A Celebration of Life was held on May 4, 2022 at Rice University.   The PDF below is a program of that service.   A video of the service and a tribute video of Lyn's life may be found on this website under "Gallery" and then "Video."

Lyn Ragsdale, Ph.D., the Radoslav A. Tsanoff  Professor of Public Affairs, and Professor of Political Science, at Rice University died unexpectedly, in her sleep, at her Houston home on Sunday Dec. 13.     Lyn was a dedicated scholar, educator, administrator, researcher, author, traveler and patron of the arts.   She lived an accomplished, yet self-effacing life.  She was the bedrock of her family and a true friend to many.   A dynamic force, her hard work, intellect, keen insights, wise counsel, generosity, and caring nature, all mixed with a good sense of humor will be greatly missed.  


Lyn was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin the eldest child of Elywin Ragsdale and Carolyn Mantei Ragsdale.  In 1963, the family moved to Tempe, Arizona, where she developed her passion for politics, perhaps from her daily childhood ritual of watching the evening news and thoroughly reading the local newspapers.  Lyn graduated from Tempe High School in 1971.  The first in her family to go to college, she obtained a B.S. in Political Science with high honors from Arizona State University, 1974; MA 1978, and Ph.D. University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI., 1982, in political science.


In 1983, Professor Ragsdale joined the political science faculty at the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ.   From 1988-1991 she served as Director of the University of Arizona Survey Research Center.   She was the head of the Political Science Department at the University of Illinois, Chicago from 2001-2006.  From 2006-2016 she served as the Dean of Social Sciences at Rice University, the first woman to hold this position.  In 2017, after stepping down as Dean, she returned to her true passions of teaching, researching and writing.  Lyn greatly enjoyed mentoring her Rice students, and seeing them grow in their intellectual pursuits. 


Lyn was the past president of the Western Political Science Association, and had served as the editor of the Political Research Quarterly.  She was also a member of the editorial boards of numerous other academic journals.   Lyn was the American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow, Named William A. Steiger Fellow (as best fellow of the year), Washington, D.C., 1990-1991. She was an Honors Professor for Arizona-Iowa Consortium Study Abroad Program, London, England, 1989.  In 1984-1985 she was a Russell Sage Fellow, Russell Sage Foundation, New York, New York.  And, in 1983, she was a visiting professor at the University of Iowa.  


Lyn was a scholar on American politics, the presidency, and electoral behavior.  She was passionate about academia, and continually strived to contribute to the expansion of scientific knowledge.  Lyn authored The American Nonvoter. New York: Oxford University Press, 2017,(with Jerrold G. Rusk). Vital Statistics on the American Presidency 4th ed. Los Angeles: Sage Press, 2014. (3rd edition received the Richard A. Neustadt Award for Best Research Group, 2010; First edition, 1996 won the American Library Association’s Choice Award for the best reference work of the year.) Presidential Politics. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin, 1993.  And, The Elusive Executive: Discovering Statistical Patterns in the Presidency. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Press, 1988 (with Gary King). She is the author of numerous articles and book chapters, and a frequent presenter at scholarly conferences.  At the time of her death she was actively working on her latest book, Shattered: Donald Trump and the American Presidency. 


In 2019, she received the Betty Moulds Award for Contribution to the Profession, Western Political Science Association.  


Lyn was a beloved wife, mother and sister.  In 1988, she married fellow political scientist, Jerrold “Jerry” Rusk and they had 32 wonderful years together sharing  academic pursuits, music, sports, theatre and travel.  Her greatest achievement was the birth of her son, Matthew Ragsdale Rusk in 1993.  There was no greater pride and joy in her life than Matt, who was the center of her world.  Lyn loved to travel, was a fabulous cook, and enjoyed the arts, especially ballet.  She shared her passion for ballet onto Matt, and she was overjoyed when he became a professional ballet dancer.  She attended his every performance.  


Lyn is survived by her husband Jerry Rusk, Houston, Texas; son Matthew Ragsdale Rusk, St. Louis Missouri; sister Tracy Ragsdale, (Alan Carpenter), Freeland, Washington; numerous cousins, cherished friends and colleagues.  Her parents preceded her in death.  Despite a painful and disabling spinal condition, Lyn lived every moment to its fullest, without complaint or surrender.  Her mind was a vast wealth of knowledge, energy and spirit.


