Political Science Professors are Go-to Media Experts

As presidential politics heats up, Cleveland prepares for the Republican National Convention and budget battles peak in Columbus, BW political science professors are on media speed dial.

Professor Barbara Palmer, who also serves as executive director of the Center for Women in Politics of Ohio and literally wrote the book on Women and Congressional Elections: A Century of Change, weighed in for a Vermont NPR story on efforts to break the statehouse class ceiling, saying the power of incumbency makes it hard for women to break into the offices held mostly by men, and it's an especially steep climb in small, rural states. How to break the imbalance? “It comes down to two words: candidate recruitment,” Palmer said.

In the race for president, Professor Thomas Sutton, helped WEWS-TV5 in Cleveland make sense of Ohio Governor John Kasich's late entry into the GOP nomination battle. "In some ways Governor Kasich is keeping the limelight for himself possibly being the last [to announce]," Sutton told the station. Sutton says Kasich might also be looking to make a splash two weeks prior to the first debate in Cleveland, which could propel him into the top 10 national poll position he needs to participate.

As for state business back in Columbus, Sutton also was tapped by The Plain Dealer for a story on the Ohio's budget battle. Sutton said it was understandable that the Governor tangled with a legislature dominated by his own party given that Kasich's budget proposed a number of tax increases that conservative lawmakers weren't ready to accept.

"The legislature was really reluctant to upset the apple cart and disturb the status quo," he told the paper. "They're not sure what they would gain from it, but they're pretty certain about what they would lose in terms of negative public reaction."

BW Poli Sci Professor On-Air on the 2016 Election

Palmer in-studio at 90.3 WCPN's "The Sound of Ideas"

Baldwin Wallace political science professor, Dr. Barbara Palmer, got the chance to weigh in early on the upcoming presidential race as a featured political expert on the April 15 edition of Mike McIntyre’s 90.3 WCPN (NPR) radio show, “The Sound of Ideas.”

Palmer joined a panel that talked with McIntyre about the upcoming 2016 election and the impact of Hillary Clinton’s recent entrance into the presidential race.

“She’s trying to present herself as someone new,” Palmer said of Clinton’s video announcement of candidacy. "Campaign 101 is you have to tell the voters who you are and tell your story."

Palmer is the co-author of a book titled Women and Congressional Elections: A Century of Change, detailing the ups and downs of women candidates in congressional elections. On the BW campus, Palmer teaches courses in American Politics—including U.S. Government and Politics—and serves as BW’s Legal Studies Advisor and Pre-Law Coordinator.

Audio and video streams of the hour-long interview featuring Palmer are available online through the ideastream website.

BW Student Chronicles Adventures In Morocco

Nikita Martin '17

From the unpredictable winter weather of Northeast Ohio to warm and sunny Morocco, Nikita Martin '17, has enjoyed the change of climate during a semester abroad. Martin and another BW student, Hannah Toberman '17, are studying at Al Akhawayn University located in Ifrane, Morocco. This trip has allowed the students to fully and independently immerse themselves in a new culture.

Students visiting Oudaya, Morocco

Nadia, Nikita '17 (middle) and
Hannah '17 (right) surfing in Rabat

Ifrane, a city in Northern Morocco where English, French and Arabic are the spoken languages, contains an abundance of lakes, mountains and greenery. At Al Akhawayn University, the students stay in dorms, have a meal plan and take classes in different disciplines.

Martin, who describes Morocco as being "absolutely beautiful," has been documenting her adventures on her travel blog, "Marhaba Morocco," where she describes many adventures including a recent spring break trip where she stayed in a tent village, rode a camel in the Sahara, visited the famous main square of Marrakech, and dined on "tasty" sea urchins and sting ray.

Martin, an international studies and political science double major,  is one of five BW students who are blogging their experiences abroad this spring semester.

