone: 1-334-808-6280
Research
Areas of Interest: European Security, European IPE, Middle East Security, Research Methods
Biography
G. Doug Davis, PhD is the director of the Master's of Science in International Relations program at Troy University where he is a European Security and Middle East regional expert. In addition to a masters and doctorate in political science from the University of Arizona, he has a European graduate degree from the Pontificia Università Lateranense. He has published academic papers and is the author, with Dr Michael Slobodchikoff, of a book that was recently published titled Cultural Imperialism and the Decline of the Liberal Order: Russian and Western Soft Power in Eastern Europe. His academic work has been translated and published in nine languages. He has international development experience in the Middle East where he has worked on projects funded by the European Union, Italian government, and the World Bank. He has international banking experience and has worked to open financial institutions internationally. He has done work at multiple Polish universities and in 2020 was a visiting scholar at the University of Zagreb. In 2019, he and colleagues were awarded a NATO public diplomacy grant to host the NATO at Seventy: A Strategic Examination of the Past, Present, and Future of the Atlantic Alliance Conference at Troy University. He is contributor and co-editor of a book that will come out in the fall of 2021 titled The Challenge to NATO: Global Security and the Atlantic Alliance.
Michael Guo-Brennan, Ph. D.
Director of the MPA Program / Associate Professor
331B McCall Hall (MSCX)
Troy, AL 36082
mbrennan@troy.edu
Telephone: 1-334-808-6387
http://michaelguobrennan.com/
Research
Areas of Interest: Civic Capacity and Community Engagement, Global Competency in Public
Administration, Education Policy, Immigration Policy, Comparative Policy and Politics,
and Emergency Management
Biography
Ph.D. Urban and Public Affairs, University of Louisville
Dr. Michael Guo-Brennan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Troy University. His teaching is focused on global competency in public administration, public/non-profit policy and administration, organizational leadership, ethics in public administration, educational policy, migration, emergency management, and diversity issues in public administration and urban education. His research addresses critical issues in public policy and administration from a global perspective, urban education reform, immigration policy and crisis management.
Department Faculty
Melissa Bailey, Ph. D.
Assistant Professor of Public Administration
Troy Online
327B McCall Hall (MSCX)
Troy, AL 36082
mbailey97613@troy.edu
Telephone: 334-808-6710
Research
Areas of Interest: nonprofit management and leadership, grant writing and management, public value, cross-sector collaborations, education policy
Biography
BS, University of West Alabama
MPA, Auburn University Montgomery
Ph.D. Public Administration and Public Policy, Auburn University
Dr. Melissa Bailey is a native of Berry, AL. She joined the faculty at Troy University in 2018. Dr. Bailey has over 13 years of nonprofit and government experience. With broad experience in nonprofit administration, she has managed fundraising campaigns and events that engaged board members, mobilized volunteers, and dramatically increased giving. She is also an expert grant writer and manager. She was recognized for her outstanding contributions to the Alabama Department of Homeland Security by Governor Bob Riley. She was awarded a Black Excellence Award in the area of nonprofit leadership for exemplifying excellence in the Shoals community. And she recently received the distinction of being the University of West Alabama’s Most Distinguished Alumni in the College of Liberal Arts.
Joel Campbell, Ph. D.
Associate Professor of International Relations
18 FSS/FSDE
APO, AP 96368-5134
jrcampbell@troy.edu
Telephone: DSN 634-5365 +81-611-734-5365
Research
Areas of Interest: Politics and Political Economy of Northeast and Southeast Asia, Science and Technology Policy, International Security, International Political History, and Film and Politics
Biography
Ph.D., Political Science, Miami University (Ohio)
Joel R. Campbell is an Associate Professor of Political Science in the Pacific Region (Japan and Korea) of the Global Campus program of Troy University. He teaches in the Masters of Science in International Relations (MSIR) program. He has served as faculty chair for the Troy Pacific Region, has been a member of the Institutional Review Board and the Faculty Senate. He is now on the Undergraduate Academic Council. He has taught at global political economy at Tohoku University, politics and economics at Miyazaki International College and political economy and business at Kansai Gaidai University in Japan, as well as international relations at Chung Ang University, political economy and public policy at Kyung Hee University and East Asian political history at Yonsei University in Korea. He has published extensively on his principal research interests, the politics and political economy of Northeast Asia, along with technology policy and international security
Kern W. Craig, Ph. D.
