CURRICULUM VITA
Marija Anna Bekafigo
Department of Political Science, International Development and International Affairs
University of Southern Mississippi
118 College Drive #5108
Hattiesburg, MS, 39406-0001 601.266.4310
Ph.D., Political Science, 2009
Fields: American Politics, Political Behavior, Methodology
Dissertation Title: Party Leaders, Committee Chairs and the Ebb and Flow of Actions in the U.S. House of Representatives, 1949-1996
Supervisory Committee: Lawrence C. Dodd (Chair), Richard S. Conley (Co-Chair), Daniel A. Smith, Beth Rosenson, Elizabeth Dale (History)
M.A., Political Science, 2000
B.A., Political Science, 1996
Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Southern Mississippi, 2008-
American Government
Legislative Process
Political Parties
Presidency
Quality Enhancement Program Faculty Development Seminar Fellowship, Finding a Voice: Improving Oral and Written Competencies, Participation in 10 week seminar, University of Southern Mississippi, Fall 2009 ($1500 award).
Program Scholar, Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research, University of Michigan, Summer 2004. Time-Series.
Program Scholar, Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research, University of Michigan, Summer 2002. Mathematics for Social Scientists II, Mathematical Models: Game Theory, Regression Analysis II: Linear Models.
U.S. Congress
American Political Parties and Interest Groups
American Institutions
American Government
U.S. Presidency
Research Methods
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Assistant Professor, University of Southern Mississippi, Fall 2008-present
Adjunct Instructor, University of Georgia, American Government, Spring 2007
Adjunct Instructor, University of Georgia, Introduction to Political Science, Fall 2006
Adjunct Instructor, University of Georgia, American Political Parties, Spring 2006
Teaching Assistant, University of Florida, State and Local Government, Spring 2004
Teaching Assistant, University of Florida, Cultural Diversity, Fall 2003
Teaching Assistant, University of Florida, American Federal Government, Fall 2002 and
Spring 2003
Northwestern Middle School, Jacksonville, Florida, 7th grade teacher, 2001
Substitute Teacher, Various Schools, 1994-1998 and 2000-2001
Richard S. Conley and Marija A. Bekafigo. 2010. “‘No Irish Need Apply’? Veto Players and Legislative Productivity in the Republic of Ireland, 1949-2000.” Comparative Political Studies 43: 91-118.
Marija A. Bekafigo. 2006. "Safe Seat." In Encyclopedia of American Parties and Elections, edited by H. R. Ernst and L. J. Sabato, Facts on File.
Edward S. Greenberg and Benjamin I. Page, The Struggle for Democracy. New York: Longman, 2007.
“State party organizations’ online presence: A comparative analysis.” Abstract accepted for presentation at the American Political Science Association, Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, September 2010 (with Diana Cohen).
“Party Leadership in the Age of Committees.” Presented at the Midwest Political Science Association, Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL April 2009.
“An Examination of Party Leaders’ and Committee Chairs’ “Actions” in the U.S. House,
1945-1996.” Presented at the Midwest Political Science Association, Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, April 2008.
"The Determinants of Legislative Productivity: Parties, Coalitions, and 'Divided Government' in the US, France and Ireland." Presented at the American Political Science Association, Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, August 2006 (with Richard S. Conley).
“Evoking the Word of God: The Use of Religious Rhetoric in Congress During the Debates on Partial Birth Abortion.” Presented at the American Political Science Association, Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, September 2005 (with Matthew K. DeSantis).
“The Ascension of Followers to Leaders in the U.S. Congress.” Presented at the American Political Science Association, Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, September 2004.
“Political Ideologies of Leaders and Followers in the U.S. Congress, 1966-1999.” Presented at the Florida Political Science Association, Annual Meeting, Gainesville, FL, 2004.
Taking Action for Animals, Humane Society of the United States, July 24-27 2009, Attended for Data collection purposes
“State party organizations’ online presence: A comparative analysis,” with Diana Cohen.
“The Determinants of Legislative Productivity: Parties, Coalitions, and 'Divided Government' in the US, France and Ireland,” with Richard S. Conley.
“Party Leaders and Committee Chairs in Congress: A Newspaper Analysis of Influence.”
Quality Enhancement Program Faculty Development Seminar Fellowship, Finding a Voice: Improving Oral and Written Competencies, Participation in 10 week seminar, University of Southern Mississippi, Fall 2009 ($1500 award).
Summer Research Assistantship Award, University of Florida, 2006
Summer Research Assistantship Award, University of Florida, “Legislative Productivity and Executive Leadership in Three Republics, France, Ireland and the United States,” 2005
Grinter Scholarship Award, University of Florida, 2003, 2004, and 2005
Summer Advancement Grant, University of Florida, Department of Political Science, 2004
Nominated for Best Graduate Student Paper, Department of Political Science, University of Florida, 2004
Nominated for Barbara Noreen Roth Memorial Award, Department of Political Science, University of Florida, 2003
Travel Grant, University of Florida, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, 2006 and 2008
Travel Grant, University of Florida, Department of Political Science, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2008
Travel Grant, ICPSR, 2002 and 2004
Nominated for College of Liberal Arts and Sciences O. Ruth McQuown Scholarship, University of Florida, 2002
Coordinator for the First Annual Graduate Symposium on Methodological Pluralism in Political Science, University of Florida, 2004-2005.
Graduate Field Representative for American Government, University of Florida, 2004-2005.
Commission on Presidential Debates, Volunteer Coordinator for Vice-Presidential Debates, University of South Florida, Under the supervision of Kathryn Dunn Tenpas, 1996.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
American Political Science Association
Midwest Political Science Association
UNIVERSITY SERVICE
University of Southern Mississippi
University Service
NEH Grant Committee, Appointed member, 2009
Department Service
Graduate Student Admissions Committee, Appointed member, 2008-
Assessment Committee, Appointed member, 2008
Lawrence C. Dodd
Manning J. Dauer Eminent Scholar in Political Science
Department of Political Science
University of Florida
234 Anderson Hall
Gainesville, FL 32611
352.392.0262
ldodd@polisci.ufl.edu
Richard S. Conley
Associate Professor
Department of Political Science
University of Florida
309 Anderson Hall
Gainesville, FL 32611
352.392.0262 x.297
rconley@polisci.ufl.edu
Daniel A. Smith
Associate Professor
Department of Political Science
University of Florida
234 Anderson Hall
Gainesville, FL 32611
352.392.0262 x.279
dasmith@polisci.ufl.edu
Beth Anne Rosenson
Assistant Professor
Department of Political Science
University of Florida
234 Anderson Hall
Gainesville, FL 32611
352.292.0262 x. 232
rosenson@polisci.ufl.edu
Kathryn Dunn Tenpas
Director, Washington Semester Program
University of Pennsylvania
Non-resident Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution
1608 Rhode Island Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20036
202.797.6000
ktenpas@brookings.edu