Denise K. von Herrmann
email: denise.vonherrmann@usm.edu
Education
The University of Alabama, 1997, Ph.D. Political Science (Public Policy and Administration, American Politics, Economics). Dissertation: The States' Biggest Gamble: Are Competition and Public Opinion Shaping American State Gambling Policy? Written under the direction of Dr. Patrick Cotter.
Jacksonville State University, 1989, M.A. Political Science
Washington and Jefferson College, 1987, B.A. Political Science
Academic Appointments
The University of Southern Mississippi, Professor of Political Science; previously Associate and Assistant Professor of Political Science. 1997-present.
DeKalb College, 1993-1997, Assistant Professor of Political Science
Shelton State Community College, 1992 , Adjunct Instructor of Political Science
The University of Alabama, 1990-1993, Graduate Teaching Assistant in Political Science
DeKalb College, 1990, Adjunct Instructor of Political Science
Administrative Appointments
Dean, College of Arts & Letters, ongoing (previously served as Interim Dean, January 2007 through June 2008).
Department Chair for Political Science, International Development & Affairs, July 2006-January 2007.
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Arts & Letters, January 2004-April 2006. Oversight of curriculum development, provided primary training and mentoring of department chairs, worked directly with dean’s office staff in Student Services, with the College Foundation Officer, and as needed with public relations, budget, and related staff members.
Interim Dean of Gulf Coast, May-October 2003 (position was eliminated due to campus restructuring). Directed all academic operations of a campus, reporting to the campus Provost.
Chair of Arts & Sciences Division, Gulf Coast, summer 2001—spring 2003; Administered all aspects of the division's 19 undergraduate and 9 graduate degree plans, reporting to the campus Dean.
Research
Books with Academic Presses
Resorting to Casinos: The Mississippi Gambling Industry (University Press of Mississippi, February, 2006; 182 pps.).
The Big Gamble: The Politics of Lottery and Casino Expansion (Praeger/Greenwood Publishers, December, 2002; 160 pps.)
Chapters in Academic Books
“Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!” in Gambling, Space, and Time Pauliina Raento and David Schwartz, eds. (University Press of Nevada, forthcoming 2009), 27 pps.
"Political Contributions of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians--A Case Study of Indian Gaming and its Impacts on Statewide Political Activity" in Enfranchising Indian Country, Tracy Ann Skopek and Kenneth N. Hansen, eds. (University of Nevada Press, forthcoming 2009; 21 pps.).
“Presidential Decision-Making: Three Models and the Road to War With Iraq” in From Forty-One to Forty-Three: Presidential Policies and the Road to the Second Iraq War, John Davis, editor. (Aldershot, Hampshire UK: Ashgate Publishing, March 2006; 18 pps.).
“The Federal Government’s Role in Regulating Gambling,” in Legalized Gambling, David M. Haugen, editor. (Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press. 2005; 16 pps.).
"Gaming in Mississippi: From Backwaters to the Big Time" in Mississippi Politics, 2nd edition, Joseph Parker, editor. (Salem, WI: Sheffield Publishing Co., 2001; 23 pps.).
Chapter in Other Books
“The US Should Play a Greater Role in Solving the Arab-Israeli Conflict.” in Debating the War on Terrorism. Tom Lansford & Robert P. Watson, editors. (Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall-Hunt publishers, 2003; 12 pps.).
"Why States Gamble on Gambling" in State Government: in CQ's Guide to Current Issues and Activities, 2000-2001, Thad Beyle, editor. (Washington, D.C: Congressional Quarterly Press, 1999; 6 pps.).
Journal Articles
"Are All Gambling Policies Alike? A Model of Why States Do What They Do." Fall, 1999 (Volume 22, no. 11 & 12; 22 pps.) The International Journal of Public Administration
"Why States Gamble on Gambling Revenue: A Comparative Case Study Approach." October, 1998 (Volume 19, no. 5; 15 pps.), Comparative State Politics
Public Research Reports
“Gaming Taxes and Their Impacts on Mississippi” Prepared for Mississippi Gulf Coast Economic Development Council and released to the Mississippi State Legislature. (Gulfport, MS: March 1, 2004; 45 pps.).
“Gaming in Mississippi: The Present and the Future” Prepared for Mississippi Gulf Coast Economic Development Council and released to the Mississippi State Legislature. (Gulfport, MS: March 15, 2002; 34 pps.).
“Gaming in the Mississippi Economy: A Marketing, Tourism, and Economic Perspective” Prepared for the Institutions of Higher Learning and released to the Mississippi State Legislature. (Jackson, MS: June 30, 2000: 71 pps.).
