Political Science and International Studies at UCM

05/22/2026

The Political Science faculty is dedicated to civic education and lifelong learning. In that spirit, we invite you to enroll in a free, online class on the U.S. Constitution. The class was created by Dr. Thomas Patterson, the Bradlee Professor of Government & the Press at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.

As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, it's a great time to refresh our understanding of the U.S. Constitution. And, added bonus: you can say you took a class from Harvard!

For the free, nonpartisan, self-paced six-part course (about 30 minutes each), you can start anytime and finish when convenient.

https://www.edx.org/learn/government/harvard-university-american-government-constitutional-foundations (Select “Audit” to access free version.)

Learn how early American politics informed the U.S. Constitution and why its promise of liberty and equality has yet to be fully realized.

05/21/2026

Congratulations to all of our spring and summer 2026 graduates! We wish you all the best on what comes next! You're well-prepared, whatever that may be. Please keep us up to date and come back to visit when you can!

Jordan Alvarez
Alexis Barnes
Suzee Crabtree
Wyatt Fletcher
Analya Harrison
Joe Montez
Elliott Moore
Gavin Moore
Erika Parrish
Jillian Rogers
Maribel Silva-Davila
Olamide Sowemimo
Emily Uhler

04/29/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Staab on his retirement this summer. Today was his last day for The First Amendment, a class he created and has taught since 2004. Countless students have been engaged, challenged, and prepared for success in Law School by Dr. Staab in all his classes. Students were unpacking and analyzing landmark cases on religious freedom right up until the last minute!

04/24/2026

Congratulations, Political Science major, Alexis Barnes! Alexis had an outstanding undergraduate career at UCM (McNair Scholar, UCM Ambassador, etc.), and she will be starting the Ph.D. program in Political Science at the University of Nebraska in the fall (nationally recognized for their work in Public Opinion and Political Psychology). We know she is well-prepared, and we look forward to her continued success!

04/10/2026

Hello Friends, alumni, and current students. Many of you know that Dr. Staab is retiring this summer after a stellar career at UCM. For those who have taken any of his classes or read any of his publications, you know his dedication to outstanding teaching, expert scholarship, and student success. To honor his legacy, we are working with the UCM Foundation to establish an endowed scholarship to support future UCM students, the James B. Staab Scholarship in Public Law.

Any donation that helps us reach the goal of $25,000 will be matched by a generous donation from an alumnus.

To donate, follow this link: https://www.givecampus.com/schools/UniversityofCentralMissouri/celebrating-dr-jim-staab

And, thank you!

Join me and make a gift to James B. Staab Scholarship

04/08/2026

Our students in the Department of Government, Law, and International Affairs demonstrated their excellence in research reaching across a variety of subject areas, fields, and majors during UCM's Scholars Symposium last week.

Natasha Holtzclaw presented "The Parent Participation Gap in School Meetings: National Patterns and IEP Implications," while Amelia Torres presented her work "Measuring the Third Branch: An Index of State Judicial Professionalism." Gavin Moore also presented "Peru on a Plate."

Poster presentations included Emily Uhler's "Does Access to Universal Healthcare Extend Life Expectancy?" and
Makayla Sensenig's "Disrupting Gang Growth: Recruitment Practices and Legal Countermeasures."

04/02/2026

Congratulations to Joe Montez! Joe has been accepted into the Master's program in Geopolitics and the Global Economy at University College Dublin. The University College Dublin is the largest university in Ireland and has world-class faculty and facilities. Joe starts in the fall, and we wish him all the best! We know the Political Science program has prepared him well for success.

03/27/2026

Political Science and International Studies majors Amelia Torres and Olivia Riggs were accepted to present posters of their research at the Great Plains Political Science Association Annual Conference at UMKC. We certainly have fantastic undergraduate researchers in our department!

Amelia presented her work "Measuring the Third Branch: An Index of State Judicial Professionalism" and Olivia presented her work "Speech and Tolerance: An Analysis of Hate Speech in Germany versus the United States."

03/20/2026

Congratulations to Emily Uhler, winner of the Outstanding Senior in Social Sciences for the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences! Emily is an outstanding student -- double majoring in Political Science and International Studies -- and has been an engaged campus leader involved with the International Student Association, the Model United Nations team, and more. Congratulations, Emily!

Emily will be recognized for this award both at the College Awards ceremony on April 7th and our Department's Award ceremony on April 16th.

03/12/2026

Friends,

After nearly 30 years of outstanding teaching, scholarship, and mentorship, Dr. Jim Staab will be retiring from UCM at the end of this academic year.

Over the course of his career, Dr. Staab has shaped the lives of countless students, colleagues, and alumni through his teaching and work on Constitutional Law and the Supreme Court. To celebrate Dr. Staab's career and express our gratitude, the POLS faculty are creating a commemorative book of messages and reflections from those who have worked with him.

If you were a student, colleague, or friend of the department and would like to share a short message for Dr. Staab--whether words of appreciation, well wishes, or a meaningful story--we would be honored to include your voice in this gift.

Please reach out to Professor Makara at [email protected] for additional details about how to submit a message.

Thank you for helping us celebrate Dr. Staab and the lasting impact he has had on our community!