WSU PPPA

08/14/2026

08/07/2026

Welcome, Professor Merivaki, to WSU

I was not planning to make an announcement, but I was gifted this beautiful pin of former Speaker Foley from a former legislative aide, and want to show it off: I am excited to begin my new journey as Director of the Thomas S. Foley Institute for Public Service and Public Policy, and Thomas S. Foley...

05/20/2026

🎓✨Will Favell is embarking on an exciting new chapter! ✨🎓Will is to begin a very prestigious two-year postdoctoral fellowship at the Mershon Center for International Security Studies at The Ohio State University. Starting this August, alongside participating in Ohio State University's ongoing and upcoming initiatives, he will conduct his own continuous research on peace, conflict, and international development.

05/19/2026

Congrats to our recently minted Ph.D., Edward Greer, who will be starting a position at Idaho State University this fall. He is set to teach 2 undergraduate courses in American Politics and 1 Graduate Student Seminar beginning this fall.

05/07/2026

PPPA graduate student Joseph Akowuah was selected to serve as a Member of the American Political Science Association’s Committee on the Status of Graduate Students in the Profession for a three-year term. This committee brings attention to issues and concerns affecting PhD students in the discipline. Congratulations, Joseph!

05/01/2026

🎉✨ Celebrating Excellence at PPPA’s Annual Awards Ceremony ✨🎉
The PPPA Annual Awards Ceremony brought together students, faculty, and friends to recognize an incredible year. The event highlighted the very best of what our program represents.
A special congratulations goes out to our scholarship recipients, whose hard work and commitment have earned them well-deserved recognition and support.

04/30/2026

Congratulations to Joe Bolton on the successful defense of his dissertation, The Search for Counter-Partisan Reform: Ideology & Influence in Medicaid & Ma*****na Policy Reform, marking the completion of his PhD in Political Science.

This achievement reflects years of dedication and thoughtful analysis of some of today’s policy challenges.

👏 Please join us in recognizing Joe’s hard work and wishing him continued success in all that comes next!

04/30/2026

🎓✨ Celebrating a Major Milestone! ✨🎓
Please join us in congratulating Yin-Ru Chen on the successful defense of her dissertation and the completion of her PhD in Political Science!
This achievement represents years of dedication, rigorous research, and scholarly excellence. We are proud to celebrate this incredible accomplishment and look forward to all the contributions Yin-Ru will make in the field and beyond.
👏 Congratulations!

04/20/2026

🎓✨ Congratulations to Edward Greer! ✨🎓

Edward successfully defended his dissertation, "What About Straight Pride?" Heterosexuality as a Political Identity, marking the culmination of years of rigorous research, thoughtful analysis, and scholarly dedication as he completed his PhD in Political Science.

👏 Please join us in celebrating this outstanding achievement and wishing him continued success in all that lies ahead!

04/20/2026

🎉 Congratulations to William Favell! 🎉

William has successfully defended his dissertation, “Bridge or Barrier? International aid in Africa”, and earned his PhD in Political Science!

This is a tremendous accomplishment—please join us in celebrating William’s hard work, dedication, and success, and wishing him all the best in his next chapter! 🎓👏