March 2020
UToledo is at the Forefront of Key Election Year Conversations from Ohio's Political Battleground
Every election is an opportunity to bring critical ideas and debates into the classroom. UToledo experts are influencing the political dialogue on issues that are critical in the United States and around the world.
In the newly released "Originalism's Promise: A Natural Law Account of the American Constitution," Lee Strang, J.D., John W. Stoepler Professor of Law and Values in the UToledo College of Law, provides an argument for how Americans should interpret the Constitution.
Sam Nelson, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of UToledo's Department of Political Science and Public Administration and author of "Beyond the First Amendment: The Politics of Free Speech and Pluralism," is a go-to source to advance our understanding of the current political climate for local and national media outlets. He recently wrote in The Hill about the increasing pressure to eliminate the caucus format from presidential primary elections.
Climate change is an important issue for many American voters. Ana C. Alba-Rubio, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemical engineering, is pioneering new materials that empower companies to better reduce carbon emissions and fight pollution through a five-year, $558,795 grant from the National Science Foundation.
Billions are spent during presidential campaigns. Jeff Broxmeyer, Ph.D., in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, is researching the role of money and corruption in politics. His current work in American political development is focused on the wealth accumulated by party leaders during the nineteenth century. He recently likened his Gilded Age research to today's political scene in a piece in The Conversation.
Joseph E. Slater, Ph.D., Distinguished University Professor and Eugene N. Balk Professor of Law and Values, is nationally recognized for his expertise in public labor law and employment discrimination. He recently talked to The Washington Post about Virginia teachers possibly gaining the right to collectively bargain, which would be a historic shift for labor advocates nationwide.
The #MeToo movement has steadily gained momentum to fight sexual harassment around the world - and Professor Nicole Buonocore Porter, J.D., from UToledo's College of Law, has observed that its impact is now much larger than any individual court case.
How best to keep children safe in our schools is discussed in every election cycle. Lisa Pescara-Kovach, Ph.D., leads UToledo's Center for Education in Mass Violence and Suicide to educate and train school leaders and law enforcement in best practices for threat assessment and response.
Joel Voss, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science, has kept a close eye on the recent escalation of military tensions with Iran, as well as the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union. His expertise in international law and human rights is sought by media to explain complex international events.
An expert on transgender rights and military service, Jami Taylor, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration and co-author of "The Remarkable Rise of Transgender Rights." Dr. Taylor also serves on the editorial board for the forthcoming Oxford Encyclopedia of LGBT Politics and Policy (Oxford University Press).
The United States isn't the only target for election hacking - cybersecurity is a concern for democracies around the globe. In addition to two new graduate programs, UToledo's Ahmad Y. Javaid, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, is training tomorrow's workforce on emerging threats and tactics.
What should the role of our government be in our everyday lives? The work of law professor Evan Zoldan, J.D., former trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, is focused on legislative power and government regulation.
Learn More
- SciTechDaily: Research Reveals Public Attitudes About Transgender Athletes
- WTOL11: What the future holds for U.S. and Iran relations
- 13 ABC: Closer look at U.S.-Iran conflict
- Black Press USA: Impeaching a President