News

Chancellors Hall welcomed alums to their yearly Homecoming Brunch. The Government Department was happy to welcome back a record number of graduates and their families!

The Global Research Institute hosted a book launch for Professor Steve Hanson, Lettie Pate Evans Professor of Government. His new book, co-authored with Professor Jeff Kopstein, was just released.

In her major economic speech last month, Vice President Kamala Harris declared that “building up the middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency, because I strongly believe when the middle class is strong, America is strong.” Professor Chris Howard argues that dealing with the problems of poor American also should be a priority. Read more in his opinion piece published to "The Hill" website.

This past May 2024, after decades of dedication to William & Mary, Professors Clay Clemens and Sue Peterson, two of the Government Department’s most beloved professors, retired. Known throughout the broader W&M community, Professors Clemens and Peterson have made incredible contributions to the College and the lives of countless students and coworkers.

Six professors have been awarded Reves and Drapers' Faculty Fellowships for international research in 2024.

Five Honors students competed for the inaugural Barr Prize in public speaking in the Charles Center's "Thesis in Three" event held as a part of the Graduate & Honors Research Symposium March 22 in Sadler.

More than 80 undergraduates have applied for Charles Center Honors Fellowships for summer ’24, marking surging interest in a program that provides up to $4,000 to rising seniors to conduct ten full-time weeks of research.

In the Fall 2023 semester, several Government Department students were inducted into Phi Beta Kappa Honor Alpha Society. The Alpha Chapter of Virginia was founded in 1776 and is the nation’s oldest and largest academic honor society. Please congratulate the following students: Dylan Abrokwa-Jassor, Caleb Fulford, Mujia (Ariana) He, Sa’nia Heckstall, Andrew Hoffman, Johanna Pellegrino, Daniel Posthumus, Aaron Tavel, Alison Trahan, Cecilia Weaver, Amy Weitzman, and Jonathan Wilkins These students should be commended for their outstanding academic achievements and unique contributions to their community.

The McGlennon Scholars are a small group of hand-picked students who are each pursuing an individual research project with funds provided by a generous, anonymous donor. Keep reading to learn about the scholars and their research endeavors.

Thanks to the vision and generosity of Dr. Carol Woody '71 and Robert Woody, William & Mary has been preparing undergraduates for careers in museums since the path-breaking Charles Center summer internship program launched in 2015.

Meg Schwenzfeier, Class of 2014, was recently appointed as Chief Analytics Officer for Biden's presidential campaign. She previously served as the Data and Analytics Director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Read about her new position in the attached Washington Post article.

The Government Department recently learned of the death of our former colleague, David Dessler, in April 2023 in Bryan, Texas. He was an extremely kind, generous, and charming person who always went out of his way to welcome new faculty members to the department and college.

Last semester, a senior seminar class had the unique opportunity to learn from Professor Stiefel, the Director for Biodefense on the National Security Council. The course was entitled "Politics of Global Health," and after accumulating knowledge over the semester, students traveled to DC for their final, which was a tabletop simulation modeled on the work of the NSC.

Professor Christopher Howard shares his opinion with CNN on the overlooked problem with raising the retirement age for Social Security.

The Alpha of Virginia Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa held their annual John D. Rockefeller Jr. Faculty Awards on March 8, 2023. This year, the Government Department received two awards for excellence.

Professor Jeff Kaplow recently published his new book on nuclear weapons and proliferation.

The Department of Government recently learned of the death of Professor Emeritus of Government Roger Smith on November 28, 2022. Roger attended Harvard University before receiving his MA and PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. He joined the faculty of William & Mary in 1967 and taught for 34 years before retiring in 2001.

The Department of Government welcomes Professor Mark Deming and thanks him for taking the time to speak with us.

Dr. John McGlennon was featured in a recent article related to WalletHub's recent study about the Best Cities for St. Patrick Day's Celebrations.

Paul Manna, the Director of Public Policy and Hyman Professor of Government, was recently interviewed by WHRO Public Media.

Professor Fiona Shen-Bayh discusses her new book, Undue Process, which examines political justice and judicial repression in Africa, specifically focusing on how autocrats weaponize the judiciary to stay in control.

The Government Department's Diversity Committee recently selected students to serve as Student Diversity Fellows for the department. They spoke to us regarding their experiences as Diversity Fellows.

With the mid-terms just around the corner, we asked Professor John McGlennon to evaluate the important races and issues that define the upcoming election cycle.