Due to the pandemic, a celebration of life will not be held until February 24, 2022, 4PM, Kraft Hall, Rice University when we hope to come together to honor a life well lived.  If the vaccine should afford a societal recovery in less than 12 months, allowing people to once again safely gather, then an earlier date will be chosen.  For those interested in attending the 2022 celebration, please email Tracy Ragsdale, trmediationlaw@gmail.com .


In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. Louis Ballet, (greatly compromised in these Covid times) 218 THF Blvd., Chesterfield, MO., 63005, or https://www.stlouisballet.org  support.


With sadness in our hearts for a departure too early, but with joy for having known her, and gratitude for all that she taught us, we say farewell, with love eternal.

Rice mourns political science professor and former Dean of Social Sciences
https://news.rice.edu/news/2020/rice-mourns-political-science-professor-and-former-dean-social-sciences
 
Lyn Ragsdale | Faculty | The People of Rice | Rice University
https://profiles.rice.edu/faculty/lyn-ragsdale

Award, plaque to honor legacy of former Dean of Social Sciences Lyn Ragsdale
https://news.rice.edu/news/2021/award-plaque-honor-legacy-former-dean-social-sciences-lyn-ragsdale

Academic Training 

University of Wisconsin, Ph.D., 1982; M.A., 1978 

Arizona State University, B.S. 1974 (with high honors)

Academic Appointments


Radoslov Tsanoff Professor of Public Affairs, Professor of Political Science, Rice 

University, 2006- 

Professor of Political Science, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2001-2006 

Professor of Political Science, University of Arizona, 1994-2001

Associate Professor of Political Science (with tenure), University of Arizona, 

1987-1994 

American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow, Named William A. 

Steiger Fellow (as best fellow of the year), Washington, D.C., 1990-1991 

Honors Professor for Arizona-Iowa Consortium Study Abroad Program, London, 

England, 1989 

Russell Sage Fellow, Russell Sage Foundation, New York, New York, 1984-1985 

Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Arizona, 1982-1987 

Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Iowa, 1983

Administrative Appointments



Dean, Rice University, School of Social Sciences, 2006-2016 

Head, University of Illinois—Chicago, Department of Political Science, 2001- 

2006 

Director, University of Arizona Survey Research Center; 1988-1991

Editorship 

Editor, Political Research Quarterly, the official journal of the Western Political 

Science Association, 1996-2000 (with William J. Dixon)

Academic Recognition 

President, Western Political Science Association, 1998-1999 

President, Presidents and Executive Politics Section, American Political Science 

Association, 2012-2013


Rice mourns political science professor and former Dean of Social Sciences
https://news.rice.edu/news/2020/rice-mourns-political-science-professor-and-former-dean-social-sciences

Lyn Ragsdale | Faculty | The People of Rice | Rice University
https://profiles.rice.edu/faculty/lyn-ragsdale

Award, plaque to honor legacy of former Dean of Social Sciences Lyn Ragsdale
https://news.rice.edu/news/2021/award-plaque-honor-legacy-former-dean-social-sciences-lyn-ragsdale

Books 

The American Nonvoter. New York: Oxford University Press, 2017, 

(with Jerrold G. Rusk). 

Vital Statistics on the American Presidency 4th ed. Los Angeles: Sage Press, 

2014. (3rd edition received the Richard A. Neustadt Award for Best 

Reference Book, American Political Science Association, Presidency 

Research Group, 2010; First edition, 1996 won the American Library 

Association’s Choice Award for the best reference work of the 

year.) 

Presidential Politics. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin, 1993. 

The Elusive Executive: Discovering Statistical Patterns in the Presidency. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Press, 1988 (with Gary King).

Articles and Book Chapters


“The Obama Legacy in American Electoral Participation,” in Looking Back on President Barack Obama’s Legacy,”ed. Wilbur Rich. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2019.

"Studying the Presidency: Why Presidents Need Political Scientists," in The Presidency and the Political System. 11th ed. ed. Michael Nelson. Los Angeles: Sage Press, 2018, forthcoming. 

“Casting Votes: The National Campaign Context and State Turnout, 1920-2008, Political Research Quarterly, 64(December 2011): 840-857. 

“Personal Power and Presidents” in M. Kumar, L. Jacobs, and R. Shapiro, Presidential Power Revisited. New York: Columbia University Press, 2003. 

