Steve Hess understands that sitting on the sidelines is a great disadvantage when it comes to gaining the skills necessary to succeed in political science. Being an active participant in learning and being involved in the community are crucial for gaining a holistic worldview that can propel students to fulfilling lives and careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI emphasize student-centered, active learning in the classroom,\u201d Hess says. \u201cMy courses make frequent use of activities and assignments such as debates, simulations and role plays that put students in the center of the action and require that they critically engage and apply course concepts by acting as political thinkers and decision-makers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s a philosophy that\u2019s carried over into his second role on campus, as the coordinator of Transylvania\u2019s Peace Corps Prep program, a co-curricular partnership that trains Transy students for post-graduate service in the Peace Corps as well as careers in international development. Participants engage in coursework, community service and leadership training that earn them a certificate of completion and special consideration for acceptance should they choose to apply to the Peace Corps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt provides both practical experience, in which students develop hands-on skills and competencies that can be translated into Peace Corps service, and cultivates an ethic of service that stands at the center of the Peace Corps\u2019 mission,\u201d Hess says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a member at Transy, working with relatively small classes of talented and committed students enables deeper and less scripted classroom interactions, more opportunities for active learning and the cultivation of more meaningful mentoring relationships with students.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Active learning and meaningful mentorship relationships are at the core of what Transylvania\u2019s liberal arts education is all about, and political science is a perfect encapsulation of that identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPolitical science is very much about citizenship \u2014 how people can better understand and critically examine political phenomena for the sake of being active and informed participants in the political system,\u201d Hess says. \u201cA liberal arts education serves these concerns by encouraging students to consider different perspectives, appreciate the importance of context, practice empathy and develop into whole, well-rounded persons.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ph.D., Miami University, 2011 Introduction to Politics Authoritarianism ASIANetwork Steve Hess, \u201cThe Role of China and Asymmetric Bargaining in Ethiopia\u2019s Authoritarian Backsliding.\u201d Book chapter accepted for publication in forthcoming edited volume, Christof Hartmann and Nele Noesselt, eds., China\u2019s New Role in African Politics: From No<\/p>\n\n\n\n Steve Hess and Richard Aidoo. \u201cChinese Development Assistance and Democratic Backsliding in Sub-Saharan Africa.\u201d Accepted for publication in Commonwealth & Comparative Politics (forthcoming).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Steve Hess and Shengping Chang, \u201cThe Diffusion of Contention in Contemporary China: An Investigation of the 2014-2015 Wave of Teacher Strikes.\u201d Modern Asian Studies (July 2018): 1172-1193.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Steve Hess and Kadir Akyuz, \u201cTurkey Looks East: International Leverage and Democratic Backsliding in a Hybrid Regime.\u201d Mediterranean Quarterly 29:2 (June 2018): 1-26.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Steve Hess, \u201cDecentralized Meritocracy: Resilience, Decay, and Adaptation in the CCP\u2019s Threat-Management System.\u201d Problems of Post-Communism 64:1 (January 2017): 20-31.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Steve Hess, \u201cThe Flight of the Affluent in China: Exit, Voice and Loyalty and the Problem of Wealth Drain.\u201d Asian Survey 56:4 (July\/August 2016): 629-650.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Steve Hess and Richard Aidoo, \u201cCharting the Impact of Subnational Actors in China\u2019s Foreign Relations: The 2013 Galamsey Crisis in Ghana.\u201d Asian Survey 56:2 (March\/April 2016): 301-324.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Steve Hess. \u201cSources of Authoritarian Resilience during Regional Protest Waves: The Post-Communist Color Revolutions and 2011 Arab Uprisings.\u201d Government and Opposition 51:1 (January 2016): 1-29.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":4444,"template":"","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"99","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"academic_division":[40,42,21,3],"class_list":["post-198","faculty","type-faculty","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nAcademic History<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
M.A., University of Louisville, 2006
B.A., Hanover College, 2004<\/p>\n\n\n\nCourses Taught at Transy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
International Crisis Simulations
Politics of Africa
Politics of Asia
Modern Political Concepts, Methodologies, and Analysis
Human Rights
Political Development
Politics of China<\/p>\n\n\n\nAreas of Research<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Post-communism
Protest politics
Chinese politics
China-Africa relations<\/p>\n\n\n\nProfessional Memberships<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
International Studies Association<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nRecent Publications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n