This month’s episode is with Dr. Jessica Auchter, Full Professor at the Graduate School of International Studies at Université Laval in Quebec, Canada. Jessica moved to her current role after 10 years teaching at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga in the United States. Her research is on visual culture and politics, including the visual repres…

Associate Provost and W. Harold Row Professor of Global Politics Jamie Frueh, of Bridgewater College, joins the Hayseed Scholar podcast. Jamie and Brent have been friends for over 15 years, meeting at the ISA-Northeast conference in 2009. Jamie is also the only (other) person on this podcast besides Brent who is from Iowa, and Jamie also hosts his …

This episode is with three scholar/teachers from Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts in the US. Phi Su is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Williams. Liz Gallerani is Curator of Mellon Academic Programs at the Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA), and Christine Ménard is Head of Research Services and Library Outreach for Williams …

Professor Sebastian Kaempf of the University of Queensland joins the Hayseed Scholar podcast this week. Seb grew up in Germany, with the fall of the Berlin Wall happening when he was entering his teenage years. While it had a big impact on him, he distinctly remembers his parents’ emotional reactions to that moment. He also was a conscientious obje…

Professor Lene Hansen of the University of Copenhagen likely needs no introduction to most listeners of this podcast. She has worked within what would be called the Copenhagen school or securitization theory, emphasizing within that school the overlooked lens of gender. Her work on discourse analysis is famous for being a key contribution to the de…

This month’s episode is with Dr. James Der Derian, Michael Hintze Chair of International Security Studies and Director of the Centre for International Security Studies, and Dr. Jayson Waters, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the Centre for International Security Studies, which is part of the University of Sydney in Australia. They have been work…

Huss Banai of Indiana University is an individual Brent considers himself incredibly fortunate to call a friend. He joins the Hayseed Scholar podcast to tell his amazing story and journey through life and academia. Huss was born in Iran and grew up in Northern Tehran until his family moved to Canada when he was 15. In Iran, Huss and his family expe…

Dr. Erica Simone Almeida Resende of the Brazilian War College joins the Hayseed Scholar podcast. Erica grew up in Brazil but, as she phrases it, 'in between worlds'. There was her Brazilian home, and there was her German school, which she explains has situated her as a sort of 'bridge' moving between the Global North and Global South. Erica went to…

This month’s episode is with Dr. Anahita Arian, a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Centre for Geopolitics and a College Research Associate at King’s College at Cambridge University in the UK. Among other positions in Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, Anahita has taught International Relations at the University of Groningen in the Net…

Dr. Misbah Hyder, a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Teaching Excellence Center at the United States Naval War College in Rhode Island in the US. She consults with faculty there and trains instructors in trauma-informed teaching in professional military education environments. She is co-editor with Michael Murphy on a forthcoming volume Teaching…

Professor Jarrod Hayes joins the Hayseed Scholar podcast. Jarrod was born in Colorado, but moved to Utah at a young age and grew up there for a bit before relocating with his mother to just outside of Atlanta, Georgia. In high school, he found he enjoyed doing research especially with science and technology, and so he went to the University of Colo…

This episode is a conversation with Jochen Kleinschmidt, a Research Associate and Coordinator of the Center for Latin American Studies (ZILAS) at Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt in Germany, and Margaryta Rymarenko who has degrees from Central European University in Vienna Austria and who works for humanitarian organizations in Kyiv, Ukr…

Dr. Oumar Ba of Cornell University visits the Hayseed Scholar podcast. Dr. Ba grew up in Senegal, attending his first school at an early age near the Senegal-Mauritania border. He developed an interest in politics in high school and at his first university (Cheik Anna Diop in Dakar) where he pursued Geography. Oumar moved to the United States in ea…

Professor Rita Abrahamsen joins the Hayseed Scholar podcast. Rita grew up on a small island off the coast of Southern Norway. She was a good student, very interested in the world with parents who had been the Merchant Marines, and a father who had served during World War II. She talks about the subjects she enjoyed in school, the decision to go to …

This episode’s conversation is with Dr. Luba Levin-Banchik, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Cal State University San Bernadino and the 2023 recipient of the International Studies Association’s Deborah Gerner Award for Innovative Teaching. Luba has published on using simulations and other active learning techniques and is a leader in the…

Charity Butcher is the Director of the School of Conflict Management, Peacebuilding and Development, and a Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at Kennesaw State University in Georgia in the US. Alasdair Blair is Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor Academic at De Montfort University, in Leicester in the UK. Charity is the Editor-in-Ch…

After months, and perhaps years, of cajoling and haranguing the Hayseed Scholar, friend of the pod (ep14) Matt McDonald finally convinced Brent to turn the tables and become a guest on the podcast. Matt interviewed Brent at the end of the International Studies Association conference in Montreal, in Matt's hotel room. This was after Matt had enliste…

