2/9/2019

CRYSTAL WHETSTONE

University of Cincinnati
Department of Political Science
1106 Crosley Tower (ML 0375)
Cincinnati, OH 45221
whetstcm@mail.uc.edu

EDUCATION

Ph.D., Political Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 2020

Dissertation: Nurturing Democracy in Armed Conflicts through Political Motherhood: A
Comparative Study of Women’s Political Participation in Argentina and Sri Lanka
Dissertation Committee: Rina Verma Williams, PhD (head), Laura Dudley
Jenkins, PhD, Anne Sisson Runyan, PhD, Amy Lind, PhD
Field Concentrations: Comparative Politics and International Relations
Doctoral Concentration: Feminist Comparative and International
Politics
Graduate Certificate: Preparing Future Faculty; provides
instruction in modern methods of teaching and learning.

Dissertation abstract: Armed conflicts can have contradictory effects on women. While devastating,
wars can open spaces for transformations in gender dynamics, although such changes are often short-
lived. Most analyses that examine changes sparked by war focus on women’s involvement in fighting,
entrance into the workforce and peace activism. Instead, I explore activists mobilized by their identities as
mothers through a concept called political motherhood. Using a unique cross-regional comparison of
Argentina’s period of state terrorism (1976-1983) and the Sri Lankan Civil War (1983-2009), I examine
how activists with the Madres of the Plaza de Mayo and the Mothers’ Front, respectively, organized for
peace and protested the state’s human rights abuses. While the Madres of the Plaza de Mayo’s use of
political motherhood increased activists’ long-term political participation, now active for four decades, it
was less successful in the case of the Mothers’ Front, which disbanded after seven years. Deploying the
comparative case study method triangulated with process-tracing and interviews, this dissertation
investigates the conditions under which political motherhood can most effectively increase women’s long-
term involvement in government and civil society. While political motherhood may provide women with
easy access to the political sphere, its long-term implications hold ethical challenges since motherhood
reinforces heteronormativity and gender essentialism, which may prevent women’s sustained political
participation by reconfining them “back to the kitchen.” This dissertation seeks to understand the paths to
increase women’s political participation in difficult climates such as armed conflicts, authoritarian
regimes and illiberal and transitioning democracies, to better facilitate women’s long-term political
participation in the postwar context. This study part of the larger project of women’s political
empowerment and its findings will be of relevance to scholars, policymakers and practitioners working in
issues of women’s rights, armed conflicts and democracy.

M.A., International and Comparative Politics, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 2013
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Thesis: Is the Motherist Approach More Helpful in Obtaining Women’s Rights than a
Feminist Approach? A Comparative Study of Lebanon and Liberia
Graduate Certificate: Women’s Studies

B.A., International Studies, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 2007

Minor: French
Concentration: Comparative Cultures
Distinctions: Summa cum laude (3.9 GPA)

RESEARCH EXPERTISE

• Women and politics

• Political participation
• Civil society, the state and transnational level
• Women, peace and security agenda
• Transitional justice

PUBLICATIONS

Articles
“The Use of Political Motherhood in Egypt’s Arab Spring Uprising and Aftermath.” International Journal
of Feminist Politics. 2018. 20.1: 54-68. DOI:10.1080/14616742.2017.1371624. Co-authored with Anwar
Mhajne.

“Partnering with Insiders: A Review of Peer Models across Community-Engaged Research, Education and
Social Care.” Health and Social Care in the Community. 769-786. Epub 7 March 2018. DOI:
10.1111/hsc.12562. Co-authored with Lisa Vaughn (lead author), Alicia Boards, Melida Busch, Sylvia
Määttä, and Maria Magnusson.

Chapters in edited collections

“Positive Engagements with Globalization: Lessons from Maternal Activists in Transnational Women’s
Groups during the Liberian Civil War.” In Mothers, Mothering and Globalization, edited by Dorsía Smith
Silva, Laila Malik and Abigail Palko, 248-263. Bradford, Ontario: Demeter Press, 2017.

