Susan Lockhart (e-mail)
Chair of the Political Science Department, Professor of Political Science
B.A., Colby College; M.A., University of Nevada (Reno); Ph.D., University of California (Davis)

Jennifer Abbassi (e-mail) (web site)
Professor of Political Science
B.A., California State University; Ph.D., University of California

I see international studies from the perspective of outer space looking down: viewing all the simultaneous and overlapping forces that connect and repel to make relations across the globe so fascinating. Seeing movements -- of people, from tourists to terrorists; commodities, from computers to cocaine; and services, from security to sexual slavery -- reveals both the interdependence and unevenness of the globalization process. As a teacher, I encourage my students to consider these dynamics within a human security framework in which the benefits and contradictions of globalization are examined.

A question I am currently researching concerns one country's use of force against another. What does going to war in order to fight suspected terrorists imply for both the existing norms of war and long-term human security needs? As an international law specialist, I am fascinated by the argument that, in the unprecedented circumstances of a post-9/11 world, the old rules of waging war no longer apply, since they were not written to take into account terrorists and weapons of mass destruction. How can these rules be made more flexible without causing more harm than good?

I am a humanitarian at heart, always looking at such questions with a critical eye, and pushing myself and my students to see past the symptoms to the fundamental causes of global insecurities. It's not unusual for me to pose as a two-year old in class, asking a student why? Why? WHY? as a way to lead her to the root of the problem. This skill was developed in part from being the parent to two curious girls, whose WHY questions rarely go unanswered!

Mari Ishibashi (e-mail)
Associate Professor of Political Science
B.A., Sophia University, (Japan); M.A., Ph.D., University of Notre Dame

Originally from Japan, I first came to the United States as an exchange student and became a strong advocate of exchange programs. After completing my B.A. at Sophia University (Jouchi Daigaku) in Tokyo, I jumped into the field of policy research, working with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) members of the Japanese parliament. My desire to learn about domestic and global politics from a very different spectrum brought me to the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and later I earned my Ph.D. in political science at the University of Notre Dame.

What I hope for my students is to discover a life-long joy of developing a greater appreciation of and celebration for the differences and commonality of humankind. I would like them to understand the world by making connections among different pieces of knowledge they acquire in various disciplines. I would like my students to open their minds and hearts to different predicaments of other peoples and critically reflect on important issues which affect not only them but also others in the world.

My research interest has been on minority politics, especially the Korean minority in Japan. Most recently, I have been examining different factors behind decisions made by the local governments in Japan to allow foreign residents participation in referendums. My courses include Introduction to East Asian Politics, Gender Politics in Asia, Ethnic and Political Conflict in Asia, Introduction to World Politics, Peace and Conflict Resolution and Political Research.

When I am not on campus, I spend a lot of time with my husband, Carl and our son, Elliott.

Mitra Nafissian-Rash (e-mail)
Adjunct Instructor in Political Science
B.A., Manhattenville College; M.A., New York University