Laura D. Young, Ph.D.
I am a professor of political science and founding chair of Political Science, Criminal Justice, and International Studies. I earned my Ph.D. in Political Science from Purdue University and have taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels in American government, research methods, public administration, environmental politics, international relations, and related fields.
My scholarship examines what people believe about institutions and how those beliefs form, as well as how political leaders and states acquire and exercise power. The questions connect political behavior with comparative and historical perspectives.
My work as a chair has given me an opportunity to bring research habits into academic administration: test assumptions, use evidence, build sustainable systems, and keep student and faculty development at the center of decisions.
