May 17, 2011
For Immediate Release
By Joan C. McKinney, news and publications coordinator
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. - Campbellsville University will host the 2012 annual conference of the Kentucky Political Science Association, which will be held on March 2-3, 2012. John Chowning will preside at that meeting.
Chowning, vice president for church and external relations and executive assistant to the president, was recently elected president of the organization, which a statewide organization made up of professionals in the field of political science.
The group hosts an annual conference at which papers are presented by undergraduate students, graduate students, professors at various institutions, and discussions are held on a wide range of political science fields and topics.
Chowning said, “I am honored to serve as president for 2011-2012 for the Kentucky Political Science Association. This is a great opportunity to Campbellsville University and for our faculty and students. We look forward to hosting the March 2-3, 2012 KPSA conference, and detailed planning and preparation are already under way.”
Chowning teaches political science classes periodically at CU and was the founder of Campbellsville University's Kentucky Heartland Institute on Public Policy, an organization that facilitates public policy study and issues debate, while encouraging the involvement of Christian leaders in the public and civic arenas.
He has also been appointed to a committee on equity in review the status of diversity and equity in Kentucky's educational system.
Chowning said, at the last KPSA conference at Western Kentucky University, he was installed as president for 2011-12, and he served as the moderator/chair of two sessions at which papers, which were presented by undergraduate students from various colleges and universities from around Kentucky.
Dr. Shawn Williams and Max Wise, both assistant professors of political science, attended the conference along with a student, Zachary Meyers of Campbellsville, a political science major.
Wise and Williams served as discussants in a session each - making comments on, and asking questions about, student papers presented in the respective sessions. The three CU representatives also served on a committee to select the outstanding paper by undergraduates students.
KPSA serves as an affiliate of the American Political Science Association and provides ongoing communication among professionals and faculty in political science and related fields. The group presents a number of annual awards.
Dr. Saundra Ardrey, head of the political science department at Western Kentucky University, was the 2010-2011 president of KPSA and hosted the 2011 annual conference.
Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with over 3,000 students offering 63 undergraduate programs, 17 master's degrees and five postgraduate areas. The website for complete information is campbellsville.edu.