Jeffrey Lantis Receives Fulbright Senior Scholar Award

Jeffrey Lantis

WOOSTER, Ohio - Jeffrey Lantis, associate professor of political science at The College of Wooster, has received a J. William Fulbright Senior Scholar Award to conduct research in Australia in 2007. The grant is made possible through the support of the U.S. Congress and the Australian-American Fulbright Commission. A research award for Australia is especially noteworthy given the competitiveness of the national program. Each year only six U.S. scholars (in all disciplines) receive awards for work in Australia.

"I am honored by this award and look forward to a fascinating research program in Australia in 2007," said Lantis. "I anticipate that this experience will allow me to complete my book manuscript as well as generate new research projects and ideas for future collaboration with Australian scholars."

Lantis plans to use this Fulbright award to conduct in-depth research on Australian debates over the ratification of international treaties - the final phase of a larger book project on ratification struggles in comparative perspective. With the support of a Fulbright Award and a one-semester research leave from The College of Wooster, Lantis will conduct archival work and elite interviews in Sydney and Canberra from February to June of 2007. In Sydney, he will serve as a visiting scholar in the School of Politics and International Relations at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) for the majority of his visit. The school is one of the leading political science research institutions in Australia. In Canberra, he will conduct research and interviews in key government ministries and in Parliament.

"I am very pleased that one of our faculty members has been awarded the Fulbright Senior Scholar Award," said Shila Garg, dean of faculty and professor of physics at Wooster. "It is a significant global recognition for the scholarly work done by Professor Lantis. His research project in Australia will not only contribute to the field of international treaties, but his visit will also promote understanding and collaboration between international scholars. Professor Lantis is a member of the International Education Committee that I chair, and I have the opportunity to observe his passion for the internationalization of our campus and the global educational opportunities for our students."

"Indeed, this is exciting news," said Lori Bettison Varga, associate professor of geology and associate dean for research and grants. "The pool for Australia is extremely competitive. From the review criteria, it is clear that the project stood out not only for its merit as a research project and Jeff's reputation as a scholar and teacher, but also because of the qualities that make him a strong 'cultural ambassador.'"

Lantis, who has been a member of Wooster's faculty since 1994, is an expert on international relations, foreign policy analysis, European politics, and international security. He received his B.A. from Bethany College, summa cum laude (1988), before earning his M.A. (1991) and Ph.D. (1994) from The Ohio State University.

The author of Strategic Dilemmas and the Evolution of German Foreign Policy Since Unification (2002) and Domestic Constraints and the Breakdown of International Agreements (1997), Lantis also edited and contributed to Foreign Policy in Comparative Perspective: Domestic and International Influences on State Behavior (2001) and The New International Studies Classroom: Active Teaching, Active Learning (2000). He is author of articles in International Politics, Comparative Strategy, Cooperation and Conflict, International Negotiation, PS: Political Science and Politics, International Studies Notes, and other journals and edited collections.

Lantis is a member of the International Studies Association, and served as President of the Active Learning in International Affairs section of the International Studies Association. He also has extensive field research experience in Europe and North America.