Political Science Faculty and Adjunct News

Regina S. Axelrod has been continuing her research on the nuclear renaissance for the upcoming 4th edition of her co-edited book, GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT: LAW, INSTITUTION, and POLICY. She was the invited lecturer for “Environmental Policy in the Czech Republic,” graduate government program at the University of Higher Economics, Prague Czech Republic, October 30, 2012.

Michael Balboni founded Redland Strategies Inc., a full-service business development and government relations firm that specializes in crisis communication, homeland security, risk management, media relations, marketing, thought leader ship, disaster recovery and operations and strategic planning. In addition, Professor Balboni was appointed to the New York State Responds Commission. This commission is tasked with finding ways to ensure that New York State is ready to respond to future weather-related disasters.

Margaret Gray recently received the Adelphi chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa’s Academic Advisor Award. She is preparing for two conferences this semester, the Latin American Studies Association Congress and the Labor and Employment Relations Association Conference, where she will discuss her research on Hudson Valley farm workers. In addition, Professor Gray was interviewed for a WNYC (NYC’s NPR affiliate) broadcast about New York State farm workers.

Katie Laatikainen’s 491 page book The European Union and International Institutions: Performance, Policy, Power (co-edited with Knud Erik Joergensen, Aarhus University, Denmark) was published by Routledge in January 2013. She has just signed a contract to produce a two volume, 60 chapter Sage Handbook of European Foreign Policy together with several co-editors in Europe. During spring 2013, Professor Laatikainen will present a paper “Empires of Humanity: Paternalism of the US and the EU in Global Politics” (co-author Lisbeth Aggestam at the University of Bath, UK) at the International Studies Conference in San Francisco in April. At that conference she will also participate in a round table on Teaching International Organization at chair a panel on IO Performance. In May, Professor Laatikainen will present her paper “Making a Splash or Roiling the Waters: The Impact of the Lisbon Treaty for the EU at the UN” at the European Union Studies Association conference in Baltimore. She has also been invited as a keynote speaker on the Euro-crisis by a Pi Sigma Alpha Colloquium at the University of Bridgeport in April.

Traci Levy is serving as Interim Chairperson of the Political Science Department, Director of the Gender Studies minor, and the department’s representative to the Faculty  Senate. She also continues to work with the Collaboration Project, focusing on community building at Adelphi while working on social justice issues. This summer, she will begin research for an article manuscript examining how the creation of “military caregiver leave” significantly extends those eligible for work-related leave under Family & Medical  leave Act (FMLA) and affects the state’s role in defining and recognizing families.

Hugh A. Wilson received the Arthur L. Galub Award for The Best Paper by a Faculty Member, “The Framers, the Constitution and the Origins of American Political economy,” which was presented at the New York State Political Science Association’s Annual  conference, Albany, 2012.

Dr. Danielle Zach earned her doctorate from the CUNY Graduate Center on February 1. She is currently the lead researcher on a project analyzing the international response to maritime  piracy off the coast of Somalia. In addition, she is a senior researcher at the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies, where she is engaged on issues of global governance, particularly in the area of international peace and security. She recently presented a paper at the 2012 Northeastern Political Science Association (NPSA) on Irish America and the Northern Ireland conflict, which is part of a broader research agenda on the role of diasporas and civil wars.