this issue

Faculty Research P.1 Students on the move P.4

Tuck Earns Award P.7 MMSC P.8

PSPA

Monthly Newsletter of Political Science and Public Administration

ISSUE 02 April 2010

This edition focuses on many activities occurring in the Department. However, the chief focus is the research produc-

tivity of the faculty. All of the faculty are engaged in primary research and publication, and are contributing to the

body of knowledge in our fields of political science and public administration. They achieve this while performing ex-

cellently in the other major roles they play teaching and service. In this issue, in addition to providing documentation

of works by faculty that came to print in 2009, we are featuring the work of two of them: Assistant Professor Bethany

Stich (pictured on this page), and Professor Robert Buchanan.

The research of Professor Robert J. Buchanan focuses on health policy. The most recent part of it has been on

health policy regarding Multiple Sclerosis (MS). In 2009, he received $450,000 from the National Multiple Sclerosis

Society (NMSS) to conduct a three year study on children and adolescents who have a parent with the disease. This

study will focus on the social, psychological, and educational impacts of parental MS on the child, as well as the

quality of life for the child. This is important because MS affects not only people diagnosed with the disease, but their

families as well. Analyzing existing data in the national Slfka Study of people with MS funded by the NMSS, we learn

that almost one third of adults with MS have children under the age of 18 years. Those with a parent affected by

chronic illness are considered children at risk. Compared to children with healthy parents, children with a parent af-

fected by MS are more likely to have depression and anxiety, as well as to have higher levels of hostility, interper-

sonal difficulties, and lower life satisfaction.

Dr. Buchanan’s study will assess any unmet needs for programs and services, within these families and, will analyze

the child’s experiences assisting the parent with MS perform daily activities. He will also assess the impact of this in-

formal care giving on the child. To carry out the work, Professor Buchanan and a team of medical experts he has as-

sembled, will conduct a study of about 500. Data will be collected using two approaches: (1) Focus groups of chil-

dren affected by parental MS; and, (2) Ten cohorts of at least 50 children (12-17) years old affected by parental MS

using a longitudinal web-based survey. In the end, this research will provide a comprehensive description and analy-

sis of the special situation and needs of children affected by parental MS, and will include recommendations for pro-

grams and services to meet the unmet needs of these children and their MS-affected families.

Focus on Faculty Research Productivity

Dr. Bethany Stich

Continued from pg 1

2

Assistant Professor, Bethany Stich specializes in transportation policy. Dr. Bethany Stich joined MSU in 2006, after

receiving the PhD in Public Administration from Virginia Tech University. Among the subfield research interests on

which she spends time are long range planning, corridor planning, citizen engagement, community development, and

environmental compliance. Her industry and expertise in these areas of transportation policy have earned her con-

tinuous external support from some of the most competitive sources, and made her a leading, highly sought after re-

searcher within the community of transportation scholars.

A project currently underway is researching railway infrastructures. It explores the positive effects of combining

Homeland Security issues with regional transportation infrastructure decision-making and economic development

potential within the State of Mississippi and southeast region. This Southeast Regional Research Initiative (SERRI)

utilizes freight flow-modeling and Railroad Routing Visualization and Analysis (RRVA) software REMI and EMSI eco-

nomic modeling software, together with GIS and Remote Sensing applications to develop visualizations and imagery

illustrating the impact a man made and/or natural disaster would have on the region’s transportation network. This

combined approach provides a geographically specific, but highly transferable demonstration of a solution relevant to

the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The external support for this project is just under one million dollars.

A second project is the Columbus and Greenville (C&G) Railroad revitalization effort that is of great significance for

economic development in Mississippi. This Delta Regional Authority Project (100,000) will provide the economic de-

velopment and transportation system data, workforce analysis, community involvement, and preliminary engineering

necessary for revitalization of 93 miles of the rail line from West Point to Greenwood.

2009 Publications by Faculty

Ainuson, Kweku, “Approach to Water Policy Change in Ghana. A Loot at Belief Systems and Policy,” Journal of Afri-

can Studies and Development. Vol. 1(2) 2009.

