About PSIA

The Department of Political Science & International Affairs (PSIA) currently offers six undergraduate degrees and two graduate degrees in the areas of political science, international affairs, and strategic and security studies. We also offer minors in International Affairs, Political Science, and Public Administration & Public Service. We currently have students enrolled in our various degree programs across UNG’s five campuses, assisted in their academic careers by a diverse corps of full-time faculty members, all with advanced degrees in their respective fields and dedicated to supporting each student’s academic growth via research and practicum opportunities. While a student can start his or her academic career at any of the five campuses, certain degrees are unique to a particular campus.

Our Political Science program (both Bachelor of Science and Associate’s) focuses on the study of government and political processes, institutions, and behavior. Students can choose to complete their bachelor’s degree with their choice of minor program or complete a concentration in American politics or pre-Law. An important part of the program is participation in an internship program. In addition to traditional brick and mortar classroom opportunities, our Bachelor of Science in Political Science and our Associate’s degree in Political Science can be pursued completely online.

Our International Affairs Bachelor of Arts program offers students the opportunity for in-depth study on one of four regions of the world: East Asia, Europe, Latin America, or North Africa & Middle East. This degree program provides the opportunity to study and intern internationally.

The Strategic and Security Studies Bachelor of Arts program seeks to prepare the next generation of Army and civilian leaders in understanding and navigating America’s future strategic challenges. Students choose from among seven areas of concentration: Cyber-Security, Geo-spatial Intelligence, History, Intelligence, International Affairs, Language and Military Science.

In addition to our undergraduate degrees, the department also offers two fully on-line graduate degrees. The Master of Arts in International Affairs (MAIA) program is designed to impart an advanced understanding of world politics and further a student's academic and professional career through a strong theoretical and analytical understanding of issues that drive the international system. The Master of Public Administration (MPA) program features a curriculum designed to enhance theoretical and practical skills in the areas of public policy and public administration. All courses in our graduate programs are developed and taught by full-time faculty members who hold terminal degrees and have active research agendas.

Contact PSIA

Craig Greathouse
Craig Greathouse, Ph.D.Profile page

Professor & Department Head

Phone706-864-1869

Office locationHansford Hall, 328, Dahlonega

Area(s) of Expertise: Security and Defense Policy, European Politics

Raluca Viman-Miller
Raluca Viman-Miller, Ph.D.Profile page

Associate Professor & Associate Department Head

Phone678-717-3491

Office locationStrickland Academic, 159, Gainesville

Area(s) of Expertise: Comparative Politics, International Relations, European Politics

 

For information or questions, you can also reach out to polsia-dah@ung.edu

Carl Cavalli
Carl Cavalli, Ph.D.Profile page

Professor

Phone706-864-1872

faculty.ung.edu/ccavalli/

Office locationHansford Hall, 338, Dahlonega

Area(s) of Expertise: American National Institutions, Political Parties, Elections

Bibek Chand
Bibek Chand, Ph.D. Profile page

Associate Professor

Phone678-717-3872

bibekchand.com

Office locationStrickland Academic, 148, Gainesville

Area(s) of Expertise: Security studies, Sino-Indian relations, small states in international politics, geopolitics

Luisa Diaz-Kope
Luisa Diaz-Kope, Ph.D.Profile page

Associate Professor

Phone706-864-1699

Office locationHansford Hall, 311, Dahlonega

Area(s) of Expertise: Collaboration and Watershed Grassroots Protection

Douglas Ealey
Douglas Ealey, Ph.D., M.Div.Profile page

Professor

Phone678-717-3690

Office locationStrickland Academic, 152, Gainesville

Area(s) of Expertise: American Government, Religion, Religion and Politics, Leadership, and Conflict Management and Mediation

Joseph Gershtenson
Joseph Gershtenson, Ph.D.Profile page

Assistant Professor

Phone706-864-1757

Office locationBarnes Hall, 123, Dahlonega

Area(s) of Expertise: Authoritarianism and anti-democratic attitudes; Incivility in American politics; Political polarization; American elections

Marie Goodall
Marie Goodall, M.P.A.Profile page

Principal Lecturer

Phone706-864-1628

Office location Dahlonega

Area(s) of Expertise: Public Administration

Cristian Harris
Cristian Harris, Ph.D.Profile page

Professor

M.A.I.A. Program Coordinator

Phone706-867-3251

Office locationHansford Hall, 316, Dahlonega

Area(s) of Expertise: International Political Economy, Comparative Global Development, Latin American Politics, Global Governance

Jing He
Jing He, Ph.D.Profile page

Assistant Professor

Phone706-864-1804

Office locationHansford Hall, 319, Dahlonega

Area(s) of Expertise: Policy innovation and diffusion; Risk and risk management; Gender issues (such as gender equality); Big data and Public Administration

