Texas Tech University

Political Science Ph.D. Students

Name

Subfields

Research Interests

Contact Information

Mary Acquah Afari

Major: International Relations and Comparative Politics

Human rights, international institutions, and development 

mafari@ttu.edu

Samuel Allen

Major: Comparative Politics and American Politics

Political representation, gender and class inequality, state feminism, indigenous politics, and institutionalized colonialism

all52108@ttu.edu

Chris Baroody

Major: Comparative Politics, International Relations

Minor: American Politics

Insurgency and social banditry; corruption and state capture; narcoterrorism and narcoculture; political psychology

cbaroody@ttu.edu

Saurabh Bhimke

Major: American Politics and Comparative Politics, Minor: Research Methods

Political communications, public opinion, political behavior, quantitative research methods. 

sabhimke@ttu.edu

Luisa Garcia-Carrion

Major: International Relations and Comparative Politics

Minor: Public Policy

Research interests: complexity and public policy, international politics, political economy and post-Soviet politics

luisa.garcia-carrion@ttu.edu

Justin Carter

Major: Comparative, American

Minor: Methods

Ethnic politics and conflict, security studies

justin.carter@ttu.edu

Xiaoou Cheng

Major: Public Administration

Minor: American Politics

Local governance, rural economic development, and financial management

xiaoou.cheng@ttu.edu

Travis Cole

Major: International Relations and American Politics

Minor: Methods

Economic Sanctions, Presidency, Congress, Methods

travis.j.cole@ttu.edu

Morgan Davidson

Major: American Politics & International Relations

Minor: Public Policy

Polarization, American Voter Behavior, American Foreign Policy, & Conflict Resolution

dav07043@ttu.edu

Pa Modou Drammeh

Major: International Relations and Comparative Politics, Minor: Public Policy

Foreign policy, diplomacy, military interventions, political Institutions, democratization, peace processes and conflict, security issues, transitional justice

pdrammeh@ttu.edu

Ivan Dario Zapata Duque

Major: International Relations and Comparative Politics, Minor: Research Methods

Foreign direct investment, state's regulatory power and investment protection, dispute resolution, international political economy, economic development

izapatad@ttu.edu

Sabrina Fernandez

Major: Comparative Politics and American Politics

Party polarization affects law making 

sabferna@ttu.edu

Waseem Ahmad Hajam 

Major: International Relations and Comparative Politics

Research Interests: Populism in India, Ethnic Conflicts, South Asia

whajam@ttu.edu

Lucia Hernandez

Major: International Relations and Comparative Politics

War, terrorism, and counterterrorism

lucia.hernandez@ttu.edu

Zaur Kapanadze

Major: Comparative and American

Minor: IR

post-soviet politics, legislatures, electoral systems, political institutions, democratization and party systems

zaur.kapanadze@ttu.edu

Hoan La

Major: International Relations & Public Administration

Minor: Public Policy & Research Methods

Political Economy of International Cooperation, US-Asia Pacific Relations, US Foreign Policy in Asia Pacific, Social Policy, Environmental Policy, Women's Rights and Development

hla@ttu.edu

Joshua Martinez

Major: International Relations and Comparative Politics

Minor: Research Methods

Research Interests: International Institutions, enforcement mechanisms, public vs. private space development, and east Asia politics

mar87149@ttu.edu

Stephanie Mathiasen

Major: American Politics and Comparative Politics

Minor: Research Methods

Campaign Financing, Elections, Congress, Presidency, and Political Behavior

stmathia@ttu.edu

Marissa McShane

Majors: International Relations, Comparative Politics; Minor: Methods

Cybersecurity, Human Rights, Religion, Refugee & Immigration Studies

mmcshane@ttu.edu

Abigail Miller

Major: International Relations and Comparative Politics

Democratic backsliding, peace and conflict resolution, and gender politics

Abby.miller@ttu.edu

Gor Mkrtchian

Major: Comparative Politics and International Relations

Minor: Economics

Development Economics, International Political Economy

Gor.Mkrtchian@ttu.edu

Delilah Mochoge

Major: Public Administration, Comparative Politics

Minor: Methods

Health Politics and Policy, Public Policy, Political Participation, Race and Ethnicity Organization Management

delilah.b.mochoge@ttu.edu

Henry Moncrieff

Major: International Relations, Comparative Politics

Minor: Methods

Civil-Military Relations, Authoritariansim, Latin American Politics, Security Studies

Henry.Moncrieff@ttu.edu

Silvio Livio Simonetti Neto

Major: International relations, Comparative

Minor: Methods

International Trade, Economic Development, Multilateral Organizations

Silvio-Livio.Simonetti-Neto@ttu.edu

Oluwaseun Emmanuel Okajare

Major: International Relations and Comparative Politics

Minor: Methods

Research Interests: International Political Economy, Foreign Direct Investment, Foreign Aid, Human Rights, and Development Studies

ookajare@ttu.edu

Sandhya Paudel

Major: International Relations and comparative politics

Minor: American politics

Research Interests: Soft power Diplomacy, Diaspora politics, Development, and Globalization

sandpaud@ttu.edu

Wilson Pemboh

Major:  International Relations, Comparative Politics

Minor: Public Administration

Failed political leadership across Africa and its impact on race relations in the United States (controlling for Slavery as a key variable); Africa's incessant reliance on foreign aid and its impact on economic development across the continent.

wpemboh@ttu.edu

David Pena

Major: American, comparative

Minor: American Politics

Political behavior, biopolitics, gender politics, institutions, Middle East politics

david.pena@ttu.edu

Juliana Gbemileke Popoola

Major: International Relations and Comparative Politics

Minor: Methods

Human security, Peace Processes, Political Institutions

jpopoola@ttu.edu

Noah Pruit

Major: comparative politics and international relations; Minor: Methods

The interplay between democracy and illiberal regimes, with a particular focus on democratic backsliding and the increasing occurrence of hybrid and illiberal regimes around the world

nopruitt@ttu.edu

Rimvydas Ragauskas

Major: Comparative Politics and International Relations

Minor: Methods

Economic sanctions, political economy, electoral behavior

rimvydas.ragauskas@ttu.edu

Mithila Sikder

Major: International Relations and Comparative Politics, Minor: Research Methods

Refugee, migrants, and displaced; diplomacy; foreign Policy; human rights; conflict resolution

misikder@ttu.edu

Dongan Tan

Major: International Relations, Public Administration

Minor: Methods

Foreign policy, economic sanctions, globalization, political regime

dongan.tan@ttu.edu

Danie Vaughn

Major: American Politics and Public Administration

Minor: Public Policy

Bureaucracy; Disaster Management & Risk; Environmental Justice; Climate, Environmental & Health Policy

danie.vaughn@ttu.edu

James Wright

Major: American Politics and International Relations

Minor: Comparative Politics

American voter behavior, voter behavior, American foreign policy

james.wright@ttu.edu

Nila Zarepour-Arizi

Major: International Relations, Comparative politics

Minor: Methods

Gender and Conflict, Security Issues, Economic Sanctions, Authoritarianism, Human Rights, Immigration, Politics of Middle East, ​Environment and Politics

nila.zarepour-arizi@ttu.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Department of Political Science

  • Address

    Dept. of Political Science, Texas Tech University, 113 Holden Hall, Boston & Akron Streets, Lubbock, TX 79409-1015 Fax: 806.742.0850
  • Phone

    806.742.3121
  • Email

    pols.webmaster@ttu.edu