New Faculty Profiles

Megan Francis

Assistant professor of political science, Seaver College

American politics is an ever-changing landscape shaped by a storied past, which is one of the things Megan Francis finds so fascinating about her subject. "'American Political Development' is an inquiry that asks big questions about how the American political system developed over time and is more historically based than other areas of American politics," she expands. "Many of the questions I want to ask about American politics, crime, and race cannot be understood properly without an examination of the historical processes that brought certain changes about."

Francis completed her PhD in politics in 2008 at Princeton University, where she also earned her master's in politics. Prior to Princeton, she studied for her bachelor's degree in political science and economics from Rice University.

Civil Rights is a running theme throughout Francis' research, and the study of mob violence. Earlier this year she spoke at the Social Science Diversity Colloquium on "Crimes of Justice: Mob Violence and the Origins of Civil Rights," and presented "The Battle for the Hearts and Minds of America" at the annual meetings of both the American Political Science Association and the Law and Society Association. Independently, she has taught Civil Rights courses at the University of Chicago and the University of California, Santa Cruz.

We ask: What are you most looking forward to about teaching at Pepperdine?
The energy of the students! I am looking forward to challenging and enriching the way students think about American Politics. In addition, I am excited about the small class sizes, which will allow more time for student discussion, something I find especially valuable.