Professor Howard spoke with “No Jargon: Scholar Strategies Network” about the safety net provided by the U. S. government and other organizations to help bring relief to the millions of Americans who are poor, food insecure, housing cost-burdened, or medically uninsured. How comprehensive is this social safety net? What strategies exist to improve its effectiveness?

Professor Fiona Shen-Bayh’s new book "Undue Process: Persecution and Punishment in Autocratic Courts" examines political justice and judicial repression in Africa, specifically focusing on how autocrats weaponize the judiciary to stay in control.

Professors Carlson and Settles’ new book, "What Goes Without Saying: Navigating Political Discourse in America", published by Cambridge University Press, examines why political conversations are uncomfortable for so many people.

Dr. Claire McKinney was featured in a recent article related to WalletHub's recent study about the Best States for Women's Equality.

Dr. Allison Anoll ‘09, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Vanderbilt University, and Dr. Drew Engelhardt ‘13, Assistant Professor of Political Science at University of North Carolina, Greensboro, received the 2022 ISPP award for their paper, “A Drop in the Ocean: How Priors Anchor Attitudes Toward the American Carceral State.” Their award-winning ISPP conference paper, currently under review for publication, helps to explain both race and gender gaps in evaluations of the police, prisons, and American court system.

The faculty, staff, and students of the Department of Government are saddened to learn of the death of Zhykierra (“Zhy”) Guy ’23. On August 5th, Zhy was found in Henrico in the passenger seat of a car that had been struck by gunfire. Her death is being investigated as a homicide.

Dr. Kelebogile Zvobgo, an Assistant Professor of Government at William & Mary and the founder and director of the International Justice Lab (IJL), won the 2022 Craig L. Brians Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research and Mentorship from the American Political Science Association.

International Justice Lab (IJL) Fellows published articles in Foreign Policy and Washington Post.

ABC News Live and CTV News interviewed Government Professor Kelebogile Zvobgo, founder and director of the International Justice Lab, on alleged violations of international law by Russia in Ukraine.

Government Department Diversity Fellow, Martha Tyler '23, was accepted to the Ralph Bunche Summer Institute.

On March 16, 2022, foreignpolicy.com published an article written by three Government Department faculty, an alum, and a current student.

Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett Packard, visited campus on February 16, 2022, to discuss the 2022 Beijing Olympics and its connection to the state of US-China business.

Government student Salaar Khan '24 testified in front of the Supreme Court of Virginia over winter break.

Professor Dennis Smith was recently quoted in a Newsweek article.

In an op-ed for The Hill (January 26, 2022), Chris Howard, the Harriman Professor of Government & Public Policy, highlighted the hybrid design of Build Back Better. It is financed like public assistance but distributes benefits widely like social insurance. If advocates want Build Back Better to have a fighting chance in the Senate, they need to explain why the country should adopt this new approach to social policy. You can read the piece on The Hill website.

In a January 20, 2022 letter to the editor of The New York Times, Associate Professor of Government Rani Mullen argues that the choice between collaborating with the Taliban and facilitating Afghanistan’s collapse is a false one; the United States should pursue a more nuanced foreign policy that includes targeting Taliban leaders who are terrorists while providing humanitarian assistance. You can read her letter on The New York Times website.

Chris Howard, the Harriman Professor of Government & Public Policy, wrote an opinion piece for the Richmond Times-Dispatch on how the Build Back Better Act addresses the lack of affordable housing.

Several times a month, the Government Department invites guests to talk about their latest research and publications. Professor Kelebogile Zvobgo has brought numerous guests to speak at the colloquium.

In a recent report, W&M Director of Public Policy Paul Manna examines how state governments can help school districts produce a larger selection of effective principals.

Student Fellows yield a new kind of rich and productive dialogue to the Government Department's diversity and inclusion.

The Government Department's Diversity Committee recently hired five students to serve as Student Diversity Fellows for the department. They spoke to us regarding their experiences as Diversity Fellows.

W&M students Cody Armstrong ’22 and Max Berckmueller ’23 immersed themselves in every department during nine-week internship with City of Williamsburg.

The vision for William & Mary’s new Democracy Initiative is succinct: “W&M aspires to be a place where respectful dialogue takes place on challenging topics.”

Join our Tribefunding Campaign! On November 1, 2021, the Government Department began raising funds to support our new Student Diversity Fellows Program. Funds raised will be used to provide a stipend to each student fellow.

