Susan Sample

Susan Sample serves as a Professor in the College of the Pacific at the University of the Pacific, Stockton campus, with her office located in Room 204 of the Wendell Phillips Center. She maintains active teaching and research roles, contactable via email ssample@pacific.edu and phone 209.946.2492.

Her academic foundation includes:

• PhD from Vanderbilt University (1995)
• BA from the University of Missouri (1991)

Professor Sample's scholarship centers on the scientific study of war causes, with specialized expertise in arms buildups, steps-to-war theory, rivalry dynamics, and genocide. She employs mixed methodologies including large-n statistical modeling and historical case studies, with publications in premier journals such as the British Journal of Political Science and Journal of Peace Research. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes lifelong learning through three core principles: respect for subject matter (distinct from positional authority), infectious enthusiasm to spark curiosity, and structured habit formation via regular writing assignments that integrate course material into students' daily lives.

Analysis of her 2004-2021 publications reveals sustained focus on militarized disputes and conflict escalation mechanisms, with significant expansion into intercultural competence and international education during 2010-2013. This dual trajectory demonstrates both deep specialization in conflict studies and innovative application of her expertise to pedagogical contexts.

No scientific awards were documented in the source material.

While specific grant funding and student advisees remain unlisted, her teaching philosophy evidences active mentorship through adaptive professor-student relationships designed to foster critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and global citizenship. She rejects rigid academic boundaries, instead tailoring approaches to individual student learning needs to cultivate independent scholarly habits that extend beyond course completion.