"The Presidency and the Press: Negotiating Newsworthiness at the White House," in The Presidency and the Political System. 6th ed. ed. Michael Nelson. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Press, 2000, pp. 325-360 (with Timothy E. Cook). 

“Elections and Presidential Policy Making” in Presidential Policy Making, ed. Steven A. Shull, New York: M.E. Sharpe, Inc., 1999, 98-116 (with Jerrold G. Rusk).

“The Institutionalization of the American Presidency, 1924-1992,” American Journal of Political Science 41 (October, 1997), 121-139 (with John J. Theis, III). 

"Disconnected Politics: Presidents and Public Opinion" in Understanding Public Opinion, eds. B. Norrander and C. Wilcox. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 1997, 229-251. 

"Politics Not Science: U.S. Space Programs in the Reagan and Bush Years," in The Myth of Presidential Leadership: False Hopes and the Decline of the U.S. Space Program, ed. R. Launius and H. McCurdy. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1997, 131-169. 

"Candidates, Issues, and Participation in Senate Elections," Legislative Studies Quarterly, 29 (August 1995): 305-320 (with Jerrold G. Rusk). 

"Old Approaches and New Challenges in Legislative Elections Research," Legislative Studies Quarterly, 28 (November, 1994): 537-582. 

"President and Congress: An Overview," in The Encyclopedia of the United States Congress, ed. D. Bacon, R. Davidson, and M. Keller. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1994. 

"Who Are Nonvoters? Profiles from the 1990 Senate Elections," American Journal of Political Science, 37 (August, 1993): 721-746 (with Jerrold G. Rusk).

"Strong Feelings: Emotional Responses to Presidents," Political Behavior, 13 (March, 1991): 33-65. 

"Do Voters Matter? Democracy in Congressional Elections," in Congressional Politics, ed. Christopher Deering. Homewood, Il: Dorsey Press, 1989, 17-39. 

"Campaigns for Campaigners: A Review Essay," Western Political Quarterly, 40 (December, 1987): 735-748. 

"Presidential Speechmaking and the Public Audience: Individual Presidents and Group Attitudes," Journal of Politics, 49 (August, 1987): 704-736. 

"Representatives' Actions and Challengers' Reactions: Limits to Candidate Connections in the House," American Journal of Political Science, 3l (February, 1987): 45-81 (with Timothy E. Cook). 

"The Politics of Presidential Speechmaking, 1949-1980," American Political Science Review, 78 (December, 1984): 971-984.

"Responsiveness and Legislative Elections: Toward a Comparative Study," Legislative Studies Quarterly, 8 (August, 1983): 339-378. Reprinted in G. Loewenberg et al., Handbook of Legislative Research. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1985, 57-96. 

"Incumbent Popularity, Challenger Invisibility, and Congressional Voters," Legislative Studies Quarterly, 6 (May, 198l): 201-218. 

"The Fiction of Congressional Elections as Presidential Events," American Politics Quarterly, 8 (October, 1980): 375-398.

“Presidents’ Tough Choices: Major Decisions since Truman.” Article manuscript, 2019. 

“The Public is Still Listening: The Dynamics of Presidential Speechmaking and Public Opinion Revisited.” Article manuscript, 2019.

Work in Progress 

Shattered: Donald Trump and the American Presidency. Book manuscript in progress, 2019

Book Reviews 

Review of Mary Stuckey, Defining Americans: The Presidency and National Identity. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2004 in Perspectives on Politics, 3 (December 2005): 211- 212.

Review of George Edwards, John Kessel, and Bert Rockman, eds. Researching the Presidency, in American Political Science Review, 87 (December, 1993): 1022-1024. 

Review of Richard Brody, Assessing the President, in American Political Science Review, 86 (September, 1992): 793-794. 

Review of Jeffrey Tulis, The Rhetorical Presidency, in Congress and the Presidency, 15 (Autumn, 1988): 202-203. 

Review of Edie Goldenberg and Michael Traugott, Campaigning for Congress, in American Political Science Review, 79 (March, 1985): 205-206. 

Review of L. Sandy Maisel, From Obscurity to Oblivion: Congressional Primary Elections in 1978, in American Political Science Review, 78 (June, 1984): 513-514.