Book reviews
“Linda Åhäll. Sexing War/Policing Gender: Motherhood, Myth and Women's Political Violence.
Routledge, 2015.” Women's Studies International Forum. 53 (November-December): 101, 2015.

“Erin E. O'Connor. Mothers Making Latin America: Gender, Households, and Politics since 1825, John
Wiley & Sons, 2014.” International Feminist Journal of Politics. 17.2 (March): 358-360, 2015.
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Other venues
“Lessons from Egypt on the Role of Women in Fighting for Democracy.” The Conversation. Co-authored
with Anwar Mhajne. 22 October 2017. https://theconversation.com/lessons-from-egypt-on-the-role-of-
women-in-fighting-for-democracy-85468.

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

“Globalizing Women's Political Participation: Beyond the State, Beyond the Global North.” Co-authored
with Rina Verma Williams. To be presented at the Western Political Science Association Annual Meeting.
San Diego, CA. 18 April 2019.

“What Counts as Activism? Exploring the Legacy of the Madres of the Plaza de Mayo and the Mothers’
Front.” To be presented at humantiesNOW. TAFT Research Center. University of Cincinnati. Cincinnati,
Ohio. 13-14 March 2019.

“How the Type of Maternal Frame Affects the Longevity of Social Movement Work: Authority and
Emotionality in the Madres of the Plaza de Mayo and the Mothers’ Front.” ISA Midwest Annual
Conference 2018. The Hilton at the Ballpark. St. Louis, MO. 17 November 2018.

“Imagining Justice for Working Women through a Maternal Gift Economy: A Comparative Case Study of
Migrant Nepali Domestic Workers and Migrant Chinese Factory Workers.” Co-authored with Sayam
Moktan. 2018 National Women’s Studies Association’s Annual Conference. Atlanta, GA. 8-11 November
2018.

“How Political Context Shapes Women's Engagement with Mothering as Resistance in Armed Conflicts
and their Aftermath: A Comparative Analysis of the Madres of the Plaza de Mayo and the Mothers' Front.”
2018 South Atlantic Modern Language Association: Fighters from the Margins: Socio-Political Activists
and Their Allies. Birmingham, AL. 2-4 November 2018.

“Recreating the Third World Project: Possibilities through the Fourth World.” Co-authored with Murat
Yilmaz. The Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences-International Studies Association (FLACSO-ISA)
Quito 2018 Meeting. Quito, Ecuador. 25 July 2018; Association of Global South Studies (formerly
Association of Third World Studies) 34th Annual Meeting. New Albany, IN. Indiana University Southeast.
21 November 2016.

“The Methods Used in ‘Nurturing Democracy through Political Motherhood in Environments of Armed
Conflicts: A Comparative Study of Women’s Political Participation in Argentina and Sri Lanka.’”
Methodological Pluralism & Political Science: Exploring and Extending Bayesian and Critical Methods.
TAFT Research Center. University of Cincinnati. Cincinnati, Ohio. 3 May 2018.

“Advancing Women’s Political Participation in Wartime Environments through Political Motherhood: A

Comparative Study of Women’s Maternal Peace Activism in Argentina and Sri Lanka.” Research &
Innovation Week 2018. The Kingsgate Marriott. Cincinnati, OH. 11 April 2018; humantiesNOW. TAFT
Research Center. University of Cincinnati. Cincinnati, Ohio. 20 February 2018.
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“Troubling Motherhood: Maternity and the State.” Roundtable with Rebecca Wilson, Anna L. Weissman,
Anwar Mhajne and Sara Motta. International Studies Association 2018 Annual Convention. San
Francisco, CA. 5 April 2018.

“Beyond Empowerment: Improving Rural Migrant Women Factory Workers' Lives in China.”
International Studies Association 2018 Annual Convention. San Francisco, CA. 4 April 2018; The
Seventeenth Berkshire Conference on the History of Women, Gender and Sexualities. Hofstra University.
Hempstead, NY. 1 June 2017.