Book Reviews in Journals
“A Review of Gambling Politics: State Government and the Business of Betting, (by Patrick A. Pierce and Donald E. Miller) in Perspectives on Politics, June 2005.
"A Review of Mississippi Government and Politics: Traditionalists versus Modernists," (by Dale Krane and Stephen Shaffer) in The Southern Historian, Spring, 1992
Funded Research
$26,100 contract to study employment impacts of gaming and construction/reconstruction expansion on the Mississippi Gulf Coast for the US Navy under subcontract to Northrup Grumman Ship Systems of Pascagoula, MS. Co PI. Funding date: August 1, 2006.
$57,000 grant to study taxes and the Mississippi Gaming industry, funded by the Mississippi Gulf Coast Economic Development Council. Sole PI. Funding date: November 2003.
$56,000 grant to study several economic questions relating to the Mississippi Gaming industry, funded by the Mississippi Gulf Coast Economic Development Council. Sole PI. Funding date: November 2001.
$6000 in-kind grant to conduct an addendum to the Mississippi Gaming Study, funded by Decision Scientific, LLC, of Gulfport, Mississippi. Sole PI. Funding date: October, 2001.
$200,000 grant to study gaming in Mississippi, funded by the State Legislature through the state's Institutions of Higher Learning. Research Director and co-PI. Funding date: May 1999.
Invited Conference Participation
Invited participant at the "International Assessments of the Economic Costs and Benefits of Casinos" seminar presented by the National Autonomous University of Mexico, August 30, 2006, Mexico City, Mexico.
Invited keynote speaker at the Texas Lyceum, April 7-9, 2006, Galveston, Texas.
Invited panelist at the 2001 AUBER (Association for University Business and Economic Research) Conference, Biloxi, Mississippi, October 2001.
Invited speaker at the 2001 Indian Economic Development conference, Philadelphia, Mississippi, March 2001.
Keynote speaker at the Mississippi 2000 Economic Outlook Conference in Jackson, Mississippi, September 2000.
Invited panelist at the regional Tourism & Travel Research Association meeting in Hattiesburg, MS, September 2000.
Other Research in Progress
“Campaign Contributions from the Casino Gaming Industry: A Case Study from Mississippi”.
Selected Conference Papers Presented
(all were sole author, except where noted)
"The Politics of Lottery and Casino Expansion,” With Brian Richards. Western Political Science Association, March 10, 2007, Las Vegas, NV.
“The Loss and Rebirth of a Gambling Destination: The Mississippi Gulf Coast Following Hurricane Katrina.”” Global Policy and Development conference, Biloxi, MS, November 2-4, 2006.
“Viva Macao.” With J.J. St. Marie. American Political Science Association, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, September 2, 2006.
"Political Contributions of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians--A Case Study of Indian Gaming and its Impacts on Statewide Political Activity"Western Political Science Association, Albuquerque, New Mexico, March 19, 2006.
" The Effects of Globalization on Casino Development in the United States." Managing Globalization: The Role of Business and the State, Long Beach, MS, October 22, 2004.
“The Changing Market for Casinos in Mississippi: Results from Recent Surveys.” Southern Regional Science Association, New Orleans, LA, March 11, 2004.
“Population and Income Impacts of the Mississippi Gaming Industry,” with Shadhad Naghshpour, Southern Regional Science Association, Louisville, KY, March 23, 2003.
“The Economic Realities of Casino Employment in Mississippi: Results from a Recent Statewide Survey.” National Women’s Studies Association, Las Vegas, NV, June 13-16, 2002.
"The Politics of Adopting Lotteries and Casinos: An Update Using EHA." Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, Illinois, April 2002.
"Casinos and Crime on the Mississippi Gulf Coast." Co-authored with Kathy Thompson. Mississippi Political Science Association, Diamondhead, Mississippi, February 2001.
“The Mississippi Study of Gaming For 2000 and Beyond.” International Conference on Gambling and Risk-Taking, Las Vegas, NV, June 12, 2000.
"The Alabama Lottery Adoption Failure." Joint Meeting of the Alabama and Mississippi Political Science Associations, Mobile, Alabama, February 2000.
"Motor Voter: Is There a Participatory Culture That Will Limit Its Impact?" Southern Political Science Association, Norfolk, Virginia., November 1997.
"The Effects of Motor Voter on the 1996 Election: An Initial Estimation." Georgia Political Science Association, Savannah, Georgia, February, 1997.
“Are All Gambling Policies Alike?” Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, Illinois, April, 1996.
"Taxing the Voters' Patience." Southern Political Science Association, Atlanta, Georgia, November 1992.