Student Government Explores Careers at the State Capital

BW Student Government at the Ohio Statehouse

Shortly after celebrating the Inauguration of the newly-elected Executive Branch, BW Student Government hit the road headed to Columbus for Independent College Day, sponsored by the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio (AICUO).

The event, held at the Ohio Statehouse featured a panel discussion about government and policy careers, which included Ohio Legislative Service Commission (LSC) Legislative Fellows, Legislative Aides, and even two State Senators. Students were able to ask questions about these possible future careers and apply the advice to their current college studies.

Afterwards, the group had the opportunity to meet with Senator Tom Patton of Ohio Senate District 24 to discuss his career and ideas for his district. In addition, Representative Mike Dovilla '94 of Ohio House District 7, a BW grad and adjunct Political Science professor at BW, hosted Student Government at an afternoon session. At the end of the day, students left Columbus with an experience that enhanced their personal career development.

BW Student Government with Representative Mike Dovilla

Empowering Experience in D.C.

They connected with a White House correspondent, marveled at the monuments, and noshed with notables. And learned what it means to be successful in Washington, D.C.

“Having the opportunity to speak with powerful and influential women to learn what they do and about the challenges they face was an eye-opening experience,” said Jenna Burnett ‘14, one of 13 students who traveled to the nation’s capital last semester with Dr. Barbara Palmer (political science) as part of her “Women, Politics, and the Media” class.

The students had a robust two-day schedule that included attending a dinner party at the home of Susannah Wellford, founder and president of Running Start, where they met Betty Sutton, administrator of the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp.; Katie Vlietstra, treasurer of Women Under Forty PAC; Sarah Simmons, vice president at Neilson; and David Wasserman, US House analyst with the Cook Political Report.

The following day they visited the Office of Representative Marcy Kaptur and met with her staff; had lunch at the National Press Club with Angela Greiling Keane, White House correspondent for Bloomberg News; and went to the studios of PBS’ "To the Contrary" to meet with host Bonnie Erbé.

Students called the experience “empowering,” “amazing,” and the best kind of learning experience: linking what they did in the class room to the real world.

Grad Featured as "Millennial Expert" in Forbes Article

Author and career coach Antoine Moss, PhD. '05 was asked to weigh in on the generation now entering the job market for a "Forbes" article, "What Millennials And Their Leaders Must Know To Succeed" --published shortly before he will begin sharing his knowledge back on campus later this semester.

The BW grad majored in criminal justice with a minor in psychology, going on to receive his doctorate degree from Cleveland State University at the age of 28. Specializing professionally in helping young college graduates to secure job placement in their dream jobs, Moss offered "Forbes" insight on the Millennial mindset and provided tips on developing workplace leadership tailored to helping the new generation succeed.

"[T]ry to understand millennials [generally those who were born in the 1980s and 1990s] in an effort to understand the ways they can help your company grow," Moss gave as one key piece of advice: "Work towards problem-seeking solutions."

Moss will be bringing his expertise back to the BW community this year, joining the Advisory Committee for the Political Science Department and serving as a guest speaker in a political science class taught by Dr. Tom Sutton.

BW Experiences Help Shape Grad's State Department Career

Coniam in one of the State Department's

original diplomatic reception rooms

Kimberly Coniam ’07, a Foreign Affairs Officer for the Office of Missile Defense and Space Policy at the U.S. Department of State in Washington D.C., is thriving in an amazing career in national security and space policy, traveling the world from South Africa to Vietnam, working to improve the security of outer space.

A graduate with majors in both political science and international studies, Coniam says she first became passionate about national security writing her first academic research paper for a class taught by Dr. Morales-Ortiz. Coniam says this experience eventually led to a yearlong internship at the U.S. Department of State where she was able to apply her research to real world situations.

Participating in BW's Model UN and studying various international organizations also helped the Berea, Ohio native to further develop an interest in foreign affairs. "I can better navigate in an often challenging multilateral setting because of those experiences," she says.