“Troubling Conceptions of Motherhood: State Feminism and Political Agency of Women in the Global
South.” Co-authored with Anwar Mhajne. 7th Annual International Feminist Journal of Politics
Conference. The University of San Francisco, San Francisco, California. 2 April 2018.

“Using Political Motherhood to Reveal the ‘Truth’: How Mothers Took on the State’s Lies in Argentina’s
Dirty War and Sri Lanka’s Civil War.” 2018 Western Political Science Association Annual Meeting. San
Francisco, California. 29 March 2018.

“A Comparative Study of Political Motherhood.” Graduate Student Expo’s Three Minute Thesis
Competition. University of Cincinnati. Cincinnati, OH. 15 February 2018.

“Globalizing Women’s Political Participation: Democracy Beyond the Global North.” Co-authored with
Rina Verma Williams. 2017 National Women’s Studies Association’s Annual Conference. Baltimore, MD.
17 November 2017.

“Youth Participatory Action Research: Empowering Immigrant and Urban Minority Female Adolescents
Using Arts Based Informed Research.” Co-authored with Alicia Boards. The Thirteenth International
Congress of Qualitative Inquiry. Champaign-Urbana, IL. 17-20 May 2017; College of Education, Criminal
Justice and Human Services Spring Research Conference 2017. University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH.
1 April 2017.

“Approaching 100 Years of Women as Political Citizens: Identity Politics and Feminist Policy Making in
the United States.” Co-authored with Anwar Mhajne and Alexis Straka. The 75th Annual Midwest
Political Science Association Meeting. Chicago, IL. 9 April 2017; humanitiesNOW Graduate Conference
at the TAFT Research Center at the University of Cincinnati. Cincinnati, OH. 10 February 2017.

“Motherhood, Intersectionality and Global Politics.” Roundtable with Lucy Hall, Anwar Mhajne and Anna
L. Weissman. International Studies Association 2017 Annual Convention. Baltimore, MD. 23 February
2017.

“Using International Law Counter-Hegemonically to Help Women in War and War’s Aftermath.”
International Studies Association 2017 Annual Convention. Baltimore, MD. 22 February 2017. (Accepted
to ISA’s Junior Scholars Symposium).

“Advancing Women’s Political Participation in Wartime Environments through Political Motherhood.”

Graduate Student Expo’s Three Minute Thesis Competition. University of Cincinnati. Cincinnati, OH. 10
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February 2017.

“Women’s Leadership in Politics, Business and Civil Society.” 31st Annual Student Leadership
Conference. University of Cincinnati. Cincinnati, OH. 29 October 2016.

“Motherhood as Power.” The Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement’s
Mothers, Mothering, Motherhood in Today’s World Conference. Toronto, Ontario. 14 October 2016.

“Women's Political Participation in Egypt's Arab Spring Uprising: ‘Bargaining with Patriarchy’ and the
Deployment of Traditional Motherhood.” Co-authored with Anwar Mhajne. 2016 National Women’s
Studies Association Conference: Decoloniality. Montreal, Quebec. 10-13 November 2016; International
Feminist Journal of Politics 5th Annual Conference. University of Cincinnati. Cincinnati, OH. 20 May
2016.

“Women’s Maternal Organizing for Peace in Wartime Sri Lanka: A Path Towards Empowerment?”
International Studies Association 2016 Annual Convention. Atlanta, GA. 18 March 2016; Brown bag at
University of Cincinnati Department of Political Science. 25 February 2016; humanitiesNOW Graduate
Conference at the TAFT Research Center at the University of Cincinnati. Cincinnati, OH. 18 February
2016.

“Is the Motherist Approach More Helpful in Obtaining Women’s Rights than a Feminist Approach?”
Selected to present on the College of Liberal Arts Dean’s Colloquium. The Celebration of Research,
Scholarship, and Creative Activities. Wright State University. Dayton, OH. 12 April 2013.

“Women’s Activism during Liberia’s Civil War.” 12th Race, Class, Gender and Sexuality Symposium.
Miami University. Oxford, OH. 1 February 2013.