"Are PAC Donations Understated? The Influence of Interlocks on PAC Behavior." Co-authored with Walter C. Smith, III. American Political Science Association, Chicago, Illinois, September 1992.
"The Politics of Lottery Adoption: A Model of Voter Choice." Southern Political Science Association, Tampa, Florida, November 1991.
Teaching
Courses Taught
Introduction to American Government, State and Local Government, Introduction to Public Administration, Urban Politics, Women and Politics, Research in Political Science, Organization and Management, Public Policy, The Politics of Taxing and Spending, United States Constitutional Law, Political Analysis, Proseminar on Gambling; Graduate Seminar in American Government, Graduate Seminar in Public Administration, Graduate Seminar in Public Policy; Graduate Seminar in Public Law, Research Design I, (doctoral only) Graduate Seminar in Comparative Cultural Development (doctoral only).
Dissertation/Thesis Committees
Robert Corby (MA)
Jack Covarrubias (MA)
Scott Covey (MA)
Angie Wood (Ph.D.-Chair)
Charles Jobs (Ph.D.)
Deena Burris (Ph.D.)
Elixenia Biron (Ph.D.)
Brian Richard (Ph.D.-Chair)
In Progress:
Ethan Joella (Ph.D. – Chair)
Juanyce Taylor (Ph.D. – Chair)
Kelly Robinson (Ph.D.)
Paula Mathis (Ph.D.)
Other Universities:
Gregory Bradley (Ph.D., NorthCentral University, Arizona)
Molly Blank (MA, Univ. of California at Berkeley)
Service
Service to the Discipline & Department
Director of Graduate Studies, November 2005-July 2006.
Search Committee chair for PSIDA Chair position, Fall 2005-March 2006.
Reviewer for Perspectives on Politics (ongoing commitment)
Editorial Board member (2000-2003) & reviewer for Politics and Policy.
Anonymous reviewer for Baylor University Press, 2008
Anonymous reviewer for Palgrave·Macmillan Press, 2005
Anonymous reviewer for Sage Publishers, 2004 & 2006
Reviewer for SUNY Press, 2004
Mississippi Political Science Association, Delegate-at-large, 2002-2003, Past-President, 2001-2002, President, 2000-2001, Vice-president, 1999-2000, Delegate at-large, 1998-1999.
Team coach/practice judge for “We The People” team from Ocean Springs High School, 2001, 2002, 2003.
Pi Sigma Alpha, chapter advisor, Fall 1998 to Fall 2002.
Member, search committee for new Department Chair, Fall, 1999.
Media Interviews: Newspaper, radio, and television interviews/appearances have included: numerous appearances on "Sunday Night," on WLOX-TV, Biloxi, MS; brief on-air interview with “Morning Edition” special Katrina anniversary segment on NPR; extensive on-air interview with “The Investigation” a BBC radio weekly program in Scotland; extensive on-air interview with Louisiana Public TV show "Louisiana: The State We're In;" brief interview for Alabama Public Radio; several brief interviews on Public Radio in Mississippi; extensive print interviews with International Gaming & Wagering Business, Forbes Magazine, CQ Weekly, Casino Magazine, The Sun-Herald, The Hattiesburg American, The (Memphis, TN) Commercial Appeal; City Magazine (Tuscaloosa, AL); Medill news; Patriot Leder (Boston, MA) ; brief interviews for various evening news segments on a variety of state and local stations.
Service to the University Community
Strategic Enrollment Planning Council: 2007—ongoing.
Strategic Budget Model Task Force (Co-Chair): 2008—ongoing.
Provost Search Committee: 2007-2008.
Presidential Search Advisory Committee: Spring 2007.
University Budget Committee: Spring 2005-Summer 2006.
USM Foundation Hurricane Katrina Relief Committee: Fall 2005.
Southern Miss Mediation team; received training in 2001 and have mediated disputes in two university departments.
USMAC (SACs Accreditation committee) Member, 2002-2003.
College of Arts & Letters Dean Search committee member, 2003.
As Chair of Arts & Sciences at Gulf Coast, served on numerous search committees for new faculty between 2002 and 2004.
Memberships, Recognition and Awards
Political Science Associations (Current Memberships)
American Political Science Association
Western Political Science Association
Who's Who in America; Who’s Who Among American Women; Who’s Who in American Education, various years
2000 Outstanding Scholars of the 21st Century, 2002 (1st edition)
Member, Leadership Gulf Coast class of 2002-2003.
Outstanding Service Award, (given annually to a faculty member) DeKalb College, 1997
Lex Arden Fikes, Jr. award, (given periodically to a student in Political Science at the University of Alabama,) 1992