Visiting the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency outside Tokyo

Coniam, who also earned a master's degree at Indiana University, says the opportunity to study abroad twice, first to China and then to Japan, not only reinforced her strong interest in U.S.-Asia relations, but also played an important role in her selection for the 18th class of Mansfield Fellows. The government fellowship program allowed her to work within the Japanese government for a year. "I know the adaptability and independence I gained from my study abroad opportunities contributed to my success."

Coniam adds that "the most crucial [factor] in shaping me and leading to my success" was the mentoring of Dr. Judy Krutky, who "pushed me to always expand my interests, try new things, and never settle; under her instruction, I was taught that it is important to try something new and do something unexpected, and that often these new experiences will be the most rewarding."

Media Taps BW Students, Prof for Midterm Election Coverage

BW students, Marvin Williams and Stephanie Starek,
 in the WEWS TV 5 studios on election night

BW students, Marvin Williams '18 and Stephanie Starek '15, were in the thick of election night coverage this week. The two political science majors worked in the WEWS-TV studios to collect and process midterm voting results for Newschannel 5 viewers.

As a go-to expert on the Ohio political landscape, BW political science professor, Tom Sutton serves as political analyst for WEWS, the Cleveland ABC affiliate, and he appeared in TV-5 news stories both forecasting the turnout and evaluating the results on election night.

Dr. Sutton also was one of the political pundits asked to break down and scrutinize the results for The Jasen Sokol Show on WAKR radio in Akron and for The Sound of Ideas on WCPN 90.3 (ideastream), the Northeast Ohio National Public Radio affiliate.

Among his insights, Sutton finds "interesting" the "common ground issues" that are said to be on the table for a Republican Congress and Democratic President to take on in the next two years, including tax reform and budget reform.

"All eyes are on 2016," he notes, "and it could play into the Democrats hands if nothing gets done and they are able to run against a 'do-nothing' Republican Congress."  

BW Students Plug into Politics at Candidates Forum

Baldwin Wallace students had a hand in promoting voter education in the run up to the November election. The BW Political Science Department and the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland co-hosted a free forum featuring Cuyahoga County Executive candidates, Republican Jack Schron and Democrat Armond Budish on October 15.

Student volunteers representing the College Democrats and College Republicans plugged into the event at Kulas Musical Arts Buildings working as ushers and screeners, collecting and sifting through audience questions for moderator Pam Smith to pose to the candidates. Broadcasting majors were on hand to support the WBWC, 88.3 The Sting live radio broadcast and the BWTV recording of the forum.

A recap in The Cleveland Plain Dealer noted that both candidates "sharpened their attacks" in their final joint meeting before election day. WTAM radio also covered the forum, noting "fireworks" over the battle on expanding voting rights.

The entire forum is available for replay on BOXCAST, starting about 8 minutes into the recording.

BW psychology and Spanish double major Rachel Szeles '17 of Canton and political science major Kevin Kaufhold '18 of Olmsted Township help League of Women Voters volunteers screen questions for issues of local relevance.

BW Plugs into the Political Season

Baldwin Wallace University political science professor Barbara Palmer is quoted for a widely published story on Ohio's gubernatorial race. In an Associated Press story picked up by the Cincinnati Enquirer, Toldeo Blade, Dayton Daily News, Washington Times and others,  Palmer said it's "a stretch" to argue that incumbent Republican Governor John Kasich and his supporters have, as another expert put it,"shut out other conservative voices and attacked FitzGerald full-force because they wanted to win by a landslide in order to pave the way to a White House bid."

“I don’t see Kasich as the scorched earth candidate. He tried the scorched-earth approach with the unions and it backfired, and he’s smart enough to learn from that,” she said. “He seems to be running what I’d call a textbook campaign.”

Meanwhile, BW has been confirmed as the site of one of only two Cuyahoga County Executive candidate forums to be staged this fall. BW's political science department will co-host the event with The League of Women Voters on Wednesday, October 15 at 7 p.m. in Gamble Auditorium. 

