06/02/2009

Meet Two New Political Science Faculty

Meet the Wallaces

Two new faculty from Cornell University join the department next year: Sophia and Geoffrey Wallace. The Wallaces add depth and breadth to American Politics and International Relations. Along with five other energetic and productive Assistants added in the last few years, the department continues to raise its research profile and instructional offerings. Meet the Wallaces, and see just a few of the recent research accomplishments of our faculty.

Sophia Wallace grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. She attended Cornell University for her graduate studies in American Politics. Her dissertation examines the representation of Latinos by members of Congress. She finds that Latino representatives are considerably more active than non-Latinos on issues of high salience to the Latino community. Her research and teaching interests include racial and ethnic politics, Latino politics, representation, legislative behavior, Congress, immigration policy, and public policy. In her free time Sophia enjoys cooking, traveling, and the outdoors.

Geoff Wallace is originally from Canada and grew up in Toronto, Ontario. He attended Cornell University for his graduate studies in International Relations. His dissertation seeks to explain differences in the ways states treat prisoners during war. He finds that democracies are less likely to abuse prisoners, despite some notable exceptions, but that the severity of the fighting and the nature of war aims tend to heighten abuse. His research interests include international security, international institutions, and public opinion regarding foreign policy. When not working Geoff enjoys tennis, cycling, and hanging out with his kids.