Buchanan, Robert, “A Longitudinal Study of Cognition in Nursing Home Residents with Multiple,” Disability and Reha-

bilitation Vol. 31(21): 2009 p. 1734-41.

Buchanan, Robert & Radin, Dagmar, “Informal Care Giving to More Disabled People with Multiple Sclerosis,” Disabil-

ity and Rehabilitation Vol. 31(15): p. 1244-56, 2009.

Buchanan, Robert, “Age-Related Comparisons of People with Multiple Sclerosis Receiving Informal Care,” Neurore-

habilitation 25(4): 2009 p. 271-8.

Buchanan, Robert & Radin, Dagmar, “”Gender Comparisons of People with Multiple Sclerosis Receiving Informal

Care,” Women and Multiple Sclerosis: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Quality of Life.

French, P. Edward, “Employment Laws and the Public Sector Employer: Lessons to be Learned from a Review of

Lawsuits Filed Against Local Governments,” Public Administration Review Vol. 69(1) 2009 p. 92-103.

French, P. Edward, “The New Mental Health Parity Law: Issues and Concerns for Public and Private Sector,” Review

of Public Personnel Administration Vol. 29(2) 2009 p. 189-196.

French, P. Edward, “Implications of the Family and Medical Leave Act for Local Governments Helping Administrators

Understand the Law,” Review of Public Personnel Administration Vol. 29(1) 2009 p. 76-88.

French P. Edward, “Accessing the Impact of Perceived School Board Effectiveness on Financing K-12 Education in

Tennessee,” Journal of Public Budgeting Accounting, and Financial Management Vol. 21(1) 2009.

French, P. Edward, “Eleventh Amendment Immunity in Contemporary Practice: Revisiting the Legal Liability of Local Government in America,” Politics and Policy Vol. 37(6) 2009 p. 1215-1234.

French, P. Edward and Eric S. Raymond. “Pandemic Influenza Planning: An Extraordinary Ethical Dilemma for Local Government Officials” Public Administration Review Vol. 69, No. 5, (2009) pp. 823-830.

French, P. Edward and Eric S. Raymond. “Pandemic Influenza Vaccination Distribution: Evaluating the Poli-cies of Several large Municipalities Across the United States” Journal of Emergency Management Vol. 7, No. 3 (2009) pp. 33-41.

French, P. Edward and Rodney E. Stanley. “Evaluating increased Enrollment Levels in Institutions of Higher Education: A Look at Merit-based Scholarship Programs” Public Administration Quarterly Vol. 33, No. 1, (Spring 2009) pp. 3-30. Lead Article.

Goodman, Doug, “Incentives and Obstacles to Drug Court Implementation: Observations of Drug Court,” Justice Policy Journal Vol. 6 2009 p. 2-22.

French, P. Edward and Goodman, Doug, “The New Mental Health parity Law: Addressing the Concern of Numerous Players in Health Care Policy,” Review of Public Personnel Administration Vol. 29(2) 2009 p. 189-196.

Morrison, Minion K.C., “Creating a Transnational Network of Black Legislators in the Americas: with M. Mitchell and O. Johnson. National Political Science Review. 12:227-246:2009.

Radin, Dagmar and Robert Buchanan, “Gender Comparisons of People with Multiple Sclerosis receiving

Informal Care Giving,” Women and Multiple Sclerosis, 2009.

Buchanan, Robert & Radin, Dagmar, “Informal Care Giving to More Disabled People with Multiple Sclero-

sis,” Disability and Rehabilitation Vol. 31(15): p. 1244-56, 2009.

Shaffer, Stephen, “New Voices in the Old South: How Women and Minorities Influence Southern Politics,” The Changing Role of African Americans and Women in the New South.

Shaffer, Stephen, “Political Encyclopedia of U.S. States and Regions,” Mississippi 2009 p.255-266.