Associate Professor
Troy Online
kcraig38002@troy.edu
Telephone: 1-850-301-2125
Research
Research interests: political economy
Biography
Ph. D., University of Mississippi
Professor Craig began teaching for Troy University in 2004. He previously taught for a number of other colleges and universities since his wife’s career as an Air Force officer required many moves.
His academic qualifications include a B.Sc. in Business Administration from California State University, an M.B.A. in Management from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Mississippi.
Professor Craig's doctoral dissertation was entitled "Empirical Tests of Dependency Theory in the Contemporary Commonwealth Caribbean."
Tammy Esteves, Ph. D.
Assistant Professor of Public Administration
MPA Internship Coordinator
Troy Online
tlesteves@troy.edu
Telephone: 321-209-2990
Research
Areas of Interest: Social Media use for civic engagement, and emergency preparedness and response, Sustainability, eLearning, and the Role of Technology in Building Community
Biography
BA, American Government, University of Virginia
MPA, James Madison University
Ph.D, Public Administration and Public Affairs, Virginia Tech
Tammy Barnett Esteves, Ph.D., is a native Virginian, now living in Orlando. Dr. Esteves ("Dr. E" to her students) brings both practical and academic experience to the field of public administration. She has been a full-time faculty member with Troy University's MPA program since 2002. Prior to TROY, she taught for Christopher Newport University, the University of Richmond, and Indiana State University. She has also taught individual courses for NC State, Virginia Commonwealth University, James Madison University and The Presidio Graduate School. Prior to entering the world of academia, her practical experiences included work as training coordinator for Virginia Blood Services; human resources director for International AutoSport; community services coordinator for the Jefferson Area Board for Aging; development coordinator for the Virginia Discovery Museum; and Interim Executive Director for Avalon, a women's shelter in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Dr. Esteves is very active in the American Society for Public Administration and the International Leadership Association. She primarily teaches Research Methods, Leadership in Public Administration, eGovernance, Public Health Preparedness and Emergency Response, and in 21-22 will offer a new course, Social Marketing. Her main research interest is the role of technology for building community, particularly in the areas of social media, smart cities, and civictech. She brings these interests into the classroom with creative assignments to get students to think outside the box and make connections to the world around them, encouraging whole person education and lifelong learning.
Pamela A. Gibson, Ph. D.
Associate Professor of Public Administration
Troy Online
pagibson@troy.edu
Research
Areas of Interest: Ethics and Moral Development, Citizen Participation in Policy Formation, Research-Practice Gap, and Cyberbullying
Biography
Ph.D., Public Policy and Administration, Virginia Commonwealth University
Dr. Pamela A. Gibson is an Associate Professor at Troy University. Prior to joining Troy, she taught for Old Dominion University and individual courses for the University of Virginia, University of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University and Christopher Newport University. She earned her PhD in Public Policy and Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University, a Master of Public Administration degree from VCU and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Virginia.
Prior to entering academia, she served the public in professional positions in the mental health field as Services Coordinator for Cobb and Douglas County Board of Health; consultant for the Kennedy Institute in Washington and Center for Community Development in Maryland; and Director of Residential Services for Rock Creek Foundation of Maryland and Butler County Pennsylvania.
Her research interests include administrative ethics and immigration policy, cyber-service in the public sphere, and empirical assessment of moral reasoning. Her research has been published in Human Resource Management Review, Public Administration Quarterly, Journal of Public Affairs Education, Ethics & Behavior and Public Integrity.
David R. Hayes, Ph. D.
Assistant Professor of International Relations
Troy Online
dhayes@troy.edu
Telephone: 1-910-286-1871
Research
Areas of Interest: International Political Economy, International Relations Theory, International Power, and Terrorism
Biography
Dr Hayes grew up in NJ and attended Drew University as an undergrad. While in college, he also joined the Army National Guard and then participated in Army ROTC at Seton Hall University. He was branched in to the Field Artillery and assigned to the Field Artillery Training Center at Fort Sill, OK from 1986-1989. He left active duty to pursue a PhD. at the University of Rochester (1989-1993) and continued to serve in the Army National Guard with the 209th FA Brigade until 1993. He studied at the Hoover Institution at Stanford before being hired by, then, Troy State University in 1995 to teach under contract at the John F Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School. When that contract was terminated in 2001, he continued to teach online and at the Fayetteville, NC site.
Alexis Henshaw, Ph. D.