“Women’s Activism during Lebanon’s Civil War.” 2012 International Studies Association-Midwest
Conference. The Hilton at the Ballpark. St. Louis, MO. 3 November 2012; McGill Institute Islamic Studies
Graduate Student Symposium. McGill University. Montreal, QC. 4 May 2013.

Teaching Presentations

“Interaction with Students and Faculty.” Get Up and Go! Preparing for Your First Teaching
Assistantship at UC. University of Cincinnati. Cincinnati, OH. Graduate Association of Teaching
Enhancement workshop. 22 August 2018; 10 August 2017; 11 August 2016.

“The Inclusive Classroom.” Get Up and Go! Preparing for Your First Teaching Assistantship at UC.
University of Cincinnati. Cincinnati, OH. Graduate Association of Teaching Enhancement workshop. 22
August 2018; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Classroom. University of Cincinnati. Cincinnati, OH.
Graduate Association of Teaching Enhancement workshop. 28 February 2018.

“Setting the Tone in Your Class and the TA-Student Partnership.” Teach Me To Teach: A Pedagogical
Preparation Seminar for Graduate Students. University of Cincinnati. Cincinnati, OH. Graduate
Association of Teaching Enhancement workshop. 26 April 2017; 5 December 2017.
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“Language and Body Language.” Capturing Your Students’ Attention. University of Cincinnati.
Cincinnati, OH. Graduate Association of Teaching Enhancement workshop. 20 March 2018.

Self-Care and Time Management Workshop. Co-facilitated with Alexis Straka. University of Cincinnati.
Cincinnati, OH. Graduate Association of Teaching Enhancement. 2 February 2018. Invited workshop for
Biomedic Informatics graduate students.

“Aligning Assessments with Objectives.” Assessing Student Learning. University of Cincinnati.

Cincinnati, OH. Graduate Association of Teaching Enhancement workshop. 13 November 2017.

“Going Beyond ‘Lecture + Textbook = Class.’” Get Up and Go! Preparing for Your First Teaching
Assistantship at UC. University of Cincinnati. Cincinnati, OH. Graduate Association of Teaching
Enhancement workshop. 10 August 2017.

“Introduction to Course Design: A Strategic and Systematic Approach.” Co-facilitated with Alexis Straka.
Teach Me To Teach: A Pedagogical Preparation Seminar for Graduate Students. University of
Cincinnati. Cincinnati, OH. Graduate Association of Teaching Enhancement workshop. 26 April 2017.

“Counteracting Implicit Bias and Stereotype Threat in the Classroom.” Workshop on Inclusive Teaching
Practices Embracing and Integrating Diversity in your Pedagogy. University of Cincinnati. Graduate
Association of Teaching Enhancement workshop. 2 February 2017.

“Assessment: Introduction to Course Design.” Teach Me To Teach: A Pedagogical Preparation Seminar

for Graduate Students. University of Cincinnati. Cincinnati, OH. Graduate Association of Teaching
Enhancement workshop. 6 December 2016.

“Student Engagement.” Student Engagement and Classroom Management. University of Cincinnati.

Cincinnati, OH. Graduate Association of Teaching Enhancement workshop. 28 September 2016.

“Work/Life Balance.” Get Up and Go! Preparing for Your First Teaching Assistantship at UC. University
of Cincinnati. Cincinnati, OH. Graduate Association of Teaching Enhancement workshop. 11 August 2016.

“Student Learning Outcomes: Intro to Course Design.” Teach Me To Teach: A Pedagogical Preparation
Seminar for Graduate Students. University of Cincinnati. Cincinnati, OH. Graduate Association of
Teaching Enhancement workshop. 26 April 2016; 8 December 2015.

“How to Avoid ‘Death by Powerpoint.’” Capturing Your Students’ Attention. University of Cincinnati.
Cincinnati, OH. Graduate Association of Teaching Enhancement workshop. 4 April 2016.