Professor Debbie Lisle of Queens University, Belfast, grew up in North Vancouver, in an environment of 'liberal feminism' which gave her a sense of possibility in life, but it was an interesting journey thereafter. Debbie chats with Brent about her decision to go to McGill for college, playing soccer throughout her undergrad and Master's years, and…

Dr. Alexander Cromwell is a Professorial Lecturer and the Associate Director of the Dean’s Scholars and Experiential Learning program at the Elliott School of international affairs at George Washington University in Washington, DC in the United States. He is the coauthor, along with Saaya Miyashiro, of a recent article in International Studies Pers…

Dr. Mark Harvey is an Associate Professor and Director of the Masters of Business Administration Program at St. Mary University in Kansas in the United States. He teaches courses on global management, international political economy, international business and leadership. Dr. James “Pigeon” Fielder is an instructor at Colorado State University in t…

Professor Ann Towns of the University of Gothenburg visits the Hayseed Scholar podcast. Professor Towns grew up in Sweden, and was interested in playing music and especially performing classical music as a child. But by the time she was in high school, she wanted to broaden her horizons, and get out of not only her town but Sweden. That led her to …

Dr. Anna Meier is an Assistant Professor of Politics and International Relations at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom. Her research concerns terrorism, white supremacist violence, and racism in national security institutions and policies. Dr. Liam Midzain-Gobin is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Brock University in O…

Dr. Naeem Inayatullah is a Professor of Politics at Ithaca College in New York in the US. He has invested significant energy in thinking about how students learn global politics and how to create environments where that can happen. The most recent text exploring this is Pedagogy as Encounter: Beyond the Teaching Imperative (2022 Rowman & Littlefiel…

This episode is with Dr. Maïka Sondarjee, Assistant Professor in the School of International Development and Global Studies at the University of Ottawa in Canada. Maïka’s research investigates multilateralism and international organizations, the white savior complex and feminist theories in international relations. Her article “We are a Community o…

Professor Helen Kinsella joins the Hayseed Scholar podcast. Professor Kinsella grew up in Ithaca, New York, and she reflects on what that was like, plus a reluctance or indifference to going to college. She eventually chose Bryn Mawr and she talks about what an amazing environment she experienced there. Professor Kinsella also spent some time at Re…

This episode is a conversation with Dr. Franklin Obeng-Odoom, Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science Associate Professor of Global Development Studies at the University of Helsinki in Finland. In addition to being a prolific and accomplished scholar, Franklin is a Fellow of the university’s teaching academy, the highest recognition bestowed o…

Today’s conversation is with Petra Hendrickson and Daisy Lupa. Petra is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at, and Daisy a 2022 graduate of, Northern Michigan University in the United States. Petra has published on student engagement, and she and Daisy together presented a workshop at the Innovative Pedagogy Conference that preceded the 20…

This episode's conversation is with Dr. Mauro Caraccioli, Associate Professor of Political Science and Core Faculty in the Alliance for Social, Political, Ethical, and Cultural Thought (ASPECT) at Virginia Tech University in the United States. Mauro teaches courses on political theory, history of political thought, theories of political domination,…

Today’s conversation is with Dr. Jenny Lobasz, Associate Professor in the Department of Women and Gender Studies at the University of Delaware in the United States. Jenny teaches courses and researches on feminist and gender theory, human trafficking, interpretivist research methodologies, and teaching using non-traditional texts. For the last seve…

This episode is an interview with Andrew Szarejko and Sibel Oktay. Andrew is a Donald R. Beall defense fellow in the Defense Analysis Department at the Naval Postgraduate School. Dr. Sibel Oktay is Associate Professor of Political Science and Global Studies and Director of the School of Politics and International Affairs at the University of Illino…

Patrick James is Dean’s Professor of International Relations at the Dornsife College of Letters Arts And Science at the University of Southern California. He has served as president of ISA Midwest and president of the International Studies Association. He is the recipient of numerous distinguished scholar awards including, in 2022, the distinguishe…

This episode is a conversation with Victor Asal, Professor Political Science at the University at Albany, part of the State University of New York system. In addition to his research on the use of violence by non-state actors and how states discriminate against groups within their borders, Victor has long been a leading voice promoting the use of g…

The Teaching Curve is a podcast exploring the teaching and learning of global issues. This episode with Dr. Rebecca Glazier, Associate Professor at the School of Public Affairs of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in the US explores attitudes and strategies for connecting with students in online teaching environments. Dr. Glazier is the aut…

