Political Science and Public Policy

Meet the Political Science Faculty & Staff

Full-Time Faculty

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Anne F. Boxberger Flaherty
Associate Professor and Department Chair, Political Science
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Matthew Cohen
Assistant Professor of Practice
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Kirstie Lynn Dobbs
Lecturer
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He Li
Professor, Political Science
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Kevin J. McGravey
Assistant Professor, Political Science
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Bradley Miller
Director, Master of Public Affairs Program
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Alison Russell
Associate Professor, Political Science and Director, International Studies Program
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Harry Wessel
Associate Professor, Political Science

Department Administrator

Brenda Comerford

Administrative Assistant, Political Science
Cushing 16
978-837-5168
comerfordb@merrimack.edu

Adjunct Faculty and Emeriti

Name	Contact Info	Title	Office
Khatera Alizada		Adjunct Lecturer	Cushing 17A
Robert Chwaliszeski	978-837-3450	Adjunct Lecturer and Pre-Law Adviser	Cushing 17A
David Golden	978-837-5507	Ajunct Lecturer, Director of Residence Life	Sakowich, 374
Mary McHugh	978-837-5123	Adjunct Lecturer, Exec Director of Civic & Community Engagement, Stevens Service Learning Center	Sakowich, 340
Curtis Martin		Professor Emeritus