Political Science Prof at All-Star Conference on Women in Politics

BW political science professor Barbara Palmer's passion for women and politics took her to Washington D.C. this month, where she was featured as a speaker on the history of women running for office during the Young Women's Leadership Summit sponsored by Running Start.

She's pictured here with Krystal Ball, host of MSNBC's The Cycle, and Jayne Atkinson, who plays Secretary of State Catherine Durant on the popular Netflix original series House of Cards; both appeared on a panel exploring the way women in power are portrayed on TV.

Palmer, who also co-authored Women and Congressional Elections: A Century of Change, is on the advisory council for Running Start, which aims to increase the participation of women in elected leadership roles by educating young women and girls about the importance of politics.

Poli Sci Prof Weighs in on Cleveland Landing RNC Convention

WCPN ideaStream

With the news that Cleveland will host the Republican National presidential convention in 2016, Baldwin Wallace political science professor Tom Sutton weighed in on the big news with WEWS-TV and WCPN radio.

Sutton, who recently returned from a semester in Ghana as a Fulbright Scholar, told the ideaStream NPR station that Cleveland is an appealing choice for the RNC convention.

“We’re talking about an open seat race for the presidency with no incumbents running,” Sutton told the station. “We’re talking about a state with a sitting Republican governor, One with one Republican and one Democratic senator.  And a vast majority of our 16 congress people, 11 of them being Republicans. Despite the fact that we did vote for President Obama.”

Sutton says he is eager to plug BW students into the front-row learning opportunities that the national convention will bring to the University's backyard.

Political Science Professor Talks Ukraine on Alumnus' Radio Show

Political Science and International Studies professor Dr. Judy Krutky joined BW alumnus Jasen Sokol '11 on his Akron talk radio show to discuss the latest developments in Ukraine.

In the clip available for replay on WAKR radio's website, Dr. Krutky explains how recent sanctions will affect the situation between Russia, Ukraine and neighboring nations.

By the way, The Jasen Sokol Show is a recent addition to WAKR's lineup, debuting in late February. Jasen's background, studying political science and broadcasting at BW, came together for his recent interview with Dr. Krutky. In his online biography, Jasen attributes the discovery of his passion for radio while working for WBWC The Sting. He minored in Broadcasting/Communications at BW and went on to earn a Master's degree from Kent State.

In addition to hosting his new midday radio show, Jasen serves as the morning news editor for AkronNewsNow.com and RCRG. You can also catch Jasen delivering morning traffic reports for 1590 WAKR, 97.5 WONE, 94.9 WQMX and 107.3 The WAVE in Cleveland.

Students Elect New Student Body President and Vice President

BW has a newly elected President and Vice President of the student body. Kevin Warman '15 and his running mate, Annette Fetter '15, will lead the BW student community for the 2014-2015 term.

Warman (pictured left), a Political Science, Sustainability and International Affairs triple major from Strongsville, previously served as Student Body Vice President with President Patrick Mahoney '14. In his time as Vice President, Warman made it a priority to promote sustainability for the campus. He is also in the Honors Program, a member of the R. Amelia Harding House for Sustainable Living Hall Council, in the Sustainability Mentorship Program and part of the Honors Recruitment Team.

Fetter (right), a Public Relations major from Stow, is the Director of Alumnae Relations for Alpha Phi, the PR & Marketing Chair for Dance Marathon and is Secretary of Order of Omega. As the past President of Alpha Phi Women's Fraternity and a Summer Orientation Leader, Fetter hopes to use this past leadership experience to enhance her efforts as Student Body Vice President.

The Inauguration Ceremony for the pair was held on February 25 with a dinner celebration at Pickwick and Frolic in downtown Cleveland. Both Warman and Fetter hope to continue efforts to build a more sustainable BW.

Students Shine at Model African Union Conference

Twelve BW students recently traveled to Washington, D.C. for Howard University's 12th Model African Union Conference turning in one of BW's strongest conference performances to date. Six out of 12 students won awards and three won double awards, according to BW Political Science and International Studies professor, Judy Krutky.  

