Jennifer Seely

Jennifer Seely is a Professor of Comparative Politics and Politics at Earlham College, serving as Academic Dean for Student Success and director of the Peace Corps Prep program. She holds a Ph.D. from Washington University and has focused her career on democracy and development in Africa. Her research includes African citizenship law, democratic transitions, and instructional simulations in higher education. She has collaborated with institutions like Ashesi University in Ghana to improve cross-cultural teaching methods.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Political Science, Washington University
• M.A., Washington University
• B.A. in Political Science, Northwestern University

Her research interests emphasize democratization processes in West Africa (Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Togo) and innovative pedagogy through simulations. Recent projects include a suspended Fulbright Fellowship in Ghana (2020-2021) and co-authorship of Historical Dictionary of Togo. She supervises student research on topics ranging from gender in Kashmir to refugee policies in Armenia.

Professional Affiliations: American Political Science Association, African Studies Association, African Politics Conference Group, West Africa Research Association.

Teaching focuses include research design and comparative politics, with an emphasis on empowering students through collaborative research presented at national conferences like the Midwest Political Science Association.