The Teaching Curve is a podcast exploring the teaching and learning of global issues. This episode with Dr. Jan Luedert, Associate Professor and Director of Curriculum and Instruction at City University of Seattle, in Washington state in the US. Jan is currently Visiting Research Scholar at the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies at Ci…

The Teaching Curve is a podcast exploring the teaching and learning of global issues. This episode with Dr. Kate Schick and Dr. Claire Timperley. Dr. Schick is Senior Lecturer in International Relations and Dr. Timperley is Lecturer in Political Science at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand. They are co-editor…

The Teaching Curve is a podcast exploring the teaching and learning of global issues. This episode with Dr. Jack Kalpakian, Associate Professor in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane in Morocco explores how to deal with religious perspectives in a social science classroom, using liberal arts pedagogies i…

Today’s conversation is with Dr. Eric Leonard, Professor of Political Science and Henkle Family Chair in International Affairs at Shenandoah University. Eric has run Shenandoah’s General Education Program and edited a textbook for teaching International Relations Theory. Our conversation · Explores how flipped classroom techniques can help undergra…

The Teaching Curve is a podcast exploring the teaching and learning of global issues. This episode with Dr. Shampa Biswas, Paul Garret Professor of Political Science and chair of the Department of Politics at Whitman College in Walla Walla Washington in the US, explores the balance of professional authority and student agency in a global politics c…

The Teaching Curve is a podcast exploring the teaching and learning of global issues. This episode with Dr. Ralph Carter, Piper Professor of Political Science at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas in the US, explores case study techniques in US Foreign Policy courses, methods for helping students engage their power as both analysts and…

Professor Alexander Barder joins the Hayseed Scholar podcast. Dr. Barder was born in Paris, France, but he and his family moved to Miami very shortly thereafter. He traveled back to France often to visit family, and mainly spoke French until going to a bilingual school. His discussions with his grandpa about World War II sparked an interest in hist…

Professor Patricia Owens joins the Hayseed Scholar podcast. Professor Owens grew up in London, with Irish parents who'd emigrated from Ireland during the Troubles, and the conflict in Northern Ireland provided a background to her life and especially growing up. Patricia went to a Catholic school in South London until 16, and her Catholicism was les…

Dr. Mvuselelo Ngcoya is a Senior Lecturer of Development Studies in the School of Built Environment and Development Studies (SBEDS) at the University of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa. His research and teaching is on agrarian issues as land reform, small-scale agriculture and rural development, as well as the role of subjugated philosophies in Inter…

Dr. Aparna Devare is an Assistant Professor of International Relations in the Department of Political Science in the School of Social Science at the University of Hyderabad in India. Her research and teaching is on Post-colonial Theory, Indian Political Thought, and the intersection of Religion and Politics in International Relations. The episode e…

Dr. Heather Smith is Professor of Global and International Studies at the University of Northern British Columbia in Canada. She has received the 3M National Teaching Fellowship, the Canadian Political Science Excellence in Teaching Award and numerous teaching awards at UNBC. She has held multiple leadership positions with the International Society…

Dr. Esther Jordan is Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of Faculty Success at the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at the Kennesaw State University in Georgia, US and the former president of the Active Learning in International Affairs Section (ALIAS) of the International Studies Association. Resources referenced in…

Dr. Jeff Lantis is Professor of Political Science, Global and International Studies at the College of Wooster in Ohio, US. He is chair of the Innovative Pedagogy Initiative of the International Studies Association (ISA) and co-editor of International Studies Perspectives. He was awarded the 2020 Distinguished Teacher-Scholar Award by ISA’s Active L…

When we recorded this episode in late 2020, Dr. Cristina Inoue was Associate Professor at the Institute for International Relations at the University of Brasilia. She is now Associate Professor of Environment at Radboud University in the Netherlands. She is a former president of the Active Learning in International Affairs Section (ALIAS) of the In…

Today’s dialogue is with Seb Kaempf of the University of Queensland in Brisbane Australia. I invited Seb because he is the recipient of the ISA’s Deborah Gerner Award for Innovative Teaching in 2020. He was awarded the Australian National Award for Teaching Excellence in 2013, and has earned numerous other teaching honors at UQ. The Carnegie Endowm…

Professor Carla Martinez Machain joins the Hayseed Scholar Podcast. Professor Machain talks about growing up in Mexico, specifically outside of and then also in Mexico City, the schools she went to, her interests, doing Model UN and visiting The Hague during an overseas trip when Milosevic was on trial, and then deciding to go to Rice University in…

Professor Duncan Bell joins the Hayseed Scholar podcast. Duncan grew up in the Midlands in a rural area of England. He was interested in international politics from a fairly young age. Duncan chose to pursue a degree in war studies at King's College London, and considered joining the military thereafter. But the transition to London from a quieter …