New Events and Conversations

The Malcolm Wallop Fund for Conversations on Democracy serves not only to honor the three-term Wyoming U.S. Senator (1977-95) but provides opportunities -- through symposia, keynote speakers, student projects and workshops -- to add to the body of knowledge about democracy. We are pleased to partner with the School of Politics, Public Affairs, and International Studies, Office of Engagement and Outreach, and other partners to sponsor public events on significant issues that affect us at a local, state, national, and international level.

2024 Events and Conversations

Stewart Community Engagement Forum, Friday November 8th, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Coe Library 506

The forum will feature presentations from UW faculty on their service-learning course development, alongside updates from students who received the prestigious Stewart Family Service Award. Featured speakers include two faculty members selected as Community Engaged Faculty Institute (CEFI) fellows for the 2023-24 academic year: Dan Fetsco, an Assistant Lecturer in Criminal Justice from the College of Arts and Sciences, and Jennifer Ingwerson-Niemann, an Associate Lecturer in Animal Science from the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences, and Natural Resources. Students who are 2024 recipients of the Stewart Family Serviceship Award will also present on their service projects: Jessica L. Petri, an undergraduate pursuing dual degrees in Secondary Social Studies Education and Political Science and graduate students Theresa Andrzejewski, Alison Tassone, and Kaitlyn Breitenfeldt in Clinical Psychology.

Download the poster here.    
In the news. 

Jackson Hole Book Festival, October 26, 2024

Wallop Program Co-director Jean Garrison will be featured author at the Jackson Hole Book Festival, a free event at Snow King Resort. The Jackson Hole book Festival is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that expands their community's established love of books, learning, and literature with free activities and events. 

Challenges to Democracy Lecture Series & Other Fall 2024 Events

Come join faculty from UW’s School of Politics, Public Affairs & International Studies in partnership with the Wallop Civic Engagement Program and experts from Wyoming and around the world to explore the varied challenges to the effective functioning of democratic systems and civic norms. All events are free and open to the public. For more information contact Dr. Jean Garrison (garrison@uwyo.edu).

 

On Campus Schedule of Events:

  1. Tuesday, September 10th, 2:45-4 p.m., Skylight Lounge (Wyoming Union Basement), “Governing in a Polarized Environment: Past and Present”
  • Cy Rosenblatt, Former Member of Mississippi Senate
  • Chris Rothfuss, Wyoming Senate Minority Floor Leader (D-Senate District 9)
  • Eric Barlow, Member of the Wyoming Senate (R-Senate District 23)
  • Andrew Garner, Professor of Political Science (moderator)

 

  1. Monday, September 16th @ 4:30 p.m., Wyoming Union Family Room, “Book Launch & Discussion for Polarization and Deep Contestation: The Liberal Script in the United States
  • Tanja Börzel (co-editor) holds the Chair for European Integration at the Otto-Suhr-Institute for Political Science and is director of the Cluster of Excellence “Contestations of the Liberal Script”, Freie Universität Berlin
  • Thomas Risse (co-editor) is Senior Professor, Cluster of Excellence “Contestations of the Liberal Script”, Freie Universität Berlin
  • Stephanie Anderson (co-editor) is Professor of Political Science & Head of the School of Politics, Public Affairs & International Studies, University of Wyoming
  • Jean Garrison (co-editor) is Professor of Political Science and International Studies, University of Wyoming
  • Andrew Garner (contributor) is Professor of Political Science, University of Wyoming
  • Peter Parolin (contributor) is Associate Professor of English & Dean of the Honors College, University of Wyoming

Book pdf available here: https://fdslive.oup.com/www.oup.com/academic/pdf/openaccess/9780198916444.pdf        

Poster available here

 

  1. Wednesday, September 18 @ 5:30 p.m., Classroom Building Room 129, “A Conversation with Free Speech Icon Mary Beth Tinker,”
  • Mary Beth Tinker (guest speaker)
  • Jason McConnell, Assistant Professor of Political Science (moderator)

 

  1. Tuesday, October 15th @ 4:30 p.m., Wyoming Union Family Room, “From Paper to Pixels: The Evolution and Future of Voting”
  • Commissioner Thomas Hicks, Election Assistance Commission
  • Ryan Williamson, Assistant Professor of Political Science(moderator)

