Education
Ph.D. Pending, University of Oregon, Department of Political Science (Expected Completion: June, 2009)
Dissertation Title: “Getting Attention: Issue Emergence in International Politics”
Dissertation Committee : Ronald B. Mitchell (Chair), Bob O’Brien, Craig Parsons, Lars Skalnes
Dissertation Abstract: The use of rhetoric to frame policy issues often influences the amount of attention to an issue and the ability to generate support, yet our understanding of the factors that contribute to why particular rhetoric becomes dominant is limited. Often, domestic and international actors present different descriptions of policy issues in order to advance their own policy views. This project seeks to understand how the issue description and the uses of a variety of power resources contribute to emergence of a dominant frame for international issues. The dissertation develops a concept of frames to understand how issue definitions change over time through analytical, normative, and temporal elements. In addition, the dissertation develops hypotheses for potential causes of changing frames and process traces these hypotheses on the case of whaling between 1850 through 2004. The project concludes that elements of media attention, frame content, resource availability contribute to issue attention. In addition, background conditions, such as economic and military changes, contribute to the amount of opposition to changes in frames over time.
M.S., University of Oregon, Department of Political Science (July, 2006)
B.A., University of Delaware, College of Arts and Sciences (May 1999)
Economics (Major), Political Science (Major), and East Asian Studies with Japanese (Minor)
Study Abroad: Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China: Winter, 1999
Study Abroad: Kobe Shoin Women’s University, Kobe, Japan: Summer, 1998
Publications (Peer Reviewed)
“Comparatively Evaluating Potential Dissertation and Thesis Projects"
PS: Political Science and Politics (2008), 41 (April): 367-369.
“Understanding Data Quality through Reliability: A Comparison of Data Reliability Assessment from Three Treaty Datasets”
International Studies Review (2007), 9 (Fall): 437-456.
Publications (Not Peer Reviewed)
“Peak oil: Will we see it coming?”
Edward Duggan and Steven B. Rothman. Register Guard (Guest Viewpoint), Eugene, OR. (Feb 3, 2008): B3.
“International Agreement Coding Manual: Formatted for Coders, Trainers, and Trainees (version 1.0)”
Ronald B. Mitchell and Steven B. Rothman. (2007) From http://iea.uoregon.edu/pages/CodingManual.V1.pdf.
Conference Participation
“Getting Attention! International Issue Emergence and Framing in International Environmental Politics”
American Political Science Association, Boston, August 2008 (Poster).
International Studies Association, San Francisco, March, 2008.
“A Framework for Understanding International Issue Emergence (Global Agenda Setting)”
American Political Science Association, Chicago, August 2007.
“Soft Power is No Power at All: The Case for Norm Diffusion”
International Studies Association, Chicago, February 2007.
“Successes and Failures in the Reliability of Coding Qualitative Evidence in International Relations"
International Studies Association, Chicago, February 2007 (Poster).
“Coding Problems and Prospects from the IEA Project.” Presented on behalf of Ronald B. Mitchell and the IEA project.
Coding Across the Disciplines: A Project – Based Workshop on Manual Text Annotation Techniques, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, University of Pittsburgh, November, 2006.
“Creating Large-N Databases from Qualitative Information: Lessons from Environmental Agreements” Ronald B. Mitchell and Steven B. Rothman.
Building Synergies: Institutions and Cooperation in World Politics, University of Iowa, October, 2006.
American Political Science Association, Philadelphia, August, 2006.
Discussant Remarks on “Conciliatory Agreements and the Durability of Peace” by Michaela C. Mattes.
Building Synergies: Institutions and Cooperation in World Politics, University of Iowa, October, 2006.
“The Japanese Case in the Russo-Japanese War: Security or Economy?”
Northeast Political Science Association, Philadelphia, November, 2005.
“The International Environmental Agreement Project: Analysis of the Effects of Environmental Treaties”
Project Level Aid (PLAID) Conference, College of William and Mary, Washington, D.C, June, 2005.
“Tax Preferences of Oregon Voters: An Analysis of Voting Results from Measure 30”
Pacific Northwest Political Science Association, Portland, November, 2004.
“Causes of the Russo-Japanese War (1904-5); Examination of Two Competing Theories: Security or Economy?”
Hawaiian International Conference on Social Science, Honolulu, June, 2004.
Awards
Rozanne Enerson Junker Scholarship, 2008-2009; Department of Political Science, University of Oregon
Charles A. Reed Graduate Fellowship Award, 2008-2009; College of Arts and Sciences, University of Oregon
Research award in the amount of $1500 to one graduate student in the College of Arts and Sciences
Nominee for University of Oregon Graduate Dissertation Fellowship, 2008-2009; Department of Political Science, University of Oregon
Nominated by the Political Science department for the university dissertation fellowship awarded to one student in the amount of $18,000.
Rozanne Emerson Junker Political Science Graduate Award, 2007-2008; Department of Political Science, University of Oregon
Award in the amount of $1000 for one outstanding graduate student work in the department of political science.
John L. and Naomi M. Luvaas Fellowship in Arts and Sciences, 2006 – 2007; College of Arts and Sciences, University of Oregon
Award in the amount of $1500 for one graduate student in the College of Arts and Sciences for exceptional academic and service work.