Daniela Muhaj, Matt Kusznir, and Antonio Paris won both the Leadership Award and the Outstanding Delegate in Committee. Sarah Villarreal, Sophie LeGot, and Sundous Eddeb all earned the Outstanding Delegate in Committee.

All students kicked off the conference with a briefing at the Egyptian embassy.

BW Fulbright Researcher Explores and Blogs from Ghana

Dr. Thomas Sutton, a professor and chair of the political science department at Baldwin Wallace University is spending this semester conducting research on a Fulbright Scholar award in Cape Town, Ghana.

In a recent blog post, Dr. Sutton details his family's exploration of the Elmina Castle, a fort built by the Portuguese in 1482 to protect the gold and slave trade. He describes the visit to this historical landmark as an unforgettable and emotional learning experience for his family.

If you'd like to keep up with Dr. Sutton's adventures in Ghana,  you'll find his blog here. 

Students Hired to Research Impact of Bilingual Ballots

Doug Jakyma '14 is among the BW students involved in a BW Community Research Institute (CRI) study into the effectiveness of Cuyahoga County's bilingual ballots. The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections hired CRI to investigate whether bilingual ballots have provided equal access to Spanish-speaking voters. The students kicked off their research by conducting exit surveys at 20 polling locations during the November election.

In an interview with WEWS-TV 5, Jakyma said, "Most of [the people we talked to] liked it the way it was or [preferred] keeping the languages together... rather than having separate ballots." The issue of the ballots came about in 2010, when the Federal Government threatened to sue the Board of Elections under the Civil Rights Act if bilingual ballots were not instituted. The BW CRI study, mentored by Political Science Professor Tom Sutton, is on track to be finished and presented in early 2014.

BW Professor Provides Insight For MPR

Barbara Palmer, a political science professor at BW and co-author of Women & Congressional Elections: A Century of Change, was invited to speak on Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) to talk about the impact of women in the Senate.

Palmer tells MPR listeners that women bring a different perspective and agenda to Congress. She says that only 44 women have been in the Senate since its creation, and that 20 of those women serve now.

Female Senators have been receiving a lot of attention this year since they've played a large role in breaking government deadlocks and have championed the sexual assault initiatives in the National Defense Authorization Act.

The entire MPR discussion can be heard here.

Students Gather Election Results for Channel 5

Brianna Johnson '17 works in the WEWS-TV newsroom

Gathering election night results is an enormous job for news organizations, and four BW students were in the middle of the information-gathering hubbub in the WEWS TV-5 newsroom last night.

The group of students consisted of Education major Courtney DeSchepper '14, Political Science major Brianna Johnson '17, Broadcasting and Mass Communications major Liz Miller '15 and Political Science major Tiffany Artis '15. 

The students manned computers in the newsroom and helped to collect and turn around results for Cleveland's ABC affiliate, as their professor, Tom Sutton contributed on camera analysis to the election night coverage.

Liz Miller '15 crunches election numbers

Sutton, who is chair of BW's Political Science Department, serves as a year-round independent political analyst for Channel 5, providing WEWS with periodic analysis of local and national politics.

Tiffany Artis '15 processes 2013 election results for WEWS-TV

BW Political Science Students Survey Election Opinion

Students in Professor Tom Sutton's Political Science course, Introduction to Political Analysis, engaged in "learning by doing," conducting an election survey showing voter sentiment ahead of the upcoming Lakewood city elections. The students, under the guidance of Sutton, who also directs BW's Community Research Institute, created the survey questions, managed the phone surveys and analyzed the results.  

The class concluded that there was strong support among adult Lakewood residents for the city schools bond issue and levy. Results were published in the Lakewood Observer.

Students in the call center of BW's Community Research Institute, which provides consulting and research services to units of government and government agencies, nonprofits, foundations, political campaigns, school boards, community-based organizations, businesses and the media.