As Chair of the Department of Political Science and Geography, I welcome you to the department's website and I hope you find it helpful and useful. I encourage you to take a few minutes and become familiar with the faculty, course offerings, and programs in political science and geography here at Old Dominion University. I am proud to inform you that the department has award winning teachers and distinguished scholars, and offers BA and BS in both Political Science and Geography. Meanwhile, the department has grown very fast in many areas in the past several years, such as the size of student body, number of graduates, choice of courses, and number of the faculty members. This trend of fast growth will certainly continue in the foreseeable future.

Political Science explores how individuals, groups and institutions confront fundamental questions affecting human society. People study politics because they want to understand the relationship between citizens and government, what governments do, and how political and social conflicts can be resolved. BA and BS programs in Political Science in our department prepares students for success in teaching, graduate school and law school, and for careers in both government/public and private sectors.

Geographers analyze regional and global patterns that shape our lives including climate, ecosystems, industry and culture. People study geography because they pursue solutions to social and natural problems within various geographical frameworks. Students major in geography because it provides them with a broad-based background and a command of the tools of geographic research and it leads to careers in business, government or teaching.

We are especially proud of our award winning faculty, some of their latest accomplishments listed below.

Dr. Francis Adams, Chair
Professor of Political Science

Political Science and Geography Faculty Awards, 2012-13

David Earnest, 2013, Robert L. Stern Award for Excellence in Teaching

Glen Sussman, 2013, Charles O. and Elizabeth C. Burgess Award for Faculty Research and Creativity

Jonathan Leib, 2012, Southeastern Association of American Geographers Research Honors Award

Regina Karp, 2013-2014, Faculty Fellow of the Social Science Research Center

Jesse Richmond, 2013, Provost’s Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor

Simon Serfaty, Visiting Scholar of the French Institute of International Relations, Board Member of the Robert Schuman Foundation, and German Marshall Fund Senior Fellow

Steve Yetiv, Louis I. Jaffe Professor in the College of Arts and Letters

Steve Yetiv, Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award of 2012