“Classroom Management.” Beyond the First Day of Class: Student Engagement and Classroom
Management. University of Cincinnati. Cincinnati, OH. Graduate Association of Teaching Enhancement
workshop. 22 September 2015.
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ACADEMIC AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS

University of Cincinnati
2018 $2500 Graduate Enrichment Grant from Taft Research Center at the University of Cincinnati
2018 Nominated for the Betty Nesvold prize for the best paper in women and politics presented at
the WPSA meetings in 2018
2018-2019 $20,000 Graduate School Dean's Fellowship, University of Cincinnati
2017-2018 $17,600 Charles Phelps Taft Dissertation Fellowship, University of Cincinnati
2017 $5700 Dissertation Planning Grant from the American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies
2016 $2500 Graduate Enrichment Grant from Taft Research Center at the University of Cincinnati
$500 Graduate Conference Travel Grant from Taft Research Center at the University of
Cincinnati
2014-2017 Awarded full tuition coverage and $15,000 stipend (per year) through graduate assistantship
for 3 years

Wright State University

2013 Outstanding Graduate Student in International and Comparative Politics
Nominated by director of International and Comparative Politics; one student per program is
recognized by College of Liberal Arts for excellence in their studies
2012 Awarded $3500 in tuition scholarships
2009 Awarded $700 study abroad scholarship to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand
2008 Awarded one-year full tuition and monthly stipend through a graduate assistantship

ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE

R E S E A RC H

University of Cincinnati

Research Assistant, Department of Political Science 2014-2017

• Assisted Rina Williams with research on Indian political parties and women’s political participation by
gathering descriptive statistics and creating graphs. To be used in her forthcoming manuscript (title
TBD)
• Assisted Anne Sisson Runyan with research on “nuclear patriarchy” to be used in an upcoming book
(title TBD) and on her updated revised edition of Global Gender Politics (2018)
• Assisted Laura Jenkins on book project Leaps of Faith (forthcoming) with citation formatting,
interview transcriptions and permissions on copyrighted photos
• Conducted research on transnational religious organizations and “norms spoilers” used by Rebecca
Sanders in “Norm Proxy War and Resistance Through Outsourcing: The Dynamics of Transnational
Human Rights Contestation.” Human Rights Review, 17 (2), 165-191. Conducted research on
international laws for Sanders’ book on international and domestic norms in the Global War On
Terror, Plausible Legality: Legal Culture and Political Imperative in the Global War on Terror (2018)
and assisted with copyediting
• Assisted in project on the methodological preferences of political scientists. Created a unique dataset
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and assisted with literature review of the paper: “Divergent? Gender & Methods Diversity in Political
Science Dissertations 2005-15.” American Political Science Association 111 th Annual Meeting. San
Francisco, CA. 6 September 2015. Co-presented by Rina Verma Williams and Laura Dudley Jenkins
• Constructed academic listserv to connect South Asianist scholars in the Tristate Area; assisted in
managing listserv 2014-2016

Wright State University

Research Assistant, Department of Theater, Dance and Motion Pictures 2011-2013
• Conducted archival and other research on US women clerical workers' labor organizing in post-World
War II era to be used in upcoming documentary (projected completion date 2018—see below)
Research Assistant, Department of Political Science 2009
• Produced research on the long-term effect of the Dayton Accords in Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Conducted research on nuclear arms

TEACHING

University of Cincinnati Blue Ash

Instructor, Department of History, Philosophy and Political Science 2019
• To be an instructor for International Human Rights in Summer 2019, in an online course
• To be an instructor for two sections of International Human Rights in Fall 2019, one online and
another face-to-face

University of Cincinnati
Instructor, Department of Political Science 2017-2018
• To be instructor for Introduction to International Studies Summer A term 2019, in an online course
• Instructor for Introduction to Comparative Politics “Maymester” 2017 and Summer A term (May 29-
July 1) 2018, in two online courses
• Employed a student-centered approach through active learning and reflective pedagogical methods,
which included authentic writing with editorials and memos, journal entries, discussion board posts,
and the option of a final paper or recorded online video presentation

