July 15, 2022
Birkhead named head of political science department
Nathaniel Birkhead, associate professor of political science, has been named department head of political science in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Birkhead joined Kansas State University in 2012 after earning his bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Colorado and a doctorate in political science from Indiana University.
"Dr. Birkhead, our newest Coffman chair and a previous Commerce Bank and W.T. Kemper Foundation Outstanding Teaching Award winner, has an outstanding record as a leader in helping students make those connections between class learning and real-world application," said Chris Culbertson, College of Arts and Sciences interim dean. "His leadership, enthusiasm and creativity will serve the political sciences department well."
Birkhead uses technically sophisticated methods to answer broad questions about the representational relationship between constituents and their elected officials, and American institutions — especially Congress and state legislatures.
He recently received a National Science Foundation grant to develop an open knowledge network for public policy. Birkhead's work has been published in several leading journals, including Political Research Quarterly, Legislative Studies Quarterly and American Politics Research. He is the co-author of the book "Congress in Reverse: Repeals from Reconstruction to the Present," published in 2020 by the University of Chicago Press.
Birkhead is K-State's 2022-2023 Coffman Chair for Distinguished Teaching Scholars and has previously been recognized as one of K-State's top teachers, earning the Commerce Bank and W.T. Kemper Foundation Outstanding Teaching Award in 2016 and the Presidential Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in 2017. He also received an Open/Alternative Textbook Award in 2018.
"The department has a long list of strengths: award-winning teachers, strong research output, innovative faculty who develop new programs, and students who are engaged and enthusiastic," Birkhead said. "I am excited to help capitalize on these strengths as we address the challenges facing us for the next several years."