Politics / Political Science

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Adrienne E. Christiansen, Associate Professor and Chair, Political Science, Macalester College

Christiansen studies political communication/rhetoric. Her scholarly efforts have focused on the language of war and the rhetoric of social movements. Most recently, she has been drawn to visual persuasion, particularly as manifested in political editorial cartoons and in the role political monuments play in maintaining conflict in Cyprus.

She received her B.A. and M.A. from Kansas University, and her Ph.D. in Speech Communication from the University of Minnesota. Christiansen has been at Macalester since 1990.

Barbara Laskin, Media Relations, Macalester College, (651) 696-6451, laskin@macalester.edu

Julie Dolan, Associate Professor, Political Science, Macalester College

Dolan is interested in women and politics, presidential campaigns and elections. She is currently working on a book about Senator Hillary Clinton.  Her research and teaching interests include bureaucratic politics, women and politics, public policy, research methods and Congress.

She has published articles in a variety of journals, including PS: Political Science and Politics, Public Administration Review, the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Women & Politics, and the Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics. Dolan received her B.A .in Political Science from St. Olaf College and received her Ph.D. in Political Science from American University.

Barbara K. Laskin, Media Relations Manager, Macalester College, 651-696-6451, laskin@macalester.edu

Chris Gilbert, Professor of Political Science, Gustavus Adolphus College

Gilbert’s areas of expertise include American politics and elections, religion and politics, political parties, research methods, Minnesota politics. With the Republican National Convention coming to St. Paul, an upcoming election, and rumors of Tim Pawlenty being a candidate for the Vice Presidency, Gilbert is a timely source.

Gilbert received his B.A. from Moravian College and his Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis. He has authored four books including his latest, The Political Influence of American Churches. He has offered political analysis in the past for MPR, WCCO radio, the Star Tribune, and the Pioneer Press.

Matt Thomas, Media Relations Manager, Gustavus Adolphus College, 507-933-7510, mthomas@gustavus.edu

Stacey Hunter Hecht, Department Chair/Associate Professor of Political Science, Bethel University

Hunter Hecht’s areas of expertise include Social Policy, Cosmopolitanism, Citizenship & Immigration Policy, and Religion and Politics. Hunter Hecht has been a frequent political contributor on TPT’s “Almanac” this year.

Amanda Wanke, Director of Media and Internal Communications, Bethel University, 651-638-6266, a-wanke@bethel.edu

Mary Jo McGuire, Faculty member, Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership and Political Science, College of St. Catherine

McGuire’s areas of expertise include ethics and leadership, public policy and current issues. Consulting in public policy, advocacy, leadership and non-profit board management, Maguire co-founded MJ2 Group, a bi-partisan consulting company. She served fourteen years as a state representative in the Minnesota Legislature.

Maguire earned a B.A. in Business Administration from the College of St. Catherine, a J.D. from Hamline University School of Law, and an M.A. in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Julie Michener, Media Relations Manager, College of St. Catherine, www.stkate.edu, 651-690-6521, 651-253-8931, jcmichener@stkate.edu

James H. Read, Professor of Political Science, College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University, 320-363-5239, jread@csbsju.edu

In 1992, Read was a candidate for the Minnesota House of Representatives in District 14A. He is author of an upcoming book titled Doorstep Democracy: Face-to-Face Politics in the Heartland (University of Minnesota Press, 2008) where he demonstrates how conversations between citizens concerned about their communities can get us beyond the television ads, mass mailings and sound bites to rejuvenate American democracy.

Read has been a professor at CSB and SJU since 1988. He received an A.B. degree from the University of Chicago and a M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University.

Michael Hemmesch, Director of Media Relations, Saint John’s University, 320-363-2595, mhemmesch@csbsju.edu

Andy Aoki, Augsburg College

Political Science professor Aoki is finishing a book on immigrants’ effects on electoral politics.

David Warch, Assoc. VP, Marketing and Communications, (612) 330-1482, warch@augsburg.edu

Fisher is researching how media at the New York Times and the London Times portray the twin cities in their respective newspapers. She is particularly interested in how the media coverage around the RNC will portray the Twin Cities.

David Warch, Assoc. VP, Marketing and Communications, (612) 330-1482, warch@augsburg.edu

Joe Underhill-Cady, Augsburg College

Political Science professor Underhill-Cady teaches a class on Mississippi River politics — it includes having students canoeing down the river.

David Warch, Assoc. VP, Marketing and Communications, (612) 330-1482, warch@augsburg.edu

Daniel Hofrenning, Professor of Political Science, St. Olaf College, 507-786-3128 (w), 507-786-4665 (h), dhofrenn@stolaf.edu

U.S. politics, religion and politics, public policy

David Gonnerman, St. Olaf media relations, 507-786-3315, gonnermd@stolaf.edu

John Shockley, Assistant Professor, Political Science, Augsburg College

Shockley’s expertise lies in the areas of American Politics, campaigns and elections, ethics of campaigning and campaign finance reform.

David Warch, Assoc. VP, Marketing and Communications, (612) 330-1482, warch@augsburg.edu