November 22, 2024

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Stephen Farnsworth’s Study Featured in National Media

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Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth’s study “News Coverage of New Presidents in The New York Times, 1981-2009” is referenced in several news articles, including in The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

Statistics and information from the study, co-authored by Farnsworth and George Mason University’s S. Robert Lichter, appear in the Sunday, April 22 article “A Hard Look at the President” in the New York Times and in the Monday, April 23 article “The 2012 Dogfight” in the Wall Street Journal.

 

Three Students Selected for Sorensen Institute Program

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University of Mary Washington students  Brendan Oudekerk, Meghan Hobbs and Sean Simons are among 18 college and university students selected for the summer 2012 College Leaders Program at the Sorensen Institute of Political Leadership.

Hobbs and Oudekerk are senior international affairs and political science and economics and political science majors, respectively, and Simons is a junior political science and political communication major.

The College Leaders Program (CLP) gives students the practical skills and political knowledge to become effective advocates in government and business. CLP curriculum is focused on energizing youth leaders, promoting civic engagement and preparing future leaders to be ethical and responsible citizens in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The four-week course is held over the summer on the University of Virginia grounds.

The Sorensen Institute was founded as the Virginia Institute of Political Leadership in 1993 in hopes it would identify and bring together Virginia’s emerging political leaders. More than 1,200 Virginian students have graduated from the Institute.

Stephen Farnsworth Presents Paper in Chicago

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Stephen J. Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, presented a co-authored paper entitled “The 2008 US Presidential Nomination Campaign on German and UK Television: Policy, Horserace and Character Coverage from Across the Atlantic”  at the April annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association in Chicago.

Elizabeth Larus’ New Book Available

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Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Freund Larus’ new book “Politics and Society in Contemporary China” is available through Lynne Rienner Publishers.

Elizabeth Larus begins with a broad sweep of China’s modern history—from the imperial era to the present—providing essential context for understanding the current political environment. She then makes sense of the dramatic political, social, and economic changes that have occurred across some six decades. The result is a rich and detailed analysis that is both thought-provoking and accessible, appropriate for students at all levels.

– excerpt from the publisher’s description

Stephen Farnsworth Co-Author of Research Article

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Stephen J. Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the university’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, is co-author of a refereed research article entitled, “The Structure of Scientific Opinion on Climate Change,” published in the Spring 2012 issue of the International Journal of Public Opinion Research.

Steve Farnsworth Featured in D.C.-area Media

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Steve Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the university’s Center for Media and Leadership Studies, published an op-ed in The Washington Post on Friday, March 2. The piece, “Virginia Belongs at the Top of the Presidential-Election Calendar,” argues that Virginia should be more integral to the presidential nomination process, since the Commonwealth more closely resembles a microcosm of the U.S.

On Monday, March 5, Farnsworth was quoted in the Associated Press article “Limbaugh Controversy Casts a Fresh Light on Conservative Media Stars’ Impact on GOP Politics.”

In the article “Romney’s Virginia Faceoff with Paul not Overwhelming” in the Tuesday, March 6 edition of The Washington Times, Farnsworth discusses Virginia’s “Super Tuesday” race.

Steve Farnsworth Featured in The Washington Post

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Steve Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies, is featured in the Thursday, Feb. 23 issue of The Washington Post. In the article “McDonnell, Virginia Republicans Back Off Mandatory Invasive Ultrasounds,” Farnsworth comments on Gov. McDonnell’s decision to remove support from a bill.

Farnsworth discusses a similar topic in an interview on WAMU 88.5’s “The Kojo Nnamdi Show.” The Thursday, Feb. 23 segment, “Reversal in Virginia,” discusses the implications for Gov. McDonnell.

On Monday, Feb. 27, Farnsworth appeared on TBD NewsChannel 8’s program “News Talk with Bruce DePuyt.”

Political Science Students Collaborate on Book Project

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(From left) Ian Huff, Assistant Professor of Political Science Chad Murphy, Chris Blough and Eric Stortz in Monroe Hall

As a political science and pre-law philosophy double major, Michael Behrens figured he would spend much of his senior year writing extensive research papers. He never expected to collaborate with his professor on writing a book.

Behrens and three fellow seniors — Chris Blough, Ian Huff and Eric Stortz — have teamed up with Assistant Professor of Political Science Chad Murphy to research and write chapters for a book on presidential rhetoric.

The project is one of more than dozen research initiatives in the university’s innovative undergraduate research program. This semester’s undergraduate projects delve into such issues as women in Islam; statistical consulting for after-school programs; stress, guilt and eating; the effects of Atrazine in zebra fish; and the effects of exercise and estrogen on mouse hearts.

Still Behrens isn’t surprised to be part of such a challenging project at UMW.

“That’s just the environment that the school’s attitude cultivates,” he said. “If you have a professor who has a common interest, there’s no harm in asking if there is a project you can work on.”

Murphy had no qualms about teaming with his students.

“The undergraduates here are really strong, they can pull off something like this,” said Murphy, who has published articles on the effects of political rhetoric and the media in numerous peer-reviewed journals. “This is the chance to do professional-quality research as an undergraduate.  When you go to the bigger state schools, you don’t get that.”

The idea for the book project grew from a thesis written by former student Anne Morris, who graduated in 2011. Her year-long research for a paper about presidential rhetoric addressed some compelling issues.

“She answers the question in a really creative, interesting way,” Murphy said. “I think it has such promise.”

Murphy invited all students from his upper-level political science research methods class last semester to participate in the project. He assigned the students chapters based on the subjects he believed would be most compatible with their interests.

Others in the class tackled a myriad of other political issues that range from social media’s effect on voter turnout to how scandals impact of politicians’ prospects for re-election, with many continuing their projects as independent studies this semester.

One of the students who is continuing her thesis, junior political science and education major Erin Hill, agreed. She said that at other schools, undergraduates typically gather statistics and do the grunt work of the project.

“You aren’t really exploring the question,” she said. “Here, you’re doing the complete thing all by yourself. If I went to grad school, I would know how to fully explore a question.”

Blough, who has applied to several graduate schools to study urban planning, feels more prepared by working on the research for the book.

“You really have a lot of opportunities to do one-on-one research here,” he said. “You have a lot of guidance. It really helps you if you’re applying to grad school. It shows that you have the experience.”

Stortz also believes his research and writing project will give him credibility after graduation.

“It’s one thing to say ‘I’m a good writer;’ it’s another to say, ‘I’m published,’” Stortz said.

But Stortz is most impressed with the amount of faith Murphy has placed in his group of students.

“I think this project shows that Professor Murphy has a lot of faith in Mary Washington students in general,” he said. “The opportunities are out there if you put the effort in.”

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By Anne Elder