Dr. Bernie Kaussler is Associate Professor of Political Science. His research focus deals with diplomacy and statecraft, conflict management, US foreign policy and Middle East security. His latest book was published by Routledge in 2017 and is on the impact of US foreign policy on Middle East security:  US Foreign Policy Towards the Middle East: The Realpolitik of Deceit He enjoys the intersection of scholarship and the policy-making community. To that end, he has produced national security teaching materials for the US armed forces and participated in war games. He provides regular commentary on US foreign policy and Middle Eastern affairs. His blog is at  https://berniesaffairs.com/

Dr. Constantin is an assistant professor in Physics and Astronomy department at JMU. He arrived here in September 2010 from Seton Hall University where he was an assistant professor in the Physics department. He previously worked as a postdoc in the group of Randall Feenstra from Carnegie Mellon University. He received his MS and PhD from Ohio University in 2005 and his BS from University Politehnica of Bucharest in 1999.

His interests include a handful of nanoscience projects. During his Ph.D. and postdoctoral experience, he worked on structural, electrical, and surface characterization of nitride systems such as Manganese Gallium Nitride (MnGaN), Scandium Gallium Nitride (ScGaN), and Chromium Nitride (CrN). Most recently, he is interested to understand the thermal transport and thermoelectric properties of materials systems such as Gallium Nitride semiconductors, Manganese Oxide (MnO2) powders, and the conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT-PSS). This work is done in collaboration with Dr. Patrick Hopkins group at University of Virginia Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.