Shaffer, Stephen, “The New Politics of the Old South: An Introduction to Southern Politics,” Mississippi: Emergence of a Modern Two-party State 2009 p.93-112.

Stanievski, Dragan and Hugh T. Miller. (2009). “The role of government in managing intercultural relations: Multicultural Discourse and the Politics of Culture Recognition in Macedonia,” Administration & Society 41(5) p. 551-575.

Stich, Bethany, “ Proceedings Mississippi Water Conference” Collective Active Regimes in Inland Marine Port Clusters: The Case of the Tennessee, 2009.

Stich, Bethany, “Leveraging a Flat World with Intermodal Hubs,” Global Horizons Vol. 2 (2) Spring 2009.

Waide, Whit, American Governance, Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall Hunt, 2009.

3

Remembering the Fall of the Berlin Wall

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, on November 9, 2009 the MSU library

organized a university event featuring a group of five faculty members from two departments. The event was partly sponsored by the Department of Political Science and Public Administration with the participa-tion of three of our faculty members: Jeffrey Cavanaugh, Dagmar Radin, and Rick Travis. Dr. Cavanaugh spoke about the Cold War from a perspective of international politics discussing the main issues of the pe-riod and the reasons for its duration and ending, while Dr. Travis’ presentation focused on the decision making of the Bush administration and how the end of the Cold war affected both short and long-term US foreign policy orientations. Finally, Dr. Radin talked about the development of communism in Yugoslavia and the particular position that country held during the Cold war period. Held in the Grisham Room of the Mitchell Memorial Library, the event drew a large group of students and faculty from across the university.

Former Kentucky Gov. Visits MSU

WELCOME TO CAMPUS — Former Kentucky Gov. Paul E. Patton, left, now president of Pikeville College in the eastern part of the Bluegrass State visited Mississippi State this week to meet with various campus officials and educators to discuss leadership programs at the university. Patton visited political science and public administration instructor Whit Waide's constitutional law class to speak to students about his experi-

ences in leadership. Photo by Kenny Billings

Paul E. Patton, & Whit Waide

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Alexandra Hui, Stephen Brain, Dr. Travis, Jason Phillips,

Dr. Radin, Nancy McCarley, and Dr. Cavanaugh

Nikki Comby, who will graduate in May from the MPPA program, has left an unsurpassable mark on the PSPA department. Comby is the first Native Ameri-can to enter the MPPA program. Comby is originally from Minne-sota, but currently lives in Phila-delphia, MS. She received her B.S. from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2008, in Child and Family Studies. Comby entered the MPPA pro-gram in Spring 2009 and will be graduating May 2010. Comby is an active member of the Missis-sippi Band of Choctaw Indians located in Choctaw, MS. During her time at MSU Comby has worked as a Graduate Assistant for many of the professors and currently serves as a teaching assistant for adjunct professors. Comby said that she has ob-tained a lot of knowledge from working with professors and from classes. She plans to use her education to advance the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. Comby lives by the motto, “The worst they can say is no.” One of Comby’s future goals is to pursue the PhD in Public Policy and Administra-tion.

5

On Sunday February 28, 2010 Aaron Rollins, currently working on a Ph.D. in

Public Policy and Administration, served as the keynote speaker for the Spring-

field M.B. Church Annual Black History Program. The program was centered on

the life and legacy of Langston Hughes. In his address, Rollins focused on

Hughes’ impact on political, social, and economic equality in America. He inte-

grated several of his personal life experiences into the address in an attempt to

encourage others to continue to strive for success in spite of difficult situations.

He also included several of Hughes’ poems including the renowned “Mother to

Son,” which reiterated the sentiments that “Life for me aint been no crystal

stair.” Rollins concluded the address with Hughes’ poem “Let America be

America Again.” In this poem Hughes points out several of the flaws in the ide-

als of equal opportunity and freedom in the America, exhorting us to make the

“American Dream,’ available to African Americans too. Rollins ended with this

poem because he, like Langston Hughes, is optimistic about the fact that Amer-

ica can live up to its ideals for all.