Grants and Awards 

Betty Moulds Award for Contribution to the Profession, Western Political Science Association, April 2019 

National Science Foundation, 2-year $159,000 grant, received December 1999 for the period March 2002-May 2004 

University of Arizona, Social and Behavioral Science Research Institute, Research Grant, received Spring, 1999 

University of Arizona, Social and Behavioral Science Research Institute, Research Professorship, received Fall 1999 

University of Arizona, Social and Behavioral Sciences Research Institute, Research Development Grant, Summer, 1993 

American Political Science Association William A. Steiger Congressional Fellowship Award, 1990-1991 (for best fellow of the year) 

University of Arizona, Social and Behavioral Sciences Research Institute, Summer Grant, Summer, 1990 

University of Arizona, Social and Behavioral Sciences Research Professorship, Fall, 1988 

University of Arizona nominee for National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Stipend
Award, 1987

University of Arizona nominee for Five Star Teaching Award, 1987 

University of Arizona, Social and Behavioral Sciences Research Institute Small Research grant, 1986. "The President of Which People? Toward a Study of Executive Representation." National Science Foundation proposal, January, 1986

Conference Participation and Talks 

“Trump, the First Populist President,” Remarks at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Political Science Association, Austin, January 2019 

“The American Nonvoter,” Paper presented at School of Advanced Study Conference at the University of London, London, May 2018 

“Who Are Nonvoters,” Paper presented at Conference at Venice International University, Venice, April 2017 (with Jerrold Rusk). 

“Making American White Again: The Trump Candidacy,” Talk at Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam, April 2016 

“Higher Education Administration: Opportunities and Pitfalls,” Remarks at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Political Science Association, New Orleans, January 2015. 

“The Obama Presidency in Historical Perspective,” Remarks at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Political Science Association, New Orleans, January 2015. 

“New Research on the American Presidency,” Remarks at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Chicago, August 2013.

“University Leadership and Administration: The Tale of Two Agendas,” Remarks at the Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago April 2012. 

“Obama and the Politics of Depolarization” Remarks at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Political Science Association, New Orleans January 2012. 

“Retrospective on Timothy Cook’s Contribution to Political Communication Research,” Remarks at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Seattle, September 2011. 

“Obama Overload,” Remarks presented at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Political Science Association, New Orleans, January 2011.

“Presidents and Congress in Conflict,” Remarks presented at the Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, April 2009. 

“Presidents, the Constitution, and Major Decisions,” Remarks presented at the Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, April 2008. 

“Between the Parties: Bush Approval,” Remarks at the American Political Science Association Meeting, Washington, D.C. August, 2005. 

“The Bush Presidency in Historical Context,” Remarks at the Midwest Political Science Association Meeting, Chicago, April 2005. 

“Bush, Public Opinion and the War in Iraq” Remarks presented at the Southern Political Science Association Meeting, New Orleans, January 2004. 

“Presidential Decision Making,” Remarks presented at the Midwest Political Science Association Meeting, Chicago, April 2003. 

“Bush at War,” Remarks presented at the Southern Political Science Association Meeting, Savannah, November 2002. 

“Bush and Presidential Power,” Remarks presented at the Midwest Political Science Association Meeting, Chicago, April, 2002. 

“Clinton and the Presidency Survive Impeachment,” Remarks presented at the American Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Boston, September 1998. 

“The Unresolvable Dilemmas of Presidential Representation” Paper presented at Conference on American Democracy Entering the Twenty-First Century,” Northeastern University, Boston, October, 1997. 

“Men In Congress,” Remarks as an invited moderator at the Northern Arizona 

University Conference on Women in Congress, Flagstaff, AZ, September, 1997. 

“The Personalization of Power in the Presidency?” Remarks as an invited facilitator at the Columbia University Conference on The American Presidency, November 1996. 

“Institutional Autonomy and Divided Government,” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting, American Political Science Association, San Francisco, September 1996.

“The Use of Simulations in Teaching the American Presidency,” Remarks presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, San Francisco, September 1996. 

“The Clinton Presidency and the 1996 Election,” Remarks presented at the Annual Meeting of the Western Political Science Association, San Francisco, March 1996. 

“The Clinton Presidency at Midterm” Remarks presented at the Annual Meeting of the Western Political Science Association, Portland, OR, March 1995. 