Charlene Hudson
Charlene Hudson, M.P.A.Profile page

Senior Lecturer

Phone678-717-3552

Office locationStrickland Academic, 209, Gainesville

Area(s) of Expertise: Public Administration, Nonprofit Organizations, U.S. Government, State and Local Government

Jaimie Kelly
Jaimie Kelly, Ph.D.Profile page

Assistant Professor

Phone706-864-1916

Office locationHansford Hall, 317, Dahlonega

Area(s) of Expertise: Public Administration, Networks, Organizational Theory

Scott D McDonald
Scott D McDonald, Ph.D.Profile page

Assistant Professor

Phone706-864-1523

Office locationBarnes Hall, 121, Dahlonega

Area(s) of Expertise: National Security; International Relations; Chinese Philosophy; Foreign Policy of the People’s Republic of China; Indo-Pacific Security

Edward Mienie
Edward Mienie, Ph.D.Profile page

Executive Director, Strategic Studies Program & Partnerships and Professor of Strategic & Security Studies

Phone706-867-4465

Office locationHansford Hall, 314, Dahlonega

Area(s) of Expertise: Strategic & Security Studies; State Fragility; Why Nations Fail

Jonathan Miner
Jonathan Miner, J.D.; Ph.D.Profile page

Professor

Phone706-867-2578

Office locationHansford Hall, 331, Dahlonega

Area(s) of Expertise: U.S. Foreign Policy, Middle East Politics, International Law

Elliot Montagano
Elliot Montagano, Ph.D. Profile page

Assistant Professor

Phone706-864-1782

Office locationBarnes Hall, 125, Dahlonega

Area(s) of Expertise: History of Political Philosophy; Modern Political Philosophy; Enlightenment Thought; Jean-Jacques Rousseau; Civic Education

Larry Morton
Larry Morton, MIPPProfile page

Part-Time Communications Assistant

Office locationHansford Hall, 304, Dahlonega

Area(s) of Expertise: International Affairs / Security Studies

Christopher Newkirk
Christopher Newkirk, M.A.Profile page

Administrative Assistant IV

Phone706-864-1628

Office locationHansford Hall, 304, Dahlonega

Stephen Northam
Stephen Northam, DPAProfile page

Senior Lecturer

Phone678-632-2401

Office location Cumming Academic Building, 1222, Cumming

Area(s) of Expertise: Public Administration, Complexity/Network Theory, Organizational/Group Behavior

Nathan Price
Nathan Price, Ph.D.Profile page

Associate Professor

Phone706-946-5475

Office locationBuilding A, 111, Blue Ridge

Area(s) of Expertise: Populism, the European Union, Voting behavior in Western Europe and the United States

Sam Rohrer
Sam Rohrer, Ph.D.Profile page

Associate Professor

Phone706-864-1927

Office locationHansford Hall, 315, Dahlonega

Area(s) of Expertise: Secession, Maritime Crime, Terrorism, and Leadership Style and Trait Analysis

Ted Rossier
Ted Rossier, J.D.; Ph.D.Profile page

Lecturer

Phone706-310-6265

Office locationStudent Resource Center, 540, Oconee

Area(s) of Expertise: Public Law, Interest Groups, Bureaucracy, American Political Development

Seyed Hamid Serri
Seyed Hamid Serri, Ph.D.Profile page

Associate Professor

Phone706-867-4526

Office locationHansford Hall, 313, Dahlonega

Area(s) of Expertise: Strategic & Security Studies, Foreign Policy Analysis, Quantitative & Qualitative Text Analysis, Middle Eastern Politics

Glen Smith
Glen Smith, Ph.D.Profile page

Professor

Phone706-310-6324

Office locationStudent Resource Center, 599, Oconee

Area(s) of Expertise: Media, Political Psychology, Research Methods

Laurel Wei
Laurel Wei, Ph.D.Profile page

Associate Professor

Phone706-867-2143

Office locationHansford Hall, 318, Dahlonega

Area(s) of Expertise: International relations of East Asia; Chinese foreign policy; US-China relations; and politics on the Korean Peninsula

Eric Wilk
Eric Wilk, Ph.D.Profile page

Assistant Professor

Phone678-717-3704

Office locationStrickland Academic, 210, Gainesville

Area(s) of Expertise: American Politics and Empirical Methods

Charles (Trey)  Wilson
Charles (Trey) Wilson, J.D.; Ph.D.Profile page

Professor

Phone678-717-3909

Office locationStrickland Academic, 106, Gainesville

Area(s) of Expertise: Early American Law and Legal History, History of women's higher education

Dwight Wilson
Dwight Wilson, Ph.D.Profile page

Associate Professor

Phone678-717-3936

Office locationStrickland Academic, 158, Gainesville

Area(s) of Expertise: Latin American Politics, Political Theory