Associate Professor of Political Science
321A McCall Hall (MSCX)
Troy, AL 36082
ahenshaw@troy.edu
Research
Research Interests: civil wars, gender issues in international politics, and post-conflict transitions in Latin America
Biography
ALEXIS HENSHAW is an Assistant Professor at Troy University. Her research
interests include civil wars, gender issues in international politics, and post-conflict
transitions in Latin America. She is the author of Why
Women Rebel: Understanding Women’s Participation in Armed Rebel Groups (Routledge,
2017) and co-author of Insurgent Women: Female Combatants in Civil Wars (Georgetown
University Press, 2019). Her
research has appeared in Journal of Global
Security Studies, International Feminist Journal of Politics
and a variety of other peer-reviewed outlets. Dr. Henshaw has also written for The
Conversation and The Monkey Cage, the political blog of The Washington
Post. She received her Ph.D. in Political Science from the
University of Arizona.
Thomas Kolasa, Ph. D.
Assistant Professor of Political Science
312G McCall Hall (MSCX)
Troy, AL 36082
tskolasa@troy.edu
Telephone: 1-334-808-6507
Research
Areas of Interest: Comparative Politics, American Politics, Political Theory
Biography
Originally from a suburb of Detroit, MI, received a dual BA in Political Science & History at the University of Michigan in 1990. Dr. Kolasa went on to receive his Ph.D. in Political Science (Comparative, American, Theory) at Washington University in St. Louis MO in 1999. After graduating, he did research and taught for many years in the St. Louis area before moving to Montgomery, AL. Dr. Kolasa joined Troy University in 2007, and has since obtained tenure and teach at the Troy and Online campuses.
Dayna McDaniel, Ph. D.
Senior Lecturer of Public Administration
Troy Online
dmcdaniel@troy.edu
Research
Areas of interest: Public Health and Personnel Management
Biography
Ph.D., Public Administration, University of Alabama
Dr. Dayna McDaniel holds a Doctorate in Public Administration from the University of Alabama, an M.S. in Management, and a B.S. in Political Science.
Academic Experience: College instructor since 1990, Full-time instructor for Troy University teaching research methods, public personnel, and public health courses. Dr. McDaniel has taught as adjunct Professor for UWF, Embry Riddle, Barry University, OWCC, St Leo, and other colleges in Management Graduate and Undergraduate, Health Service Administration, and Public Administration. Her academic research has been in the areas of instructor online training and better communication with online students and advising online. She also has developed several internal organizations for the faculty and students use in which led to published articles as well as consulting with other departments and other educational institutions on the models.
Public Administration Experience; Dr. Dr. McDaniel began her political science career as an White House intern for the White House News Summary Office at White House Washington DC under the Reagan Administration and later became a Legislative Aid for Florida State House of Representatives in the Panhandle. Dr. McDaniel also had local county employment experience with her teaching career that began as an elementary (1-2nd Grade) and high school (algebra) teacher at Riverside, CA.
Military Career Experience: In Dr. McDaniel's military career, she is a retired Lt. Colonel in the Air Force Reserve Hospital Administrator (last assigned to HQ Air Force Special Operations Surgeon's office, Hurlburt Field) as the augmenter for the Command's Health Service Administrator. Lt. Col. McDaniel's past assignments are as follows: Mission Coordinator for Humanitarian Civic Action Missions in South America for the 919 Medical Squadron and Medical Readiness Officer, interim Squadron Hospital Administrator for the 919 Medical Squadron, Air Evacuation Operations officer for "live" patient missions on flying status for 68 Air Evacuation Squadron Norton AFB, CA (several patient evacuation missions accomplished throughout the European and Pacific theater); Director of Personnel for the 414 Medical Squadron, March AFB, CA.
Daniel A. Pinkston, Ph. D.
Lecturer of International Relations
51 FSS/FSDE
APO AP 96278-2065
dapinkston@troy.edu
Telephone: 011-82-2-7913-7508
Research
Areas of Interest: Politics, security, and political economy of Northeast Asia; authoritarian politics; North Korea, WMD proliferation.
Biography
Ph.D. International Affairs, University of California, San Diego
Adam G. Rutkowski, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Political Science
329 McCall Hall (MSCX)
Troy, AL 36082
arutkowski@troy.edu
Telephone: (334) 670-3754
Research
Areas of interest: American politics, judicial politics, federal judicial selection and behavior, separation of powers.
Biography
B.A., Political Science, Augusta University
Ph.D., Political Science & International Affairs, The University of Georgia
Dr. Adam G. Rutkowski is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Troy University. He teaches courses on American government, judicial process, and constitutional law. Originally from Thomson, GA, Dr. Rutkowski earned a BA in Political Science from Augusta University in Augusta, GA, and a PhD in Political Science & International Affairs from the The University of Georgia (American Politics, Political Methodology).