Students On The Move

PSPA Graduate Students hold Three GSA Positions

PSPA graduate students hold three of the four leadership positions in the MSU

Graduate Student Association: Beth Rauhaus, PhD student, President; Braxton

Stowe, MPPA student, Treasurer; and Courtney Walker, MA student, Secretary.

It is noted that President Beth Rauhaus also received her MA degree from

MSU. The GSA meets monthly to provide a forum for graduate students to net-

work with peers, learn about campus support services, and express concerns

on both academic and non-academic issues.

Aaron Rollins Nikki Comby

6

Over this spring Semester the Mississippi State Pre-Law So-

ciety, under the direction of Faculty Advisor Whit Waide, has

continued to strive to prepare students for the legal world.

Members have been given the opportunity to partake in a

wide range of activities including trips to courts, law firms,

and law schools, as well as taking advantage of free pro-

grams to help them practice for the LSAT.

In February, the Society hosted representatives from the

Kaplan testing company to conduct a sample LSAT class.

Instructor Morris Mitchell provided tips on logical reasoning

for the reading comprehension portions of the LSAT and

fielded student questions. In March, several Society members

visited Jackson, MS to listen to two oral arguments at the Su-

preme Court. The Pre-Law Society was grateful to establish

ties with MSU alums serving on the Supreme Court—Justices

Bill Waller Jr., George Carlson Jr., Jess Dickinson, and David

Chandler. After the cases, the members met other alums Phil

Abernethy, Trey Bourn III, Tommie Cardin, Mark Carriga,

John Healy III, and James McDaniel, all of who gave great

insights into life in the legal profession. In April, the Society

visited the Mississippi College School of Law, where Dean

Jim Rosenblatt and Ms. Amy Ward provided a tour and al-

lowed members to sit in on a Criminal Procedures lecture,

and to go through a mock admissions council. To wrap up the

semester Atty. Julie Brown of Starkville, gave a talk showing

students how rewarding a JD degree can be.

Through the year Pre-Law Society Members were able to see

the law school experience firsthand, from which they gained a

better understanding of the profession. If you would like to

learn more about MSU Pre-Law Society, or receive its publi-

cation, The Bulldog Lawyer, please contact PLS President

Taylor Luczak at msuprelawsociety@gmail.com.

MSU MPPA Student chosen as ASPA

2010 Founders’ Forum Fellow

MPPA Master’s student Kenna Walsh was recently selected

to attend the American Society of Pubic Administration

(ASPA) conference in San Jose, Calif., as a Founders’ Forum

Fellowship scholarship recipient. ASPA combines a wealth of

practitioner and academia in the field of public service. The

organization’s annual conference provides an opportunity for

both parties to come together and share information about

developing trends in public administration.

Pre-Law Society Golf Charity Outing

“I am truly honored to receive such an award, but also, I am

honored to represent the students and faculty at Mississippi

state University at the national level, “Walsh said. “Putting

MSU’s MPPA program in the national arena benefits the pro-

gram as a whole.”

As a master’s student representative, Walsh said one re-

peated suggestion she hears from MPPA students involves

networking and opening doors for employment and internship

opportunities. Alumni and faculty create networks, and events

like the ASPA conference nudge MSU’s name further into the

spotlight.

“The more MSU’s MPPA program is repeated among re-

spected scholars and practitioners, the more opportunities

afforded to students,” she said. “I hope to spread the word

about our department’s superb instructional capabilities and

our energetic, diverse student body.”

The conference ran from April 9 to 13 and featured national

speakers including Paul Volcker, chairman of President

Obama’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board and former

chairman of the Federal Reserve; John Berry, the director of

the U.S. Office of Personnel Management; David Walker,

president and CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation; and

Norman Mineta, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation.

These speakers joined a host of well known scholars and

administrative professionals who led discussions in topics

including health policy, global policy initiatives, emergency

management, government accountability, social equity, and

public budgeting.

