Alina Oxendine
Professor - Political Science
Biography
Alina R. Oxendine is Associate Professor and Chair of Political
Science and she is Administrative Head of several programs in the College of Liberal Arts (Communication Studies, Global Studies, Political Science, African American Studies, Middle East Studies and International Journalism). Dr. Oxendine received her BA from Emory University
in International Studies (1997), her MA from Emory University in
Political Science (1997), and her PhD in Political Science from the
University of Minnesota (2007). She has research interests in American
politics, public policy, political psychology and community engagement.
She is co-author of several articles dealing with information technology
and social capital, which have been featured in Political Behavior,
Journal of Social Issues, and American Behavioral Scientist. Dr. Oxendine
received the International Society of Political Psychology (ISPP)’s
Best Dissertation Award in 2008 for her research on economic inequality
and social capital. Her article “City Seclusion and Social Exclusion”
appeared in Urban Social Capital: Civil Society and City Life (March
2012).
Teaching Style
Professor Oxendine teaches a wide variety of courses exploring
contemporary, domestic political issues, including Politics of Urban and
Metropolitan America, American Government and Politics, and Public
Policy and Public Administration. As if American politics weren’t
already dynamic enough, Professor Oxendine enlivens discussions of
political concepts and theories with innovative technologies and active,
student-led learning.
“In my experience, effective teaching is as much
about imaginative instruction and experiential opportunities as it is
about communicating literal knowledge. One of my central goals is to
make the course material accessible and memorable. This creative
challenge, coupled with the excitement of seeing how students will
respond (to lectures, activities, or examples), is what I enjoy most
about my job.”
-Alina Oxendine