William & Mary Government Professor John McGlennon talks about recent polling numbers and the potential impact of Virginia’s statewide election.

Last year, five William & Mary alums were selected to participate in the 2021 Governor’s Fellows Program. The Department of Government at W&M had the pleasure of speaking with three of the five alums to discuss their experiences in the Fellowship program this past summer.

Professor Philip Roessler, Associate Chair of the Government Department and co-director of the Digital Inclusion and Governance Lab, spoke to ABC News about Facebook’s recent six-hour outage and its immense significance for our society.

Last year, five William & Mary alums were selected to participate in the 2021 Governor’s Fellows Program. The Department of Government at William & Mary is delighted to announce that all of them have accepted positions in the Office of the Governor, the administration, and within the Virginia State government.

Despite the raging fires consuming the western United States and the resurgence of COVID, the US is more polarized than ever, and it seems like the polarization will continue to worsen.

Dr. Stephen E. Hanson of the Government Department recently co-authored an opinion piece titled “Why can’t we mandate anything” with Dr. Jeffrey S. Kopstein for The Hill. In this article, Dr. Hanson and Dr. Kopstein describe the drive behind the resistance against the COVID vaccines and other COVID mandates as “[t]he resistance to standard health measures is part of a broad global decline in how people see the legitimacy of apolitical, rational state bureaucracies.”

Its first study, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, demonstrated the profound impact — but also the challenges — of reducing the smartphone gender gap in emerging economies.

Rani D. Mullen is an associate professor of government at William & Mary. Her research and teaching focus is on democratization and development in South Asia, and democracy and state building in India and Afghanistan in particular.

If Blackstone is a small pond, then Billy Coleburn ’90 is a big fish as both mayor of the 3,600-person Southside Virginia town and editor of the independently owned Courier-Record newspaper.

Dr. Paula Pickering, the Richard S. Perles Professor of Government, recently co-authored an article titled “Individualized Text Messages about Public Services Fail to Sway Voters: Evidence from a Field Experiment on Ugandan Elections” in the Journal of Experimental Political Science.

The Department of Government welcomes Dr. Kelebogile Zvobgo as its newest Assistant Professor and thanks Dr. Zvobgo for taking the time to speak with us.

Dr. Jaime Settle, Associate Professor of the Department of Government, spoke with NPR's All Things Considered on outrage politics as a business model. More specifically, the story focused on Ben Shapiro, a conservative podcast host, and the success and popularity his website, The Daily Wire, has found on Facebook.

If you walked inside the Chi Omega sorority house on a typical afternoon in the early 2000s, you probably would have seen sorority sisters gathered in pajamas on the couch with hot drinks and snacks, watching C-SPAN or White House press conferences.

Alison Larkin wins George Grayson Scholarship for Best Seminar Paper

Five William & Mary alumni have been selected to participate in the 2021 Governor’s Fellows Program June 1-July 31, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced recently.

It’s not uncommon for William & Mary’s Student Assembly to be staffed and led by women and men studying government. But few SA administrations have drawn more government students—or had an effect as welcome—as that led by government major Anthony “A.J.” Joseph ’21. His leadership, and that of his team, encouraged the university to rename several buildings on campus this academic year—including the Government Department’s home.

Following a consultative and thorough process established earlier this year, William & Mary’s Board of Visitors voted Friday to rename two campus buildings and name one campus structure to honor trailblazing alumni who helped open the door for marginalized people at both the university and beyond.

Emma Freiling Wins George Grayson Scholarship for Best Seminar Paper

Sharan Grewal is an assistant professor of government at William & Mary and a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution. His research examines democratization, religion, and civil-military relations in the Arab world, especially Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria.

A statement from William & Mary President Katherine A. Rowe and Provost Peggy Agouris in support of members of our Asian & Pacific Islander American community.

Dr. Kelebogile Zvobgo is the founder and director of the International Justice Lab (IJL) at William & Mary's Global Research Institute, which brings together faculty and students to conduct research on human rights, transitional justice, and international law and courts.

Put Racial Justice at Center of the Biden-Harris Transition Plan

The ICC says it can investigate Israel’s alleged war crimes in the Palestinian territories. Netanyahu and Biden object.

Foreign Policy Begins at Home

William & Mary alumni have a long history of service at the highest levels of government — a legacy stretching from George Washington (who received his surveyor’s license at William & Mary in 1749) to our current Chancellor, Bob Gates ’65, L.H.D. ’98, former Secretary of Defense.