Teaching Assistant, Department of Political Science 2014-2017

• Served as a teaching assistant for: Introduction to American Politics (for three consecutive years),
Introduction to International Relations, International Human Rights, Introduction to Comparative
Politics
• Independently ran two discussion sections for Introduction to Comparative Politics that met once per
week. Employed a student-centered approach through active learning and reflective pedagogical
methods, including think-pair-share, quick writes, authentic writing with editorials, concept mapping,
group discussion and small group-based work
• Delivered class lecture in Introduction to Comparative Politics, “Government and policymaking.”
Independently developed lecture and accompanying classroom activities
• Delivered class lecture in International Human Rights, “Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons”
• Delivered two class lectures in Introduction to International Relations, including “Critical Approaches
to IR: imperialism, inequality, injustice” and “Regional perspectives, current world problems and
globalization.” Independently developed both lectures and accompanying classroom activities
• Responsible for grading in all six classes, including essay grading and short answer exam responses.
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Responsible for classroom management in all classes. Held weekly office hours. Developed quiz
questions for Introduction to American Politics and wrote final exam for Introduction to Comparative
Politics

Wright State University

Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Political Science 2008-2009
• Introduction to Political Life. Held exam review sessions and tutored students individually as needed

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Chief Researcher, Office Manager at Community Media Productions, Inc. 2013-present

• Conducted research for upcoming documentary (The 9 to 5 Project w/t) on the topic of the
intersection of the US women’s movement with the labor movement during the 1970s, 80s and 90s.
Film to be released in 2018
• Conducted archival research at Harvard University’s Schlesinger Library, Wayne State University’s
Walter Reuther Library, and the archives at Wright State University, University of Cincinnati and
Cleveland State University
• Developed a 100+ page timeline detailing important moments in the working women’s movement
and the 9 to 5 organization
• Assisted film’s producer through:
• Grant writing: helped draft proposals, which contributed to earning the film $435,000 in total from
the National Endowment for the Humanities (pre-production development and production grants),
National Endowment for the Arts, the Ohio Humanities Council, Mass Humanities (preproduction
and outreach grants). Assisted in grants management and working with humanities advisors.
• Attending interviews with the film’s major personalities to provide administrative support
• Maintaining a Facebook webpage: posted screen grabs from interviews, uploaded archival photos
and wrote updates about the film’s progress
• Attended national conferences on behalf of the film team to present sneak peek screenings of the film
• Helping in smooth operation of the organization’s office through shipment making, recordkeeping,
maintaining files and arranging business travel

International Visitor Leadership Program intern at the University Center for

International Education at Wright State University 2011-2012
• Conducted research on STEM education, transportation and government accountability for the
Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP)
• Research used in written proposals to attract government delegations from Russia, Turkmenistan
and Iraq to Dayton, OH

National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations intern at Center for Contemporary Arab Studies
at Georgetown University 2011
• Attended seminars and site visits including: presentation by Tony Blair; meetings with ambassadors;
visits to the Egyptian Defense Office and Saudi Embassy; and lectures at Carnegie Endowment, the
Palestine Center and the Women’s Foreign Policy Group
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• Assisted supervisor with weeklong workshop for high school teachers to integrate Arab perspectives
into US school curricula. Attended workshop lectures which covered art, politics, music, religion and
literature in the Middle East
• Wrote a piece for the Center’s newsletter based on an interview with a Georgetown University
student
• Conducted a basic literature review to organize research for a professor on the Iraq War
• Analyzed articles for relevant themes used in a paper on the Wikimedia Public Policy Initiative

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

• National Association of Women’s Studies. 2016-Present

• Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement’s Mothers. 2016-Present
• American Political Science Association. 2015-Present
• International Studies Association. 2011-Present