<section class="content-fluid-slider-container content-fluid dark section" style="background:url('/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,670/ignore_cropper/1/21767_F5_-_Dan_Curran_-_Twitter.rev.1599682621.png'); background-size:cover;"><div class="container"><div class="row no-gutters"><div class="col-lg-9"><span class="label">Office of Communications and Marketing</span><a class="hover-yellow" href="/live/news/4949-athletics-fast-five-with-head-football-coach-dan" title="Athletics Fast Five with Head Football Coach Dan Curran" aria-label="Athletics Fast Five with Head Football Coach Dan Curran"><h3>Athletics Fast Five with Head Football Coach Dan Curran</h3></a> <p>In this week’s edition of “Fast Five: Quick Q&As with Members of the Merrimack Community,” we talk to Head Football Coach, <a href="https://merrimackathletics.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/dan-curran/996" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dan Curran</a>. Curran, a former NFL player, shares his passion for the game of football, his affinity for coaching and the importance of developing quality student-athletes. </p></div><div class="col-lg-3"><div class="d-table h-100 "><div class="d-table-cell align-middle"><img src="/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,670/ignore_cropper/1/21767_F5_-_Dan_Curran_-_Twitter.rev.1599682621.png" alt="Head Football Coach Dan Curran says he and his coaching staff instill the value of hard work, discipline, and sacrifice and develop their team members as people first and as student-athletes second."/></div></div></div></div></div></section>
<section class="content-fluid-slider-container content-fluid dark section" style="background:url('/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,670/ignore_cropper/1/21380_F5_Janet_Ierardi_Twitter.rev.1588791908.jpg'); background-size:cover;"><div class="container"><div class="row no-gutters"><div class="col-lg-9"><span class="label">Office of Communications and Marketing</span><a class="hover-yellow" href="/live/news/4921-faculty-fast-five-with-janet-ierardi" title="Faculty Fast Five with Janet Ierardi" aria-label="Faculty Fast Five with Janet Ierardi"><h3>Faculty Fast Five with Janet Ierardi</h3></a> <p>In this week’s edition of “Fast Five: Quick Q&As with Members of the Merrimack Community,” we talk to obstetrics nurse and associate clinical professor of nursing Janet Ierardi who teaches in the <a href="/nursing">nursing program at Merrimack</a>. </p></div><div class="col-lg-3"><div class="d-table h-100 "><div class="d-table-cell align-middle"><img src="/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,670/ignore_cropper/1/21380_F5_Janet_Ierardi_Twitter.rev.1588791908.jpg" alt="The first in her family to attend college, Janet Ierardi has been teaching nursing for more than 15 years and tells her students to "squeeze every drop out of learning.""/></div></div></div></div></div></section>
<section class="content-fluid-slider-container content-fluid dark section" style="background:url('/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,670/ignore_cropper/1/21758_rickey-caldwell.rev.1599077275.jpg'); background-size:cover;"><div class="container"><div class="row no-gutters"><div class="col-lg-9"><span class="label">Office of Communications and Marketing</span><a class="hover-yellow" href="/live/news/4947-merrimack-college-awarded-nsf-grant-for-machs" title="Merrimack College Awarded NSF Grant for MACHS Scholars Program" aria-label="Merrimack College Awarded NSF Grant for MACHS Scholars Program"><h3>Merrimack College Awarded NSF Grant for MACHS Scholars Program</h3></a> <p>Merrimack secures NSF grant for new STEM program to support high-achieving, low-income students. </p></div><div class="col-lg-3"><div class="d-table h-100 "><div class="d-table-cell align-middle"><img src="/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,670/ignore_cropper/1/21758_rickey-caldwell.rev.1599077275.jpg" alt="Principal Investigator Dr. Rickey Caldwell, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering"/></div></div></div></div></div></section>
<section class="content-fluid-slider-container content-fluid dark section" style="background:url('/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1920,1080/ignore_cropper/1/21260_MC_Church1.rev.1587317585.jpg'); background-size:cover;"><div class="container"><div class="row no-gutters"><div class="col-lg-9"><span class="label">Office of Communications and Marketing</span><a class="hover-yellow" href="https://www.merrimack.edu/covid-19/addressing-financial-hardships/index.php" title="Merrimack Establishes Student Emergency Fund" aria-label="Merrimack Establishes Student Emergency Fund"><h3>Merrimack Establishes Student Emergency Fund</h3></a> <p>As a testament to our Augustinian value of service to others and in the wake of this ongoing health crisis, Merrimack has established the Student Emergency Fund to assist those students who are facing additional financial hurdles due to COVID-19. </p></div><div class="col-lg-3"><div class="d-table h-100 "><div class="d-table-cell align-middle"><img src="/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1920,1080/ignore_cropper/1/21260_MC_Church1.rev.1587317585.jpg" alt="Merrimack church"/></div></div></div></div></div></section>
<section class="content-fluid-slider-container content-fluid dark section" style="background:url('/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2071/ignore_cropper/1/21746_DSC_6585.rev.1598540033.jpg'); background-size:cover;"><div class="container"><div class="row no-gutters"><div class="col-lg-9"><span class="label">Office of Communications and Marketing</span><a class="hover-yellow" href="/live/news/4948-merrimack-offers-new-global-pandemics-course-about" title="Merrimack Offers New Global Pandemics Course About COVID-19" aria-label="Merrimack Offers New Global Pandemics Course About COVID-19"><h3>Merrimack Offers New Global Pandemics Course About COVID-19</h3></a> <p>Merrimack’s new course Global Pandemics: Challenges and Opportunities in the Context of COVID-19 offers students the opportunity to examine COVID-19 through the lens of multiple fields of study and practice. </p></div><div class="col-lg-3"><div class="d-table h-100 "><div class="d-table-cell align-middle"><img src="/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2071/ignore_cropper/1/21746_DSC_6585.rev.1598540033.jpg" alt="Students in Global Pandemics: Challenges and Opportunities in the Context of COVID-19 will learn about the economics of pandemics, post-pandemic recoveries and more. "/></div></div></div></div></div></section>
<section class="content-fluid-slider-container content-fluid dark section" style="background:url('/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,670/ignore_cropper/1/21675_LM-FF.rev.1594916487.jpg'); background-size:cover;"><div class="container"><div class="row no-gutters"><div class="col-lg-9"><span class="label">Office of Communications and Marketing</span><a class="hover-yellow" href="/live/news/4940-alumni-fast-five-with-nurse-lauren-maher-16" title="Alumni Fast Five with Nurse Lauren Maher ’16" aria-label="Alumni Fast Five with Nurse Lauren Maher ’16"><h3>Alumni Fast Five with Nurse Lauren Maher ’16</h3></a> <p>In this week’s edition of “Fast Five: Quick Q&As with Members of the Merrimack Community,” we talk to alumnus Lauren Maher ’16. Lauren shares her path to becoming a nurse, how Merrimack influenced her career choice and how she’d like to come back and share her knowledge with current nursing students. </p></div><div class="col-lg-3"><div class="d-table h-100 "><div class="d-table-cell align-middle"><img src="/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,670/ignore_cropper/1/21675_LM-FF.rev.1594916487.jpg" alt="Merrimack alumnus and nurse Lauren Maher '16 advises students to know they don't have to have it all figured out while they are in college."/></div></div></div></div></div></section>
<section class="content-fluid-slider-container content-fluid dark section" style="background:url('/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,670/ignore_cropper/1/21759_MC-logo-only.rev.1599138227.jpg'); background-size:cover;"><div class="container"><div class="row no-gutters"><div class="col-lg-9"><span class="label">Office of Communications and Marketing</span><a class="hover-yellow" href="https://www.merrimack.edu/about/offices_services/communications/notable-quotable/" title="See What Our Talented Faculty Have Been Up To" aria-label="See What Our Talented Faculty Have Been Up To"><h3>See What Our Talented Faculty Have Been Up To</h3></a> <p>Merrimack professors across all disciplines have been winning awards, publishing papers, participating in academic panels and workshops, and featured in the media. </p></div><div class="col-lg-3"><div class="d-table h-100 "><div class="d-table-cell align-middle"><img src="/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,670/ignore_cropper/1/21759_MC-logo-only.rev.1599138227.jpg" alt="Merrimack College logo with shield"/></div></div></div></div></div></section>
<section class="content-fluid-slider-container content-fluid dark section" style="background:url('/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/ignore_cropper/1/21792_MC_CampusWide_2020_SM.rev.1600291298.jpg'); background-size:cover;"><div class="container"><div class="row no-gutters"><div class="col-lg-9"><span class="label">Office of Communications and Marketing</span><a class="hover-yellow" href="/live/news/4950-merrimack-college-named-again-to-us-news-world" title="Merrimack College Named Again to U.S. News & World Report’s Best College Rankings" aria-label="Merrimack College Named Again to U.S. News & World Report’s Best College Rankings"><h3>Merrimack College Named Again to U.S. News & World Report’s Best College Rankings</h3></a> <p>Merrimack College announced it has been named, for the third year in a row, a “<a href="https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/merrimack-college-2120/overall-rankings" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Top 50 Comprehensive College,” by U.S. News & World Report</a>, while remaining one of the top 10 “Most Innovative” schools. The College’s steady ascent in these rankings is a great external endorsement of its strategic vision. </p></div><div class="col-lg-3"><div class="d-table h-100 "><div class="d-table-cell align-middle"><img src="/live/image/gid/67/width/1000/height/500/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/ignore_cropper/1/21792_MC_CampusWide_2020_SM.rev.1600291298.jpg" alt="Merrimack maintains its steady ascent up the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Rankings."/></div></div></div></div></div></section>

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