معرفی
Dr. Joel Toppen is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Department Chair at Hope College since 1997. He teaches courses including U.S. Foreign Policy, Global Political Economy, and Introduction to Global Politics, the latter serving as a core course for both Political Science and Global Studies majors. His research with students focuses on U.S. foreign policy and global governance.
- Education
- Ph.D., Political Science (International Relations), Purdue University, 1998
- M.A., Political Science, Purdue University, 1993
- B.A., Political Science, Hope College, 1991
Joel Toppen’s research spans U.S. foreign policy, global political economy, and food security in sub-Saharan Africa. He integrates experiential learning through off-campus programs in Japan, Rwanda, and Washington, D.C., and has conducted fieldwork in Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda.
He has received the Hope Outstanding Professor Educator (H.O.P.E.) Award (2004) and the Favorite Professor Award (2004). Beyond academics, he has advised student groups from Ultimate Frisbee to politically oriented clubs and maintained a family tradition at Hope College, where his grandmother attended in the 1930s and his parents, who graduated from the institution, worked in Admissions.
Joel Toppen has served on the Grand Haven Planning Commission and the Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance board. He also created student internships in South Africa and Tanzania, and combines professional work with personal passions, including an eight-day, eight-ballpark road trip with his son in 2016, culminating in a game of wiffleball at Tiger Stadium in Detroit.