Kenna Walsh

MPPA Alum Earns top award from Women’s Higher Education Group

Advises the president on issues of im-

portance to women at the university.

She held the state’s second-highest

elective office 2000—08, and is only

the second woman to hold the position

in the state’s 193-year history. She

also was District 15 state senator for

1990-95 and secretary of the Missis-

sippi Senate 1996-99.

In 2009, the Mississippi Business Jour-

nal recognized Tuck as one of Missis-

sippi’s 50 leading business women, and

in 2008 she was appointed by then-

President George W. Bush to the Presi-

dent’s Commission on White House

Fellowships. She holds two degrees

from MSU, a bachelor’s in political sci-

ence and a master’s in public policy

and administration. She also earned a

law degree at Mississippi College.

By: Maridith Geuder

MSU Student invited to attend 62nd

Japan-America Student Conference

One of our senior students, Mr.

Taylor Luczak, has been invited to

attend the 62nd Japan-America

Student Conference (JASC). Each

summer, nearly 80 students from

universities across Japan and the

United States convene to discuss

some of the hottest topics facing the

two nations. The program alternates 7

The Greater Starkville Partnership ex-

tends congratulations to our Board

Chairman. Amy Tuck, special assistant

to the president at Mississippi State, is

the 2010 selection for the Women in

Higher Education-Mississippi Network’s

Leadership Award. The annual honor

recognizes women in higher education,

said Anna Faye Kelley-Winders, outgo-

ing WHEMN president and host of the

group’s recent annual conference.

“Amy Tuck has been an outstanding

advocate of higher education, both in

her public service roles and in her posi-

tion at Mississippi State University,” said

Kelley-Winders, vice president of Mis-

sissippi Gulf Coast Community College.

Mississippi’s former lieutenant governor

and an Oktibbeha County native, Tuck

was nominated by MSU President Mark

Keenum.

“Amy’s may years of work in state gov-

ernment and academia reflect a strong

record of support for wide-ranging

women’s issues and a desire to inspire

others to higher levels of achievement,”

Keenum said. “Amy has traveled

across Mississippi to speak to Women

in Agriculture, Women in Higher Educa-

tion and Women Distinction, focusing on

the theme that women should take ad-

vantage of every opportunity to pursue

their dreams,” he added. Each commu-

nity, junior and senior college in the

state appoints a WHEMN representative

to help facilitate career paths and lead-

ership opportunities for both female ad-

ministrators and students.

The Mississippi network is part of a na-

tional organization established in 1973

by the American Council on Education.

In addition to serving as MSU’s repre-

sentative to the organization, Tuck also

is a member of the MSU President’s

Commission on the Status of Women, a

group that promotes networking and

Students the rare opportunity to see

places, whether at home or abroad,

and learn about their culture through

the eyes of others.

This conference is of great prestige,

especially among the Japanese, and

previous student participants have in-

cluded the Hon. Kiichi Miyazawa, the

former Prime Minister of Japan and

Dr. Henry A. Kissinger, the former U.S.

Secretary of State. The list of promi-

nent Japanese participants also in-

cludes at least ten others who have

served either as a Cabinet Minister in

the Japanese government or at the

Ambassadorial rank in the Japanese

Foreign Ministry.

In addition to Taylor, MSU has had

only one other student to attend, Mr.

Christopher Gunning who was a par-

ticipant in 1997 and 1998. Today, Chris

is a Foreign Service Officer in U.S.

State Department. He is currently

posted in Equatorial Guinea, after hav-

ing served previously in Bangladesh

and Japan. There is little doubt that

JASC helped to open doors for Chris

and we anticipate similar benefits will

come Taylor’s way.

Sp Asst Amy

Taylor Luczak

Mississippi Model Security Council

Mississippi Model Security Council (MMSC) is a long standing tradition, dating back to 1979, at Mississippi State University that is administered through the De-partment of Political Science and Public Administration. As a Model United Nations entity, MMSC is an aca-demic simulation of the United Nations Security Council that aims to educate participants about international re-lations, public responsibility, effective communication, globalization, and multilateral diplomacy.