At Troy, Dr. Rutkowski serves as the Pre-Law Advisor for Political Science majors and as an advisor for Troy's Accelerated Law program. He is also the faculty advisor for the Pre-Law Society.
Dr. Rutkowski's research encompasses American politics, with a special focus on the judicial branch. He is particularly interested in federal judicial selection and behavior. His research has appeared in Open Judicial Politics, Politics, Groups, & Identities, and Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics.
Clifton Sherrill, Ph. D.
Professor of International Relations
18 FSS/FSDE
APO, AP 96368-5134
csherrill@troy.edu
Research
Areas of Interest: Strategic studies; National security; Nuclear strategy; Iranian
politics; Japanese defense policy
Biography
Ph.D., International Relations, Florida State University
M.S., Defense & Strategic Studies, Missouri State University
J.D., University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law
Dr. Sherrill is a Marine Corps veteran, a member of the Florida Bar, and a former counterterrorism analyst with the FBI. He is the author of Losing Legitimacy: The End of Khomeini's Charismatic Shadow and Regional Security and has published in numerous academic journals including Comparative Strategy, Orbis, Nonproliferation Review, Asian International Studies Review, Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs, Middle East Policy, Strategic Insights, and Asian Affairs: An American Review. Dr. Sherrill teaches a variety of national security courses in Troy's graduate International Relations program.
Michael O. Slobodchikoff, Ph.D.
Professor of Political Science
334 McCall Hall (MSCX)
Troy, AL 36082
mslobodchikoff@troy.edu
Telephone: (334) 670-5926
spectrum.troy.edu/mslobodchikoff
Research
Areas of Interest: Russia, Former Soviet Union, International Cooperation, Networks, International Law, Security, International Conflict
Biography
Ph.D., Political Science, University of Arizona
Michael O. Slobodchikoff, PhD, Professor of Political Science, is founding director of the Center for Eastern and Central European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies at Troy University. Among his many books are: India as Kingmaker: Status Quo or Revisionist Power; Building Hegemonic Order Russia's Way; Cultural Imperialism and the Decline of the Liberal Order: Russian and Western Soft Power in Eastern Europe (with G. Doug Davis); and the co-edited volume, The Challenge to NATO: Global Security and the Atlantic Alliance. Dr. Slobodchikoff is a leading expert on treaty networks and the creation of global and regional order. He specializes in Russian security, international conflict, and peace. He is a regular contributor to BBC World News and Asharq Al-Awsat News.
Brandon Stewart, Ph. D.
Assistant Professor of Political Science
132E McCall Hall (MSCX)
Troy, AL 36082
bstewart169746@troy.edu
Telephone: 1-334-808-6798
Research
Research Interests: Ethnic Politics, Political Violence, East European Politics, and African Politics
Biography
Brandon Stewart is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Troy University. Dr. Stewart received his PhD in Political Science from the University of North Texas. His primary research interests include Ethnic Politics, Political Violence, East European Politics, and African politics. You can find his research published in journals such as Nationalism and Ethnic Politics and Social Science Quarterly.
Feng Sun, Ph. D.
Associate Professor of International Relations
312D McCall Hall (MSCX)
Troy, AL 36082
fsun57924@troy.edu
Telephone: 1-334-808-6288
Biography
Dr. Sun is an associate professor of Political Science at Troy University. She received her MS in Statistics, MA and Ph.D. in political science from the University of Alabama. Her research interests include contemporary Chinese politics, foreign direct investment, and development in developing countries.
Steven L. Taylor, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Arts & Sciences-Troy Campus Professor of International Relations
115 MSCX
Troy Campus
Research
Research Interests: democratic institutions, parties, and elections in a comparative context with a geographical focus on Latin America
Biography
Ph.D., Government, University of Texas at Austin
Steven L. Taylor earned his BA in Political Science from the University of California, Irvine in 1990 and his Ph.D. in Government from the University of Texas at Austin in 1996. He joined the faculty of then Troy State University in 1998, serving in a faculty role and eventually as Chair of the Political Science Department until his appointment as Dean of Arts and Sciences in March of 2016. His main areas of academic expertise are those of democratic institutions, parties, and elections in a comparative context with a geographical focus on Latin America. He is the author of Voting amid Violence: Electoral Democracy in Colombia (Northeastern University Press, 2009) as well as articles, book chapters, and reference entries on Colombian politics. His most recent book is A Different Democracy: American Government in a Thirty-One Country Perspective (Yale, 2014) which he co-authored with Matthew S. Shugart, Arend Lijphart and Bernard Grofman.