Faculty & Staff

headshot of Dr. Tracy Roof
Dr. Tracy Roof
Associate Professor of Political Science
Chair, Department of Political Science
Specialties:
  • American political institutions
  • Legislative process
  • Public policy
  • Organized labor
  • Interest groups
Contact:
(804) 287-6044
headshot of Dr. Jennifer Bowie
Dr. Jennifer Bowie
Professor of Political Science
Specialties:
  • Judicial Politics
  • Judicial Decision Making
  • Federal Courts
  • Civil Rights and Liberties
  • Constitutional Law
  • American Politics
Contact:
804-484-1556
headshot of Dr. Dan Chen
Dr. Dan Chen
She/Her
Associate Professor of Political Science
Specialties:
  • Comparative Authoritarianism
  • Media Politics
  • Public Opinion
  • Chinese Politics
Contact:
(804) 289-8533
headshot of Dr. Kevin M. Cherry
Dr. Kevin M. Cherry
Associate Professor of Political Science
Specialties:
  • Classical Political Thought
  • American Political Thought
  • Contemporary Political Thought
  • History of Political Thought
  • Faction and Political Polarization
  • Religion and Politics
Contact:
(804) 287-6026
headshot of Dr. Monti Datta
Dr. Monti Datta
Associate Professor of Political Science
Adjunct Associate Professor, SPCS, Liberal Arts
Specialties:
  • Human Trafficking and Modern Day Slavery
  • Anti-Americanism and perceptions of the United States
  • The U.S.-European Transatlantic Gap
  • U.S. policy towards North Korea
Contact:
(804) 289-8531
headshot of Dr. Jennifer Erkulwater
Dr. Jennifer Erkulwater
Professor of Political Science
American Studies Advisory Board Member
Specialties:
  • Social Welfare Politics
  • Public Policy
  • American Politics
Contact:
(804) 287-6457
headshot of Dr. Sandra F. Joireman
Dr. Sandra F. Joireman
Weinstein Chair of International Studies
Professor of Political Science
Specialties:
  • Comparative Politics
  • International Development
  • Property Rights
  • Customary Law
  • Legal Development
  • Post-conflict Migration
Contact:
804-289-1757
headshot of Colin Kielty
Colin Kielty
Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Law (PPEL)
Specialties:
  • Democratic Theory
  • Voting and Elections
  • Media and Political Thought
Contact:
headshot of Dr. Jeff Legro
Dr. Jeff Legro
University Professor
Contact:
headshot of Dr. Stephen B. Long
Dr. Stephen B. Long
Associate Professor of Political Science and Global Studies
Global Studies Concentration Advisor: Politics and Governance
Specialties:
  • International rivalry
  • Political causes of military effectiveness
  • Reputation-building
  • Alliance politics
  • Nuclear proliferation
Contact:
(804) 484-1566
headshot of Dr. Claudio López-Guerra
Dr. Claudio López-Guerra
Associate Professor of Political Science and PPEL (Philosophy, Politics, Economics and Law)
Specialties:
  • Political philosophy
  • Democratic theory
  • Institutional design
  • Immigration ethics
Contact:
(804) 289-8530
headshot of Dr. Ernest B. McGowen III
Dr. Ernest B. McGowen III
Associate Professor of Political Science
Specialties:
  • Political behavior
  • Public opinion
  • Voting and Participation
  • Campaigns and elections
  • Race and ethnicity
  • Political methodology
Contact:
(804) 484-1627
headshot of Dr. Chris J. Miller
Dr. Chris J. Miller
Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science
Specialties:
  • American Politics
  • Public Policy
  • Environmental Policy
  • Constitutional Law
  • Civil Rights and Liberties
  • Politics of Climate Change
Contact:
(804) 289-8535
headshot of Dr. Daniel Palazzolo
Dr. Daniel Palazzolo
Professor of Political Science
Specialties:
  • American Government
  • Budget Policy and Politics
  • Congress
  • Campaigns and Elections
  • Virginia Government and Politics
Contact:
804-289-8973
headshot of Emilee Papa
Emilee Papa
Academic Administrative Coordinator
Contact:
(804) 289-8529
headshot of Dr. Ana Petrova
Dr. Ana Petrova
Visiting Assistant Professor
Specialties:
  • Political Parties and Institutions
  • Latin American Politics
  • European Politics
  • Comparative Political Economy
  • International Political Economy
Contact:
headshot of Dr. Jennifer Pribble
Dr. Jennifer Pribble
Professor of Political Science and Global Studies
Global Studies Concentration Advisor: Politics and Governance
Specialties:
  • Latin American Politics
  • Comparative Political Economy
  • Comparative Welfare States
  • Comparative Politics
  • Political Parties
Contact:
(804) 289-8532
headshot of Dr. Stephen Simon
Dr. Stephen Simon
Associate Professor of Political Science and Philosophy, Politics, Economics and Law (PPEL)
Specialties:
  • Constitutional Law
  • Legal and Political Theory
  • Universal Rights
  • Natural Law and Philosophy
  • The American Judiciary
Contact:
(804) 287-6626
headshot of Dr. Aleksandra Sznajder Lee
Dr. Aleksandra Sznajder Lee
Professor of Political Science
Specialties:
  • Comparative politics
  • Comparative political economy
  • European politics
  • Postcommunist transitions
Contact:
(804) 289-8095

Emeriti Faculty

headshot of Dr. Sheila Carapico
Dr. Sheila Carapico
Professor of Political Science and Global Studies, Emerita
Specialties:
  • Middle East Studies
  • Comparative and International Politics
  • International Development Policy
Contact:
(804) 484-1472
headshot of Dr. Richard Dagger
Dr. Richard Dagger
E. Claiborne Robins Distinguished Chair in the Liberal Arts, Emeritus
Professor of Political Science and Philosophy, Politics, Economics and Law (PPEL)
Specialties:
  • Political and legal philosophy, with special interests in republicanism, political obligation, and the justification of punishment
Contact:
804-289-8530
headshot of Dr. Jimmy D. Kandeh
Dr. Jimmy D. Kandeh
Professor of Political Science, Emeritus
Specialties:
  • Comparative Politics
  • African Politics
Contact:
(804) 287-6458
headshot of Dr. Andrea Y. Simpson
Dr. Andrea Y. Simpson
Associate Professor of Political Science, Emerita
Specialties:
  • Race and Ethnicity
  • Gender
  • Political Communication
Contact:
(804) 289-8739