People

Kavita Khory’s current research explores transnational political mobilization among South Asian diaspora populations in North America and Europe. Locating contemporary forms of migration from South Asia in broader historical and theoretical contexts, Khory’s work focuses on transnational forms of activism and political violence involving diaspora organizations with ties to India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Khory regularly teaches courses on world politics, international security, ethnic conflict, propaganda and war, South Asia, and migration.

As an applied microeconomist, Sarah Adelman works with data rather than theory. Her research focus is health and nutrition in developing countries and she spent time in Uganda researching her thesis, and has also worked in Malawi and Liberia.

Kavita Datla’s research focuses on colonial Hyderabad and explores what the histories of South Asia might tell us about larger shared experiences, be they colonialism, secularization, or democracy. In her writing and teaching, Datla examines the emergence of new political forms in the modern British Empire and hopes to animate the discussions and debates that have characterized South Asian publics. She is the author of The Language of Secular Islam: Urdu Nationalism and Colonial India (2013).

Sohail Hashmi’s teaching and research focus on Middle East politics and on comparative international ethics, particularly concepts of just war in the West and Islam. Hashmi teaches a range of courses that apply to the Middle Eastern Studies major, including "The U.S., Israel, and the Arabs," "The U.S. and Iran," "Comparative Politics of the Middle East," and "Just War and Jihad.”

Serin D. Houston’s research primarily examines questions of settlement, belonging, and social justice for migrant communities and transformations in urban spaces. Her four current projects include: an ethnography of Seattle, WA city government and their social justice, sustainability, and creativity policies and practices; a study of pro-immigrant sanctuary movements and sanctuary legislation; an analysis of climate migration; and an examination of “global/local” community engagement. Houston teaches courses on world regions, cities, migration, research methods, race, and sense of place/planet.

Stephen Jones teaches courses in European, Russian, Central Asian and South Caucasian politics. Teaching in International Relations and Russian Studies, Jones focuses on energy, the environment, nationalism, democracy building, and revolution. Stephen Jones is a Foreign Member of the Georgian Academy of Sciences. He has written many books on the South Caucasus and is currently participating in an oral history project recording the missing voices of people who lived through the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s.

Girma Kebbede's research and teaching interests are the interrelations between politics and development, human dimensions of environmental change, and socio-economic and political causes and consequences of political conflicts in Africa. His books in these interests include The State and Development in Ethiopia and Sudan’s Predicaments: Civil War, Displacement and Ecological Degradation. His forthcoming scholarly publication, The Erosion of Ethiopia’s Natural Capital, deals with the degradation of Ethiopia’s environment and natural resource base.

Jeremy King studied Soviet history in college, but then fell prisoner to the tragedies and charms of Central Europe. Trained at Columbia University as a historian of Austria-Hungary and its successor states, he lived for several years in Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Berlin, and a few other cities in the region. King teaches courses on Central Europe since about 1800. Themes and nodal points include nationalism, the state (liberal, democratic, fascist, and communist), "race," law, the Holocaust, public policy, and post-communism.

Eva Paus teaches and publishes on critical issues in economic development and globalization. She has authored and edited/co-edited 6 books and more than 40 refereed articles and book chapters. Her current research focuses on the middle-income trap, the implications of the rise of China, and innovation strategies in the age of globalization. Paus has received numerous national grants, has consulted with international organizations, and been a visiting faculty at institutions in Costa Rica, Germany, Ireland, Peru, and South Korea.

Andrew G. Reiter’s teaching and research focus on conflict resolution, post-conflict peacebuilding, and transitional justice. Broadly, he aims to understand how societies can end political violence, maintain peace, and recover from past atrocities. He has published widely on these topics and is the author of Fighting Over Peace: Spoilers, Peace Agreements, and the Strategic Use of Violence (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016) and co-author of Transitional Justice in Balance: Comparing Processes, Weighing Efficacy (United States Institute of Peace Press, 2010).

Katherine Schmeiser analyzes the export decisions of firms, focusing on destination selection and how decisions change over time. Her approach uses firm level modeling and empirical methods to analyze the learning behaviors of firms, regional agglomeration effects, and liberalization policies - particularly in developing and emerging economies. Schmeiser teaches courses on microeconomics, international economics, industrial organization and international trade. She has published in journals such as The Journal of International Economics and The Annals of Regional Science.

Jon Western, the vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty, is the chief academic officer at Mount Holyoke College. He is responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership for the College’s academic mission and for supporting the 37 academic departments and programs; the Library, Information, and Technology Services office; the research and teaching centers; the athletics program; and the academic support offices, including the Office of the Registrar, the Office of Advising and Student Success Initiatives, and the Teaching and Learning Initiatives program. Western, a scholar of international relations, has been a faculty member at Mount Holyoke College and with the Five College Consortium since 2000.