Faculty & Staff

headshot of 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. Luai  Allarakia
Teaching Faculty in Political Science
Director of Quantitative Methods & Data Analysis

Specialties:
  • Formal Institutions and Legislatures in Authoritarian Regimes
  • Nationalism and Identity Formation
  • The politics of the Arabian Peninsula
  • The politics of Rentier States
Contact:
(804) 289-6803
headshot of Dr. Jennifer  Bowie
Associate 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
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
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. Dana  El Kurd
Assistant Professor of Political Science

Specialties:
  • Politics of the Middle East
  • Palestine
  • Repression
  • Authoritarianism
  • Protest
  • International Intervention
Contact:
(804)-289-6458
headshot of Dr. Jennifer  Erkulwater
Professor of Political Science

Specialties:
  • Social Welfare Politics
  • Public Policy
  • American Politics
Contact:
(804) 287-6457
headshot of 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
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
University Professor
Contact:
headshot of 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
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
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
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
Professor of Political Science

Specialties:
  • American Government
  • Budget Policy and Politics
  • Congress
  • Campaigns and Elections
  • Virginia Government and Politics
Contact:
804-289-8973
Academic Administrative Coordinator
Contact:
(804) 289-8529
headshot of 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
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
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
Associate 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
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
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
Professor of Political Science, Emeritus

Specialties:
  • Comparative Politics
  • African Politics
Contact:
(804) 287-6458
headshot of Dr. Andrea Y. Simpson
Associate Professor of Political Science, Emerita

Specialties:
  • Race and Ethnicity
  • Gender
  • Political Communication
Contact:
(804) 289-8739