Political Science Faculty

All full-time faculty members hold Doctoral Degrees in Political Science, with specializations in nearly all the major subfields.  Our faculty combine dedication to teaching with the excitement of active scholarship.  We participate in professional conferences and publish with academic presses or scholarly journals or law reviews.

Dr. Ruth Alminas
Chair/Associate Professor of Political Science

Interests

  • Armed Conflict and Conflict Management
  • Internal Displacement
  • Nongovernmental Organizations
  • Organizational Theory
  • Social Network Analysis

Education

  • Ph.D., Political Science, University of Arizona, 2012
  • M.A., Political Science, University of Arizona, 2008
  • M.A., Religion, University of Chicago Divinity School, 2005
  • B.A., Religious Studies, University of Colorado at Boulder, 2000

Contact:

Phone Icon 970-247-6166
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Leonardo Alvarado
Assistant Professor of Political Science

Education:

  • L.L.M., Indigenous Peoples’ Law and Policy, University of Arizona College of Law, 2005
  • J.D., University of Arizona College of Law, 2004
  • M.A., American Indian Studies, University of Arizona, 2000
  • B.A., International Relations, Fort Lewis College, 1997

Areas of expertise: 

  • International Human Rights Law and Policy
  • Comparative Law and Policy on Indigenous Peoples’ Rights
  • Legal Pluralism and Transitional Justice
  • Public Law and Public International Law

Contact:

Phone Icon 970-247-7256
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Dr. Paul DeBell
Associate Professor of Political Science
Assistant Dean of Impact and Innovation

Expertise

  • Comparative Politics
  • Political Psychology
  • Populism and Anti-Establishment Movements 
  • Campaigns and Elections
  • Political Communications and Media
  • Democratization
  • Post-Communist Politics

Education

  • Ph.D., Political Science, The Ohio State University, 2016
  • M.A., Political Science, The Ohio State University, 2011
  • B.A., Government and Philosophy, College of William & Mary, 2006

Contact:

Phone Icon 970-382-6953
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Dr. Kathryn Linares-Gray
Gender & Sexuality Studies Coordinator
Assistant Professor of Political Science and Gender & Sexuality Studies

Expertise:

  • Gender and politics
  • Immigration, refugee, and asylum politics in the US context
  • Race, gender, and US political institutions
  • Gendered violence
  • Feminist theory

Education:

  • PhD, Political Science, University of Oregon, 2015
  • MA, Political Science, University of Colorado, Denver, 2008
  • BA, Political Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, 2005

Contact:

Phone Icon 970-247-7357
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Dr. Michael Rendon
Assistant Professor of Sociology and Political Science

Areas of Expertise:

  • Population and consumption
  • Circular economy
  • Informal recycling sector
  • Public policy

Education

  • Ph.D., Sociology, Universitat Autonomo de Barcelona, 2020
  • M.A., Political Science, University of Colorado Denver, 2016
  • B.A., Population Studies, Fort Lewis College, 2000

Contact:

Phone Icon 970-247-6255
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Adjunct faculty

Emelie Frojen
Adjunct Faculty
efrojen@fortlewis.edu

Emeritus faculty

Dr. Kenyon Bunch
Professor of Political Science
bunch_k@fortlewis.edu

Dr. Byron Dare
Professor of Political Science
dare_b@fortlewis.edu