Politics / Political Science

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Jillian Locke, Associate Professor of Political Science, Gustavus Adolphus College

Locke’s expertise is in the area of democratic theory, feminist theory, history of political thought, race and politics.

Locke holds a B.A. from Whitman College and an M.A. and Ph.D from Rutgers University. Her research interests lie in the moral elements of democracy. She currently teaches courses on race and politics, American political thought, and democratic principles.

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

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

Hofrenning is an expert in U.S. politics, public policy, and religion and politics.

Hofrenning, author of the book In Washington But Not Of It: The Prophetic Politics of Religious Lobbyists, teaches public policy and American politics. He most recently has been quoted by the New York Times and appeared on CNN’s Lou Dobbs program. He also has provided commentary for MPR, KARE-11 and FOX-9. His opinion pieces have appeared in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the St. Paul Pioneer Press and at MSNBC.com.

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

David E. Woodard, History/Political Science (department chair), Concordia University, St. Paul

Woodard is interested in the history of U.S. politics. He has studied and taught about presidential elections, parties, and campaigns throughout history. He remembers the first state election he followed: the 1966 senate contest in Illinois between Paul Douglas and Charles Percy. He has also done political commentary on several local television stations.

Woodard received a B.A. in both Political Science and History from Western Illinois University. He earned his M.A. from Southern Illinois University and a Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota in 1996. Woodard has been teaching at Concordia University since 1999.

Jill Johnson, Director of University Marketing & Communications, Concordia University, St. Paul, 651-641-8755, jjohnson@csp.edu

Nancy Zingale, Professor Emerita of Political Science, Retired Professor and former chair of Political Science Department, University of St. Thomas, 651-962-6928, nhzingale@stthomas.edu

Zingale's expertise is in the areas of elections, public opinion, political parties, survey research and polling.

Zingale has commented on elections for newspapers and radio and television stations, and has analyzed exit polls for NBC News. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota and is co-author of “Political Behavior of the American Electorate” (now in its 11th edition) and “Partisan Realignment: Voters, Parties and Government in American History.”

 Jim Winterer, St. Thomas News Service, 651-962-6404, jcwinterer@stthomas.edu

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

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