W&M Associate Professor of Government Marcus Holmes has run more than 8,000 miles since joining online physical training program Zwift in 2018, an accomplishment that opened an opportunity for him to chat with British comedian/actor Eddie Izzard during a recent virtual marathon.

Established in 2009 by Joseph J. Plumeri II '66, D.P.S. '11, the Plumeri Awards for Faculty Excellence recognize and cultivate core virtues that distinguish outstanding faculty members and define excellence at William & Mary.

The Alumni Medallion is the highest award the Alumni Association can bestow on a graduate of William & Mary.

Government Professor Kelebogile Zvobgo wrote an op-ed for Foreign Policy in response to the January 6, 2021 siege on the U.S. Capitol.

In the wake of last week’s deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol, William & Mary News spoke with Timothy Zick, nationally recognized free speech expert and John Marshall Professor of Government and Citizenship at William & Mary Law School.

Earlier this month, Dalton Bennett '10, published a video about how exhalation patterns can carry virus particles and transmit COVID-19.

Professor Jaime Settle appears as guest on WHRV public media discussing conspiracy theories and misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines.

To better understand how politics play out online, W&M News spoke with Jaime Settle, associate professor of government at William & Mary. She is the director of the Social Networks and Political Psychology Lab and her book, Frenemies: How Social Media Polarizes America, was published by Cambridge University Press in 2018.

When the Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization for the first coronavirus vaccine, Operation Warp Speed’s distribution plans sprang into action — and so did two William & Mary alumni.

Read about our 2020 virtual homecoming event "Untangling the Train Wreck Government Faculty Discuss the Presidential Election."

When he started at W&M as a freshman with an interest in government, Aidan Gosset ’22 had no idea he’d end up creating his own major focused on education. It soon became his goal as he began taking classes within the interdisciplinary Minor in Educational Studies offered by the W&M School of Education.

Rebecca Green, co-director of W&M's Election Law Program, explains what comes next in the American democratic process.

Mullen was recently quoted in Sputnik International, in an article discussing the Indian-American community and its impact on elections in the United States.

Tanu Kumar joins Government as a Faculty Affiliate this fall, read on to learn about her research and experience.

W&M’s Teaching, Research and International Policy Project works overtime to inform public about critical international relations topics in lead up to election.

Norfolk Delegate Jay Jones, the Fall 2020 Baxter/Ward Fellow in Government at William & Mary, will present a virtual public lecture on “Inside Virginia’s Voter Rights Revolution: How the General Assembly Increased Access to the Ballot.”

Students, faculty, and staff are invited for an online conversation about the Presidential election, the legal issues in play, and possible outcomes.

Virtual Homecoming event, Untangling the Train Wreck: Govt. Faculty Discuss the Presidential Election.

On Monday, September 28, the Schroeder Center for Health Policy hosted a virtual panel for 30 students interested in pursuing a health policy career.

What’s it like to see William & Mary from both sides of the classroom — as a student and then as a faculty member? We spoke with alumni faculty members to see what it's like to come full circle.

Government Professors Peterson, Tierney & Maliniak publish a new book called Bridging the Theory-Practice Divide in International Relations. Book published by Georgetown University Press.

W&M Assistant Professor Mackenzie Israel-Trummel, who teaches a course on survey and polling analysis, says predicting the election outcome could be difficult under current circumstances.

In her award-winning paper, W&M student Megan Hogan ’21 examines the use of deepfake technology as a form of national defense. Now she plans to combat disinformation during the 2020 Presidential election.

Professor Mackenzie Israel-Trummel joins the Government Department faculty in time for the Fall 2020 semester.

William & Mary students and faculty have formalized and expanded several programs focusing on equity issues in the local community, and added new ones, with the establishment of the Social Justice Policy Initiative in the sociology department.

Read the current article by Professors Kelebogile Zvobgo (W&M) and Meredith Loken (UMass- Amherst) analyzing "Why Race Matters in International Relations," published this summer in Foreign Policy magazine.

Professor Phil Roessler + former students publish "Cash Crop Revolution, Colonialism and Legacies of Spatial Inequality: Evidence from Africa" via Centre for the Study of African Economies.

Government Department alumna, Maggie Dean, writes "Rising Tides of Terrorism" for the Foreign Policy Research Institute.