"Candidates, Issues, and Participation in Senate Elections," Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, New York, September, 1994 (with Jerrold G. Rusk).

"The Institutionalization of the American Presidency, 1924-1992." Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, April, 1994 (with John J. Theis). 

"Politics Not Science: U.S. Space Programs in the Reagan- Bush Years." Paper presented at the NASA Symposium on Presidential Leadership, Congress, and the U.S. Space Program, 1953-1992, Washington, D.C., March, 1993. 

"The Quantitative Study of Presidential Civil Rights Policy." Remarks presented at a Roundtable on Presidents and Civil Rights, at the Annual Meeting of the Western Political Science Association, San Francisco, March, 1992. 

"The Several Profiles of Nonvoting." Paper with Jerrold G. Rusk, presented at the Stanford University-Hoover Institute Conference on Senate Elections, Stanford, November, 1991. 

"Comparing House and Senate Elections." Remarks presented at the University of Houston-Rice University Conference on Electing the Senate, Houston, December, 1989. 

"Comparative Legislative Elections." Remarks presented at a Roundtable on Legislative Elections at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Chicago, August, 1988. Reprinted in "Extension of Remarks," APSA Legislative Studies Section Newsletter, 1988. 

"Presidential Policy Responsiveness to Citizen Preferences." Paper with Gary King, presented at the Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, April, 1987.

"The President of Which People? Toward a Theory of Executive Representation." Paper with Gary King, presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Washington, D.C., August, 1986. 

"Presidents and Publics: The Dialogue of Presidential Leadership." Paper presented at the Annual Meeting, American Political Science Association, New Orleans, August, 1985. 

"The Politics of Presidential Speechmaking, 1949-1984: An Update on Reagan." Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association Washington, D.C., August, 1984. 

"The Many Meanings of Incumbency: Great Britain and the United States." Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, April, 1983.

"Connecting the Styles from Washington to Home: Constituency Perceptions of their Representatives in Congress." Paper with Timothy E. Cook, presented at the Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, Milwaukee, April, 1982. 

"The Fiction of Congressional Elections as Presidential Events." Paper presented at the University of Houston-Rice University Conference on Congressional Elections, Houston, April, 1979.

Professional Service 

Editorial Boards 

Member, Editorial Board, Political Research Quarterly, 1994-1996, 2000-2005 

Member, Editorial Board, American Journal of Political Science, 1991-1994 (Under Michael Lewis-Beck, Editor) 

Member, Editorial Board, American Journal of Political Science, 1988-1991 (Under David Rohde, Editor) 

Member, Editorial Board, Legislative Studies Quarterly, 1988-1991 

Member, Editorial Board, Political Behavior, 1984-1990 

Other Service 

Member, American Political Science Association, Trust and Development Committee, 2013-2016

President, Presidents and Executive Politics Section, American Political Science Association, 2012-2013 

Vice President, Presidents and Executive Politics Section, American Political Science Association, 2011-2012 

Secretary/Treasurer, Presidency Research Group, American Political Science Association, 2010-2011 

Section Head, Southern Political Science Association Annual Meeting, New Orleans, January 2011 

Member, American Political Science Association, Committee on Professional Ethics and Responsibility, 2007-2012 

Member, Council of the Midwest Political Science Association, 2005-2008 

Member, External Review Team for Department of Political Science, Michigan State University, 2004

Section Head, Southern Political Science Association Annual Meeting, New Orleans, January 2004 

Section Head, Midwest Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, April 2002 

Member, Executive Council for the Center of Presidency and Congressional Studies, American University, Washington, D.C., 1999-present 

Program Chair, Western Political Science Association Annual Meeting, March,1998. 

Local Chair, Western Political Science Association Annual Meeting, March,1997. 

