Political Science

Lori Carsen Kelly ’83 Visiting Assistant Professor

Dr. Lori Carsen Kelly graduated summa cum laude from Gustavus Adolphus College, earning her B.A. in 1983 with a major in Political Science and a minor in Psychology. She did her graduate studies at Columbia University where she was twice awarded a President's Fellowship. At Columbia University, she earned an M.A. in 1986, an M.Phil in 1988, and a Ph.D.…   (continue reading)

Janine Genelin Administrative Assistant

Mimi Gerstbauer Associate Professor

Dr. Mimi Gerstbauer is an Associate Professor of Political Science and serves as the Director of Peace Studies. Professor Gerstbauer teaches international relations courses, US foreign policy, Latin American politics, politics of developing nations, and introduction to Peace Studies. Her research interests include nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)…   (continue reading)

Christopher Gilbert Professor

Dr. Chris Gilbert, professor of political science, teaches courses on U.S. politics, religion and politics, political parties, research methods, state and local government, and a First Term Seminar on the Manhattan Project. His research interests focus on religion and politics in the United States, American third parties, and Minnesota politics. He…   (continue reading)

Katherine Knutson Assistant Professor

Dr. Kate Knutson earned her BA in Political Science and Sociology from Linfield College in Oregon, and earned her MA and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Washington in Seattle in 2005. Her primary areas of interest are American politics, political communication, and public policy, and her research focuses on the impact of religious…   (continue reading)

Richard Leitch Associate Professor

Dr. Richard Leitch earned his BA in East Asian Studies from Colby College in 1985, and went on to earn an MA in Asian Studies from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign after a two year career on Wall Street. He earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from Illinois in 1995, where he was the recipient of the Harriet and Charles Luckman Award…   (continue reading)

Jillian Locke Associate Professor, Chair

Dr. Jill Locke teaches a range of courses in the history of political thought and democratic theory. Her research interests lie in the moral elements of democracy. She is contributing co-editor of Feminist Interpretations of Alexis de Tocqueville (Pennsylvania State University Press, 2008). During the 2006-08 academic years, Dr. Locke was a faculty…   (continue reading)

Alisa Rosenthal Associate Professor

Professor Rosenthal studies political theory, reconciliation studies, constitutional law, and feminist theory. She has presented her research at numerous conferences including those sponsored by the American Political Science Association, the Western Political Science Association, and the Law and Society Association, and is completing work on two book…   (continue reading)

Michelle Sampson Visiting Instructor

Michelle Sampson earned her BA in History and Government from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY and her MA in International Political Economy and Development from Fordham Universityin New York City.  Her main areas of interest include international relations, multinational corporations and their effects on less devloped countries, population policies…   (continue reading)