Faculty & Staff

Organization and Contributing Faculty

The International Relations program is governed by an executive committee, and has a dedicated team of faculty advisors (see below).

The home of the International Relations program is the Department of Political Science. As an interdisciplinary program, International Relations is staffed by faculty from the following departments:

Staff and Program Contact Information

Academic Office Coordinator
Ashley Savage
(616) 331-2320
[email protected]

[email protected]

Fax: (616) 331-3550

International Relations
1121 AuSable Hall
1 Campus Drive
Grand Valley State University
Allendale, MI 49401-9403


Executive Committee

Prof Diven

Polly Diven

Ph.D. (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Director, International Relations Program
Department of Political Science
1107 AuSable Hall
(616) 331-3282
[email protected]
Fields: International Relations, U.S. Foreign Policy, American Politics

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James Goode

Chad Lingwood

Ph.D. (University of Toronto)
Department of History
D-1-122 Mackinac Hall
(616) 331-8697
[email protected]
Fields: Middle East, Islamic Civilization, Iran, Persian Literature

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Heather Tafel

Heather Tafel

Ph.D. (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
Department of Political Science
1125 AuSable Hall
(616) 331-1131
[email protected]
Fields: Democratization, Federalism, Russia and Eastern Europe
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Jim Penn

Jim Penn

Ph.D. (University of Florida)
Department of Geography
B-4-205 Mackinac Hall
(616) 331-8522
pennji@gvsu.edu
Fields: Amazonia, Latin America, Non-timber Forest Products, Ethnobotany, Natural Resource Use and Indigenous Communities, Agriculture and Farmers, Rural-to-urban Migration, Globalization and Development, Railroads and Freight Transportation.
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Gerry Simons

Gerry Simons

Ph.D. (University of Kansas)
Department of Economics
3044 L. William Seidman Center
(616) 331-7419
pennji@gvsu.edu
Fields: International Economics, Emerging Markets

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Faculty Advisors


Polly Diven

Polly Diven

Ph.D. (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Director, International Relations Program
1107 AuSable Hall
(616) 331-3282
[email protected]
profile
Fields: International Relations, U.S. Foreign Policy, American Politics


Heather Tafel

Heather Tafel

Ph.D. (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
1125 AuSable Hall
(616) 331-1131
[email protected]
profile
Fields: Democratization, Federalism, Russia and Eastern Europe


Thomas Walker

Thomas Walker

Ph.D. (Rutgers University)
1105 Au Sable Hall
(616) 331-8713
[email protected]
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Fields: International Relations, History of International Political Thought, Causes of War




Page last modified July 15, 2025