 Download the poster here

 

  1. Monday, November 4th @ 4:30 p.m., Wyoming Union Central Ballroom, “Wyoming Political Attitudes: Findings from the Wyoming Election Survey”
  • Jim King, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, University of Wyoming
  • Ryan Williamson, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Wyoming
  • Jason McConnell, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Wyoming
  • Andrew Garner, Professor of Political Science, University of Wyoming

 

  1. Wednesday, November 6th, 4:30 p.m., Wyoming Union West Ballroom, “Democratic Crisis Around the Globe”
  • Ambassador (ret.) Tom Dougherty, Milward L. Simpson Visiting Professor of Political Science and former U.S. Ambassador to Burkina Faso  
  • George Tawakkal, Professor of Political Science, Universitas Brawijaya (Indonesia) 
  • Andrew Garner, Professor of Political Science, University of Wyoming
  • Tom Seitz, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Wyoming

 

  1. Tuesday, November 12th @ 5:30 p.m., Wyoming Union Family Room, “Book Launch and Discussion for Nationalized Politics: Evaluating Electoral Politics Across Time”
  • Ryan Williamson, Assistant Professor of Political Science and book co-author

 

Find the book here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/nationalized-politics-9780197669662?cc=us&lang=en&

 

**Special thanks to our campus co-sponsors for specific events including: Malcolm Wallop Civic Engagement Program, Center for Global Studies, Freie Universität Berlin & SCRIPTS Cluster of Excellence, the UW Political Science Club, and BridgeUWYO, an RSO devoted to de-polarizing American politics.**


Statewide Draft Schedule of Events:

  1. Monday, September 30th @ 5:30, “Crisis of Civility and Hope for Civic Engagement”

Location: Heart Mountain Interpretive Center – Mineta-Simpson Institute Lecture Hall (1519 Road 19 located off US 14 between Cody and Powell)

  • Ambassador (ret.) Tom Dougherty is the Milward L. Simpson Visiting Professor of Political Science at UW and former US Ambassador to Burkina Faso.  
  • Andrew Garner is Professor of Political Science whose expertise focuses on the quality and nature of democracy. 
  • Jean Garrison is Professor of Political Science & International Studies whose expertise focuses on U.S. foreign policy, energy security, and civic engagement. 
  • Aura Newlin is Executive Director of the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation, which oversees the Heart Mountain historic site, Interpretive Center, and the Mineta-Simpson Institute. 

 

  1. Tuesday, October 1st @ 5:30 p.m., “Crisis of Democracy Around the World?: From Polarization to Populism and Possible Solutions”

Location: Center for a Vital Community, Sheridan College Broadway Center, 245 Broadway, Sheridan, WY

  • Ambassador (ret.) Tom Dougherty is the Milward L. Simpson Visiting Professor of Political Science at UW and former US Ambassador to Burkina Faso.  
  • Andrew Garner is Professor of Political Science whose expertise focuses on the quality and nature of democracy. 
  • Jean Garrison is Professor of Political Science & International Studies whose expertise focuses on U.S. foreign policy, energy security, and civic engagement. 
  • Michael Thomas teaches American government at Sheridan High School, directs its award-winning We the People Program, and is an adjunct at Sheridan College. 

 

  1. Monday, October 21st @ 5:30 p.m., “Crisis of Democracy Around the World?”

Location: UW Casper, 125 College Drive, Union/University Building, UU322, Casper, WY

  • Ambassador (ret.) Tom Dougherty is the Milward L. Simpson Visiting Professor of Political Science at UW and served as US Ambassador to Burkina Faso.  
  • Andrew Garner is Professor of Political Science whose expertise focuses on the quality and nature of democracy.
  • Jason McConnell is Assistant Professor of Political Science whose expertise focuses on the US Constitution in particular civil rights and civil liberties.
  • Jean Garrison is Professor of Political Science & International Studies whose expertise focuses on US foreign policy, energy security, and civic engagement.

