Faculty
Faculty
Faculty Members
Dr. Matthew Guardino
Department Chair
Howley Hall 319
(401) 865-2547
mguardin@providence.edu
Dr. Adam Myers
Assistant Department Chair
Howley 317
401-865-2648
amyers2@providence.edu
Teaching in one of the PC’s largest departments, political science faculty members possess expertise in an array of topics including campaigns and elections, civic engagement, communications and the media, constitutional law, democracy and development, Latino and black politics, globalization, race, gender and sexuality, social justice and equality. Our faculty study many aspects of American politics as well as numerous other countries, with particular strengths in East Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.
For more information, we invite you to browse the profile links on this page.
New Faculty! (Fall 2024)
Dr. Daniel Banini
Dr. Daniel Banini is an Assistant Professor of Comparative Politics and International Relations (focusing on Africa) at Providence College. His research explores the intersection of security, conflict processes, and African politics, with ongoing projects investigating the micro effects of climate change on farmer-herder interactions in West Africa. Dr. Banini examines the connections between corruption, state legitimacy and conflict processes, while also investigating how trust, infrastructure development, and patriarchy influence African political attitudes.
Methodologically, his work leans toward fieldwork, interviews, comparative case studies, and mixed methods approaches.. His research has been published in African Security, Small Wars & Insurgencies, Defence Studies, the Journal of Elections, Public Opinion & Parties, and Legislative Studies.
Area(s) of Expertise: African Politics, governance, conflict processes, environmental security, political violence.
Link to personal website: https://wordpress.com/view/danielkofibanini.wordpress.com
Dr. Michael Illuzzi
Dr. Michael Illuzzi is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Providence College. His work in political theory and American politics focuses on racial, gender, and class inequalities and U.S. political movements that have fought against overlapping injustices. His teaching and research interests also include critical community engagement, populism, peoplehood, and critical storytelling’s potential to challenge dominant narratives.
His book, Mending Stories of Prophetic Peoplehood in United States History: Creating a New “We” in an Age of “Us” vs. “Them” argues that rather than turning to creating new theories for alternatives to authoritarian populism, we can instead learn from past American actors and activists. Using historical sources, he explores how figures like Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., and Fred Hampton invoked religion, patriotism, and populism to redefine America’s meaning and build coalitions for justice. This history of advocacy suggests that left-wing variations of stories of community building, complete with invocations to religion, patriotism, and populism, were no less prevalent or powerful than the current right-wing variations, and now more than ever, we cannot afford to abandon these powerful mobilizing strategies.Additionally, he is also working on articles about implementing feminist community engagement within the neoliberal university.
Area(s) of Expertise: American political thought, critical community engagement, storytelling, narrative power, populism, U.S. racial, gender, and class inequalities, American political history, foundations of political theory, social movements, and critical university studies.
Personal website: www.milluzzi.org
Visiting Faculty
Dr. Zachariah Wheeler
Visiting Assistant Professor in Political Science at Providence College.
Dr. Wheeler is an interdisciplinary scholar whose work examines the relationships between media, culture, and politics. He completed a PhD in Political and Cultural Thought in the ASPECT program at Virginia Tech, as well as a Master of Arts in Cinema Studies at New York University, NY and a Bachelor of Arts in English and Film Studies at Salisbury University, MD. His recent research is focused on how class divisions in the post-industrial era have reshaped American politics and culture. At PC, Dr. Wheeler has taught Electoral and Campaign Communication, and this semester, he is teaching Introduction to Communication, as well as Mass Media and Politics, which is cross-listed with American Studies. Next semester, he will be teaching Media and Society.