Non-Traditional Student Award, 2006; University of Oregon
Nomination required by faculty, and award is administered by a joint faculty-student award committee for exceptional non-traditional students at the University of Oregon.
Panel of Distinguished Seniors, 1999; College of Arts and Sciences, University of Delaware
Awarded to one senior from each college (College of Arts and Sciences) recognizing outstanding scholarship.
Bertram F. Levin Award, 1999; College of Arts and Sciences, University of Delaware
Awarded to student who displays outstanding intellectual curiosity about economics.
Hutchinson Scholar Award, 1998; College of Arts and Sciences, University of Delaware
Scholarship awarded to juniors majoring in economics who have exhibited outstanding scholarship, leadership potential, and qualities of integrity and character.
Excellence-in-Teaching Teaching Assistant Award, 1998; College of Arts and Sciences, University of Delaware
A monetary award for teaching assistant for excellence in teaching.
Teaching Experience
Sole Instructor, 2007 – Present
U.S. Foreign Policy I, Fall 2007; Fall 2008, Spring 2009
Genocide in the Modern World, Summer 2008, Winter 2009
Teaching Assistant, 2006 – Present
International Organization (Spring 2008); Political Ideologies Discussion Leader for Two Classes (Winter 2008); Terrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction (Spring, 2007); Introduction to International Relations Discussion Leader for Three Classes (Winter 2007); Politics of the European Union (Fall 2006).
Assistant Manager and Teacher Trainer, Nova Group, Kakogawa, Japan, 2001 – 2003
Michael Vaughan, Nova Group, Himeji, Japan
Trained and managed up to 8 English instructors at a local company branch. Developed and implemented English conversation, TOEFL, TOEIC, and business English curricula. Developed and training seminars for instructors.
Assistant English Teacher, Japanese Exchange and Teaching Programme, Toyooka Japan, 1999 – 2001
Takashi Makari, Toyooka Kita Junior High School, Toyooka, Japan
Assisted native Japanese teacher to teach English to junior high and elementary school students.
Teaching Assistant, University of Delaware, Economics Department, 1998 – 1999
Dr. Charles Link, University of Delaware
Prepared for multimedia class presentations and graded papers and tests for an undergraduate introductory microeconomics class and an upper division labor economics class.
Research and Advisory Experience
Research Assistant
Dr. Regina Baker (Spring 2007; Spring 2008); Dr. Joseph Lowndes (Winter 2008); Dr. Charles Link, University of Delaware (1998 – 1999)
Research Project Manager, 2004 - 2007
Ronald B. Mitchell, Principle Investigator for “Analysis of the Effects of Environmental Treaties,” Sept. 2003 – Aug. 2006, sponsored by the National Science Foundation Award No. SES-0318374
Coordinate and manage daily progress on the project and manage and train undergraduate research assistants. Develop coding manual, training procedure, and intercoder agreement assessment protocol.
Program Coordinator, International Student Orientation, 2004
Magid Shirzadegan, Office of International Programs, University of Oregon
Coordinated the ISO program, recruited, trained, and monitored volunteer participants.
Program Coordinator and Academic Advisor, Academic English for International Students, 2004
Abe Schafermeyer and Cynthia Stenger, Office of International Programs, University of Oregon
Coordinated the program, administered the program database, and advised students on coursework.
Other Training and Skills
Teaching Effectiveness Program Workshops and Training, University of Oregon
“Second Life” in Higher Education (2007-2008); Working Effectively with Graduate Student Fellows (2007); Teaching Large Classes (2007); Basic Teaching Skills for Leading a Discussion Section or Lab (2006); Teaching a Class for the First Time as Sole Instructor, (2006); Keeping Students Engaged During Lecture (2004); The Art of Asking Good Questions (2004).
Institute on Qualitative Research Methods (2006), Arizona State University, Jan. 3 – 14, Tempe, Arizona.
Presenting Data and Information (2004), Edward Tufte, Yale University, Jun. 24, Portland, Oregon.
Teaching English as a Second Language
NOVA teacher training, Japan (2001); JET teacher training, Japan (1999, 2000, 2001)
Language Proficiency
Japanese – Near-fluent spoken proficiency, intermediate reading proficiency
Service
Manuscript Reviewer
International Studies Quarterly
International Organization
Panel Organizer
American Political Science Association, Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, Aug. 31 – Sept. 3, 2006 with Ronald B. Mitchell, University of Oregon.
Graduate Representative, 2005 - 2006
Department of Political Science, University of Oregon
Qualitative Research Methods Brown-Bag Discussion Leader, 2005
Co-organized and led a three-term one-hour seminar on qualitative research methods for graduate students and faculty with Leif Hoffmann (Syllabus available online: http://www.uoregon.edu/~srothma1/QualMethodsIndex.htm)
Course Work Major Fields
International Cooperation, International Environmental Politics, Security Studies
Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methodology, Measurement, Research Design
Game Theory, Rational Choice, Cognitive and Evolutionary Decision Theory, Public Choice Theory
Professional Membership
American Political Science Association
International Studies Association
Golden Key International Honor Society
Omicron Delta Epsilon, International Honor Society for Economics
