AMERICAN POLITICS

Raul Guerrero -- Vita

  • Ph.D. (2024).
  • Areas of Interest: American Politics: Racial and Ethnic Politics; LGBTQ+ Politics, Political Behavior; Comparative: Ethnic Conflict, Transitional Justice
  • Dissertation: "Competing Identities? The Interactions between Race, Gender, Sexual Orientation and their Impact on Political Behavior"
  • Committee: Valerie Martinez-Ebers (Chair), Dr. John Ishihyama, Dr. Jacqueline Demeritt, Dr. Regina Branton
  • Email: joseguerrero3@my.unt.edu

COMPARATIVE POLITICS

Michael Mahdi Amiri -- Vita

  • Ph.D. (2023).
  • Areas of Interest: Comparative Islamic-Western Political Thought, Political Corruption, Islamic Jurisprudence and Political Rule, Political Reformation in Islamic Thought, Middle East Politics, Iranian Intellectual History and the impacts of the West, Politics and Theology in Iran, New Technologies and Authoritarian Rule
  • Dissertation: "A Plague on the State? Political Corruption in Machiavelli and Ibn Khaldun"
  • Committee: Richard Ruderman (co-chair), Marijke Breuning (co-chair), John Ishiyama,and Alexander Duff
  • Email: MichaelAmiri@my.unt.edu

Post Basnet -- Vita

  • Ph.D. (2022).
  • Areas of interest: comparative politics, ethnic politics, political parties, civil war, South and Southeast Asian politics.
  • Dissertation: "Ethnic Parties: Their Emergence, Survival, and Impact"
  • Committee: John Ishiyama (Chair), David Mason, Jacqueline DeMeritt, and Ko Maeda.
  • Email: PostBasnet@my.unt.edu

Shelby Jackson -- Vita

  • Ph.D. Candidate (Expected completion 2025).
  • Areas of interest: ethnic politics and conflict, identity and political violence, post-conflict rights, conflict management.
  • Dissertation: "Violence and the Social Construction of Ethnic and National Identities"
  • Committee: John Ishiyama (Chair), Idean Salehyan, Michael Greig, and Roman Hlatky
  • Email: shelbyjackson2@my.unt.edu

Cesar Villegas -- Vita

  • Ph.D. Candidate (Expected completion 2025).
  • Areas of interest: Political Economy, Latin American Politics, Globalization, Inequality.
  • Dissertation: "Understanding the benefits and unintended consequences of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in the developing world"
  • Committee: Glen Biglaiser (Chair), John Ishiyama, Marijke Breuning, and Jacqueline DeMeritt
  • Email: cesarvillegas@my.unt.edu

Michael Widmeier -- Vita, Website

  • Ph.D. (2020)
  • Areas of Interest: Comparative politics, international relations, civil war, rebel organization, causes and consequences of refugees, violence against civilians
  • Dissertation: "Where Do They Come From, and Where Do They Go? Rebel Group Origins and the Dynamics of Civil War"
  • Committee: Idean Salehyan (Chair), John Ishiyama, T. David Mason, and Jacqueline DeMeritt.
  • Email: MichaelWidmeier@my.unt.edu

Sung Min Yun -- Vita

  • Ph.D. Candidate (Expected completion 2025).
  • Areas of interest: Comparative Politics, International Relations, peacebuilding, ethnic politics, civil wars, civil-military relations, human rights, and peasant studies.
  • Dissertation: "Road to Peace? Rebel Type, Power-Sharing, and Political Development in Post-Conflict Societies"
  • Committee: Idean Saleyhan (Chair), John Ishiyama, Ko Maeda, and Michael Greig
  • Email: sungminyun@my.unt.edu

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Yinlong Li -- Vita

  • Ph.D. Candidate (Expected completion May 2025)
  • Areas of interest: International Security, Security Cooperation, Military Alliances, Conflict Management, Interstate Conflict, Chinese Politics.
  • Dissertation: "Reputation & Alliance Dynamics in International Relations"
  • Committee: Andrew J. Enterline (Chair), Marijke Breuning, J. Michael Greig, and John Ishiyama.
  • Email: YinlongLi@my.unt.edu

DeAnne Roark -- Vita

  • Ph.D. (2023). Currently a post-doc at Cornell University.
  • Areas of Interest: International Relations, Gender and Security, Human Rights, Transitional Justice, Conflict Studies, Peace & Peacebuilding, Post-Conflict Political Behavior
  • Dissertation: "Protecting Women?: Causes and Effects of Gender-Informed Transitional Justice"
  • Committee: Jacqueline DeMeritt (Co-Chair), Michael Greig (Co-Chair), Regina Branton, Ashley English, and Kimi King
  • Email: pollyroark@my.unt.edu

Tsukasa Watanabe -- Vita, Website

  • Ph.D. Candidate (expected completion 2025)
  • Areas of Interest: interstate conflict, territorial dispute, and civil war
  • Dissertation: "The Impact of Origin of Territorial Claims on the Escalation, Duration, & Settlement"
  • Committee: Andrew Enterilne (chair), Micheal Greig, Paul Hensel, and John Ishiyama
  • Email: TsukasaWatanabe@my.unt.edu

POLITICAL THEORY

Michael Mahdi Amiri -- Vita

  • Ph.D. (2023).
  • Areas of Interest: Comparative Islamic-Western Political Thought, Political Corruption, Islamic Jurisprudence and Political Rule, Political Reformation in Islamic Thought, Middle East Politics, Iranian Intellectual History and the impacts of the West, Politics and Theology in Iran, New Technologies and Authoritarian Rule
  • Dissertation: "A Plague on the State? Political Corruption in Machiavelli and Ibn Khaldun"
  • Committee: Richard Ruderman (chair), John Ishiyama, Marijke Breuning and Alexander Duff
  • Email: MichaelAmiri@my.unt.edu

Placement Record

Placement Director - Dr. Ko Maeda - Ko.Maeda@unt.edu