Member, Presidency Research Group Executive Council, American Political Science Association, 1996-1999 

Member, Selection Committee for Congressional Fellowship Program, American Political Science Association, 1996-1997 

Section Head (Presidents and Other Executives) for the American Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, August, 1995 

Member, Presidency Research Group Steering Committee, American Political Science Association, 1990-1993

Section Head (Presidents and Other Executives) for the Western Political Science Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco, March, 1992 

Member, Senate Election Study Board, National Election Study, 1990-1992 

Member, Pi Sigma Alpha Committee Award for Best Conference Paper, Midwest Political Science Association, 1990 

Member, National Review Board, National Science Foundation, 1989-1991 

Member, E.E. Schattschneider Dissertation Award Committee, American Political Science Association, 1986-1987 

Member, Richard E. Neustadt Book Award Committee, American Political Science Association, 1986-1987 

Section Head (Executive-Legislative Politics) for the Southwestern Political Science Association Annual Meeting, San Antonio, March, 1985 

Member, Committee on the Status of Women, Midwest Political Science Association, 1982-1984 

Member, American Political Science Association; Member, Legislative Studies Research Group, Presidency Research Group, American Political Science Association; Midwest Political Science Association, Southern Political Science Association, Western Political Science Association



 

University and Community Service 

Chair, Rice University, Department of Political Science, Personnel Committee, 2018-2019; Member 2017-2018 

Member, Rice University, Crisis Management Team, 2017-2018 

Member, Rice University, Department of Political Science, Diversity Committee, 2017-2018 

Member, Rice University, Dean of the Business School Review Committee, 2014 

Member, Rice University, Dean’s Review Policy Committee, 2013-2014 

Member, Rice University, Space Strategy Committee, 2013-2014

Co-Chair, Rice University, Committee on Enrollments, 2010-2011 

Member, Rice University-Baylor College of Medicine Committee on Academic Member, Rice University, President’s Committee on Diversity, 2007-2009 

Co-Chair, University of Illinois at Chicago, Search Committee for the Head of the Department of Criminal Justice, 2005-2006. 

Member, University of Illinois at Chicago, Search Committee for Director of Institute of Government and Public Affairs, 2004-2005 

Member, University of Illinois at Chicago Truman, Rhodes, and Marshall Scholarships Advisory Committee, 2001-present 

Member, University of Illinois at Chicago Advisory Board for the Office of Social Science Research, 2001-present 

Member, University of Illinois at Chicago Advisory Board for Survey Research Methodology, 2003-2004 

Co-Chair, University of Illinois at Chicago Search Committee for the Head of Sociology, 2002-2003 

Member, University of Arizona, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Promotion and Tenure Committee, 1999-2001 

Member, University of Arizona, Department of Political Science Recruitment Committee, 1999 

Member, University of Arizona, Strategic Planning and Budget Committee, 1997- 1999 

Member, University of Arizona, Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure, 1996-1997 

Member, University of Arizona, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Dean’s Faculty Advisory Committee, 1995-1997 

Member, University of Arizona, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences Strategic Planning Committee, 1995-1996 

Chair, University of Arizona, Department of Political Science Senior Scholar and Headship Recruitment Committee, 1995-1996 

Member, University of Arizona, Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure Panel, 1995.

Lecturer, University of Arizona, Extended University Series for Elder Hostel, 1994 

Reviewer, University of Arizona, Small Grants Program, 1994 

Member, University of Arizona, Department of Political Science, Graduate Studies Committee, 1993-1996 

Member, University of Arizona, Department of Political Science, Headship Search Committee, 1992-1993 

Member, University of Arizona, Honors Program Selection Panel for Truman Scholars, 1992-1995, 1998 

Member, University of Arizona, Instructional Computing Advisory Committee, 1992 

Member, University of Arizona, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Dean Search Committee, 1991-1993 

Member, University of Arizona, Department of Political Science, Strategic Planning Committee, 1991-1992 

Member, University of Arizona, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Budget and Strategic Evaluation Committee, 1991-1992 

Member, Board of Directors, Vote Network, Tucson, Arizona, non-profit organization to involve high school students in the political process, 1992-1993 

Member, University of Arizona, Honors Program Selection Panel for Truman Scholars, 1991-1992 

Member, University of Arizona, Department of Political Science, Merit Review Committee, 1991-1992 

Member, University of Arizona, Department of Political Science, Recruitment Committee, 1989-1990 

Member, University of Arizona, Department of Political Science, Recruitment Committee, 1986-1987 

Member, University of Arizona, Department of Political Science, Graduate Studies Committee, 1986-1987 

Member, University of Arizona Department of Political Science, Administrative Committee, 1985-1986 

Member, University of Arizona, Department of Political Science, Research Productivity Committee, 1983

Research Interests 

American Presidency, Electoral Behavior 

Teaching Interests 

Presidency, Congress, American Political Institutions