 

  1. Wednesday, November 20th @ 5:30 p.m., “Crisis of Democracy Around the World?” 

Location: Laramie County Public Library, Cottonwood Room, 2200 Pioneer Ave., Cheyenne, WY 

  • Ambassador (ret.) Tom Dougherty is the Milward L. Simpson Visiting Professor of Political Science at UW and served as US Ambassador to Burkina Faso.  
  • Andrew Garner is Professor of Political Science whose expertise focuses on the quality and nature of democracy.
  • Jason McConnell is Assistant Professor of Political Science whose expertise focuses on the US Constitution in particular civil rights and civil liberties.
  • Jean Garrison is Professor of Political Science & International Studies whose expertise focuses on US foreign policy, energy security, and civic engagement.

 Poster available here

**Special thanks to our statewide co-sponsors for specific events including: Heart Mountain Interpretive Center & Mineta-Simpson Institute, Center for a Vital Community at Sheridan College, UW Casper, Laramie County Library, and Malcolm Wallop Civic Engagement Program.**

 


Fall 2021

Wyoming's CyberSecurity Conference (virtual)
October 6-8, 2021

The Wallop Program was pleased to be a sponsor of the Wyoming CyberSecurity Conference organized by Cyber Wyoming. This conference was free to Wyoming students and educators. 

Please see https://www.cyberwyoming.org/ for more information about CyberWyoming. 


Spring 2021

February 19th, 2021
12:10-1:00 pm

Capitol Riots in Perspective: Politics, Institutions, and Polarization
Join Professors Jim King and Andrew Garner to put the Capitol riots and the impeachment into perspective. Dr. King will talk about the institutions and Dr. Garner will talk about polarization with an open Question & Answer to follow. For more information contact wallop@uwyo.edu. Poster available for download here

Moderator: Dr. Stephanie Anderson
Panelists: Dr. Jim King and Dr. Andrew Garner

 


February 10th, 2021
5:30-7:00 pm

American Foreign Policy During the Biden Presidency: Challenges and Opportunities
This discussion brings together a panel of policy and academic experts with a wealth of U.S. foreign policy and international relations experience to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the new Biden Administration around the globe. This webinar is free and open to the campus community and public. For more information contact wallop@uwyo.edu. Poster available for download here

Moderator: Dr. Jean Garrison
Panelists: Dr. Stephanie Anderson, Ambassador Gary Grappo, Ambassador Richard Holwill, Ambassador Jeanine Jackson, Ambassador Marc Wall

 


 

Spring 2020

April 30th, 2020

Wyoming Institute for Humanities Research (WIHR) "Think and Drink"

This virtual conversation builds upon a public presentation from November 2019 given in Sheridan by Dr. James Arvanitakis, 2019-2020 Milward L Simpson Visiting Fulbright Professor. The program features Dr. Jason McConnell, Assistant Professor of Political Science and Dr. Jean Garrison, Director of the Office of Engagement and Outreach and Professor of International Studies and Political Science. 

A video of this event is available on YouTube:

Special Note: The Wyoming Institute in Humanities Research will host its “Think and Drink” series every Thursday at 5:30, at this Zoom link, through mid-May.


 

Fall 2019

November 5, 2019-Sheridan WY

Democracy in America and Around the World
Dr. James Arvanitakis

Contemporary democracies around the world, be it the United States or Australia, have shown themselves to be resilient to shocks: from terrorist attacks to natural disasters, citizens rally and work cooperatively.  Despite this, a number of social and political trends are causing fractures which are dividing us.  How can these trends be addressed and overcome?  These divisions are not inevitable, but we must find ways to respond to ensure the long-term health of our democratic institutions. This presentation will be followed by a panel discussion and audience Q&A to explore the issues raised in greater depth. 

 

 

Previous Events:

September 11, 2018
Civil Discourse in an Uncivil Age: The Quest for a Post-partisan Citizenship
Alexander Heffner

For more information on the event-download the poster. 

 

November 13, 2017
America's Will to Lead: Transatlantic Relations and the Future of the U.S. - European Alliance
Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen

For more information on the event-download the poster. 

 

 

 
Contact Us

Malcolm Wallop Civic Engagement Program

School of Politics, Public Affairs, & International Studies (SPPAIS)

Dept. 3197

1000 E. University Ave.

Laramie, WY 82071

Phone: (307) 766-6119

Email: wallop@uwyo.edu

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