Colin Elman, professor of political science, has been elected to the 24-member governing council of the American Political Science Association (APSA), an organization with over 11,000 members in more than 100 countries.

Founded in 1903, APSA brings together political scientists and students from all regions and fields of study to deepen the understanding of government, citizenship and democracy. The council serves as the organization’s governing body. Elman is one of eight new members elected; his term ends in 2028.

“We are delighted to see Colin recognized with this well-deserved election to APSA’s governing council,” said Seth Jolly, associate professor and chair of the Political Science Department. “His leadership in qualitative and multi-method research and international relations scholarship, along with his tireless work building collaborative research initiatives, exemplifies the excellence that our Maxwell community strives for.”

Elman studies international relations, national security and qualitative methods. His writing has been published in academic journals including the American Political Science Review, the Annual Review of Political Science, International Organization, International Security and others. Hehas also co-edited volumes published by MIT Press, Prentice Hall and Routledge.

Elman previously directed Maxwell’s Center for Qualitative and Multi-Method Inquiry, and co-founded and co-directed the annual Institute for Qualitative and Multi-Method Research, the Qualitative Data Repository and the Data-PASS Journal Editors’ Discussion Interface.

“I am thankful to be a member of an association that warmly welcomes a wide variety of methodological and substantive approaches, and which works so effectively to support the discipline,” said Elman of his candidacy for the council. “Over the last three decades I have been fortunate to participate in several APSA initiatives, including helping to stand up both the International History and Politics and the Qualitative and Multi‐Method Research organized sections. I hope to encourage APSA to promulgate the wide range of expertise which makes our discipline uniquely well-placed to reflect on contemporary challenges.”

By Jacob Spudich