Serving on the Security Council is quite different from other organizational committee within the United Na-tions. Many delegates find that while the Security Council is very exciting, it is also very challenging and demanding. First of all, delegates have an open agenda whereby they are allowed to discuss any topic that is relevant to its defining mandate. Secondly, dele-gates must be familiar with other member states’ for-eign policies as relationship dynamics that occur be-tween one member state and another can greatly change. And third, delegates may be faced with a im-pending crisis.

MMSC is the state’s only educational and programmatic conference focusing on international peace and security that provides a well-trained staff of college students who act as a bridge in facilitating high school students’ understanding of crucial and long-standing security is-sues and strategies. The program also offers a relaxed atmosphere that is conducive to an enjoyable learning experience while allowing high school students to be exposed to a college setting.

This year marked MMSC’s 31st annual conference, with

the theme Facing the Challenge of Globalization. It was held on Thursday, February 25 through Saturday, Feb-ruary 27, 2010 at the Colvard Student Union. More than 200 high school students descended on Mississippi State’s Colvard Union to try their hand at diplomacy. Students assume the role of an international ambassa-dor during the simulations. “It really opens their eyes to different backgrounds,” Northwest Rankin sponsor Terry Hunt explained. “It’s kind of a way for them to see the world from right here in Mississippi.”

This years’ distinguished guest was the Honorable Bis-marck Myrick, who is former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Liberia (1999-2002) and Lesotho (1995-1998). Amb. Myrick is also an Army veteran, and has been awarded the decorations of Silver Star, the Purple Heart, and four Bronze Stars for the heroism in combat. He has also been inducted into the U.S. Army Hall of Fame.

Special guests included Head of Political Science and Public Administration K.C. Morrison; Vice President for Finance and Administration Mike McGrevey; Vice Presi-dent for Research and Economic Development David Shaw; Provost Jerry Gilbert, Director of Shackouls Hon-ors College Nancy McCarley; Dean of the Mitchell Me-morial Library Frances Coleman; Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences David Breaux; and Fulbright Scholar from Ireland, Phillip Robinson.

8

Drew Cleek, Taylor Luczak, Jennifer Purh, Caleb Zombro,

Taylor Clark, Ambassador Bismarch Myrick, Daniel Gin-

gerich, Sarah Coffey, Jay Windham, and Ross Hood

High School Diplomats

Photograph by Shea Staskowski

Newsletter Comments

If you have any comments,

questions, or have information

for the newsletter please send

an email to

dlm215@msstate.edu or call

662.325.2711.

Dexter McKinney

Editor

PSPA

ISSUE 02 April 2010

Political Science and Public Administration

Bowen Hall 105

Starkville, MS 39762

662.325.2711 ph

6623252716fax

9

Cambodian Fulbright Student Attends MSU

Hok Roth, a native from Cambodia, is a student in the department pursing a

PhD in Public Policy and Administration. Roth said that he made the right

choice by attending MSU. He has the highly coveted and competitive Ful-

bright Fellowship for graduate studies, which will support him through his stud-

ies at MSU. Prior to coming to the US, Roth attained the Masters degree in

Applied Linguistics at Macquarie University (Australia), and the BA degree in

Education and English at the University of Phnom Penh (Cambodia). He was

employed as the Deputy of the Institute of Foreign Language at the Royal Uni-

versity of Phnom Penh just before attainment of the Fulbright Award.

Roth chose to further his education to become a more effective leader. He

says, “Leadership is not about having others serve us, but it is about the

choice you make and the courage you have to provide service to the people

who follow you.” Roth plans to take the knowledge and skills learned from

MSU and apply them as an administrator to help with Cambodian develop-

ment. Before attending MSU, Roth was the Deputy Director of Institute of For-

eign Language at Royal University of Phnom Penh, and plans to return to his

position upon graduating in December 2012.

Hok Roth