Kimberly Weir

Dr. Kimberly Weir joined the political science faculty at NKU directly upon completing her Ph.D. at the University of Connecticut.

A native of northeastern Pennsylvania, Dr. Weir loves snow. Northern Kentucky was not the obvious choice for her, given the paucity of snow the region receives seriously limits her cross-country skiing opportunities. She was instead drawn to the university because of its reputation as a teaching institution with a predominately first-generation college student body. This environment offers the opportunity to challenge students' preconceived notions, push them to hone their critical thinking and reasoning skills and open their eyes to the possibilities that a political science degree can offer.

Dr. Weir's area of expertise is international relations with interests in global political economy, sex in a global society and the politics of food. Her other persona is that of political theorist, teaching enlightenment and post-enlightenment theory, along with politics and the arts. Additionally, she takes great delight in teaching for the Honors Program. Most of her research centers around pedagogy topics including simulations, case studies and teaching methods, which draw on her teaching experience in the U.S. and abroad.

Given the opportunity, Dr. Weir will travel just about anywhere (and has, when asked). In 2008, she will be teaching about the European Union in London for the second time. Having studied abroad at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, she recognizes and actively advocates how submersion in another culture -- even an English-speaking one -- really affords a different perspective on life, one's own culture and country, and global dynamics. Among the many interesting places Dr. Weir has been are Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Belize and Atlantic City, New Jersey.

When not at school or advising the Political Science Honor Society Xi Omega, Dr. Weir can be found digging in the dirt, hammering out Beethoven on the piano or repeatedly throwing Frisbees to the family dogs. The rest of her time is devoted to intellectual banter with her husband, fellow political scientist Michael Baranowski, over topics such as the import of political theory to the discipline, how free trade should actually be or the role of elites in the politics.