SERVICE DATES

University of Cincinnati
Graduate Association for Teaching Enhancement (GATE) 2015-2019
• A graduate student-run organization (founded by graduate students, for graduate students)
supported by the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching & Learning that works to build an
interdisciplinary community of practice to enhance the graduate school experience and teaching
practice of students. Promotes collaboration across academic disciplines and professional
development through networking, facilitation of skills practice and engagement with the
scholarship of teaching
President 2018-2019
• In addition to the president’s duties, with others, organized and facilitated pedagogical workshops
for graduate students and faculty
• Helped launched a new initiative with fellow officer board to directly engage members in the
scholarship of teaching and learning
Co-secretary 2017-2018
• In addition to the secretary’s administrative duties, with others, organized and facilitated
pedagogical workshops for graduate students and faculty
Co-president 2016-2017
• Developed new recruitment strategies, and attended campus events to represent the organization
• With others, organized and facilitated pedagogical workshops for graduate students and faculty
• Organized professional development social events to connect graduate students from across
departments
Secretary 2015-2016
• In addition to the secretary’s administrative duties, with others, organized and facilitated
pedagogical workshops for graduate students and faculty
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Political Science Graduate Student Assembly 2014-2019

• Advocates for the interests of the Political Science Department’s graduate students and fosters an
intellectual and professional development environment for members
Communications Officer 2018-2019
• In addition to the communications officer’s administrative duties, earned grant money to screen
the documentary A Revolution in Four Seasons (2016) and participated in raising additional
funds ($1,000) to support the departmental effort to bring Profs. Amrita Basu and J. Ann Tickner
as guest speakers
• Co-organized a screening and faculty-led discussion of A Revolution in Four Seasons, about
women’s roles in Tunisia’s transition to democracy, featuring an interdisciplinary panel of
University of Cincinnati scholars
2017-2018
• In March 2018, organized a “book distribution party” in which each graduate student received a
free copy of THE PROFESSOR IS IN (2015) by Karen Kelsky, a guide that advises graduate
students on the job market
• With co-organizer, planned and carried out a graduate student collaboration with the English
Graduate Organization for an event open to the public: WINNIE Film Screening, Discussion, &
Reception, 9 November 2017. Screened the 2017 documentary Winnie, which examines the life of
Winnie Mandela and the trope of gendered citizenship, followed by a faculty and student led
discussion panel
Treasurer 2016-2017
• In addition to treasurer’s accounting duties, with others, organized a screening of Madame
Presidenta: Why Not U.S.? which examines female heads of state/government. Was accompanied
by an interdisciplinary faculty panel on female leadership in politics
• Developed, implemented and facilitated a service project on “Women’s Leadership in Politics,
Business and Civil Society” for the Leadership Conference to help undergraduate and graduate
students foster inclusivity of women in leadership roles and advance their own professional
development
• Developed community building project for graduate students to attend the Midwest Political
Science Association’s 2017 Meeting in Chicago for professionalization of our members and to
strengthen our connections to one another (April 2017)
• Ran the group’s Facebook page
President 2015-2016
• Developed a focus for the 2015-2016 year on graduate student professionalization into the
discipline by creating “round table” events that brought graduate students together to learn from
faculty on issues of professional development such as conferencing, publishing, comprehensive
exam preparation and how the academic job search works
• Assisted in writing two grants that brought in outside speakers
• Arranged social opportunities for graduate students
• Assisted in maintaining the Political Science Department’s Blackboard page, Facebook page and
Twitter account on behalf of the graduate student population
Vice President 2014-2015
• Assisted in maintaining the Political Science Department’s Blackboard page, Facebook page and
Twitter account on behalf of the graduate student population
• Assisted in grant writing that brought in an outside speaker
• With fellow offices, assisted in providing opportunities for political science students to attend
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educational lectures and social events, including a lecture by Graham E. Fuller

Political Science Women 2014-2019

• Brings female faculty and graduate students together for professional development and informal
mentoring through regular luncheons
• 2018-2019: Organized semester luncheons
• 2017-2018: Co-organized semester luncheons
• 2015-2016: Co-organized semester luncheons