John Ishiyama, University of North Texas

Council, 2007-09

John Ishiyama is now a professor at the University of North Texas.  Prior to that, he was Professor of Political Science and Director of the Ronald E. McNair program at Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri. The federally-funded McNair program prepares first-generation college, low-income students, and students from groups underrepresented in higher education, for graduate study. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Michigan State University, an MA in Russian and East European Studies from the University of Michigan, and a BA from Bowling Green State University. He is the author or editor of three books, 83 journal articles (in such journals as the American Political Science Review, PS: Political Science and Politics, Comparative Political Studies, Comparative Politics, Political Science Quarterly, Political Research Quarterly, Europe-Asia Studies and Party Politics) and book chapters on party politics, ethnic politics, and post communist Russian, European, and African politics . He has also written widely on curriculum development, educational opportunity, and educational assessment. In addition, he is a Research Fellow at the University of Kansas’ Center for Russian and East European Studies. Currently, he serves as Editor-in-Chief  (and was founding editor) of the Journal of Political Science Education, the journal of the APSA Political Science Education (formerly Undergraduate Education) section.

He was selected as the 2004 Missouri Professor of the Year by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. He was named a 2003-2004 National Carnegie Foundation Scholar, and received the 2003 Allen Fellowship for Faculty Excellence, the 2003 Missouri Governor's Award for Excellence in Teaching, the 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 APSA/Pi Sigma Alpha Awards for Teaching in Political Science and the 1999 William O'Donnell Lee Award for academic advising. He has also been an Educator of the Year Finalist at Truman eight times.

He has been a member of the APSA’s Teaching and Learning Committee since 2005 and was on the APSA’s Teaching and Learning Conference program committees in 2004, 2005 and 2006. He was also the Chair of the APSA’s Undergraduate Education Section from 2002-2005. He is currently the President of the International Studies Association-Midwest, and is a member of International Studies Association’s Professional Development Committee. In addition, he is a Social Science Councilor in the Council of Undergraduate Research. He serves on the editorial boards of Party Politics and Controversia  and was previously the editor of the Political Science Educator (section newsletter) and a Reviews Editor for International Politics.