About

Current students, recent alums, faculty, and staff

Current students and recent alums

On May 6th, 2022 Mark A. Nadler, Chair in Economics, accompanied Bria Meisse to the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland to present her paper “Entrepreneurs of Happiness” at the Economic Scholars Program.

Tasha Coleman, Senator Portman, and Dr. Campo

Logan Rex, Shelby Boatman, and Kelsey Golec at the Ohio Local History Alliance Annual Meeting.

Associate Professor of Political Science
Director of Citizen Programs
Director of University Core Curriculum

gmcbraye@ashland.edu

Spring 2023 Courses:
Xenophon
Western Political Thought III

Undergrad: Emory University
Master's: University of Georgia
Ph.D.: University of Maryland

Assistant Professor of Political Science
bslomski@ashland.edu

Spring 2023 Courses:
American History through the Civil War
American Foreign Policy
Congress

Undergrad: St. Vincent College
Ph.D.: Baylor University

Assistant Professor of History

Spring 2023 Courses:
American History after the Civil War
Age of Enlightenment

Undergrad: University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Master's: University of Texas at Dallas
Ph.D.: Rice University

Associate Professor of Political Science
Director of the Ashbrook Scholar Program

cburket1@ashland.edu

Spring 2023 Courses:
Democracy in America
American Political Thought II

Undergrad: Ashland University
Master's and Ph.D.: University of Dallas

Chris is a 2011 recipient of the Edward and Louaine Taylor Excellence in Teaching Award at Ashland University

Professor of Political Science

dfoster2@ashland.edu

Spring 2023 Course:
Understanding Politics

Undergrad: McMaster University
Master's and Ph.D.: University of Toronto

Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science and History

jsteven2@ashland.edu

Spring 2023 Courses:
Democracy in America
Politics and Religion

Undergrad: Ashland University
Master's and Ph.D.: University of Dallas

Executive Director of the Ashbrook Center
Professor of Political Science

jsikkeng@ashland.edu

Undergrad: University of Virginia
Master's and Ph.D.: University of Toronto

Chair of the Department of History and Political Science
Professor of History

jmoser1@ashland.edu

Spring 2023 Courses:
Western Civilization from 1500
Modern East Asia

Undergrad: Ohio University
Master's and Ph.D.: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

John lives in Ashland, Ohio, with his wife, Monica, their daughter Stanzi, and their two dogs. As a member of the Ohio Garrison of the 501st Legion, he dresses in the uniform of an imperial officer from Star Wars for charity events and other appearances.

Associate Professor of Political Science

rpaddags@ashland.edu

Spring 2023 Courses:
International Relations
Western Political Thought II

Master's Degrees: Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Relations in International Relations and in political science from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
Ph.D.: University of Maryland, College Park

Assistant Professor of Political Science
Director of Political Economy Program

rwyllie@ashland.edu

Spring 2023 Courses:
Western Civilization from 1500
Political Economy of Free Society
The Welfare State and Beyond

Undergrad and Master's: University of Virginia
Master's and Ph.D.: University of Notre Dame

Assistant Professor of History

dwest6@ashland.edu

Spring 2023 Courses:
Western Civilization to 1500
Elementary Latin II
Intermediate Latin II
Ancient Rome and the Rise of Christianity

Undergrad and Master's: University of Dallas
Master's and Ph.D.: Boston University

Alumni Relations and Citizen Programs Manager

jdistel@ashbrook.org

At Ashbrook since April 2022

In his free-time, he enjoys reading, traveling, woodworking, brewing beer (but it has been a while), and playing with dogs.

He and his wife Kristin, also an Ashland alum, live in Athens, Ohio.

Student Programs Coordinator

smaristela@ashbrook.org

At Ashbrook since June 2021

While at AU, she was an Ashbrook intern and a member of the AU Student Senate, AU Catholic Campus Ministry, AU Dance Company, and AU Falconry Team (AU has a Falconry Team?!)

Director of Student Programs

bkunkel@ashbrook.org

At Ashbrook since 2001

Ben lives near Ashland with his wife, Reneé, and their four children. They have a dog (a big one), cats, chickens, and sheep (soon to be the worlds cutest sheep--Google them) on their farm.

Student Programs Recruiting Coordinator

ropel@ashbrook.org

At Ashbrook since May 2022

She will be graduating from Ashland University in December 2022 after completing her student teaching in the fall at Avon High School.

Associate Director of Student Programs

rpolicz@ashbrook.org

At Ashbrook since April 2020

He has been published in various print and digital media on an array of topics including military history, Christianity and culture, rock n' roll, and English Premier League Football.

He lives in Ashland with his wife, Deidre, and their four sons.

In addition to student programs staff, Ashbrook employs over 20 other staff members to run teacher and citizen programs across the country and to fundraise.

Graduation year
2018

Employer
National Association of Scholars

Title
Development Associate

You have a night to yourself, with no obligations, what do you do?
Re-read The Lord of the Rings

What is a fond memory you have from your time at Ashbrook?
Dr. Schramm taking my ego down a few notches during my interview for the Ashbrook Scholar Program.

Who was your favorite professor at Ashland?
Dr. Burkett

What book would you recommend to your fellow alums?
The Coddling of the American Mind

Graduation year
2013

Employer
The Buckeye Institute

Title
Director of Operations

You have a night to yourself, with no obligations, what do you do?
Read, play board games, or hang with friends

What is a fond memory you have from your time at Ashbrook?
Late night discussions on the Ashbrook floor, hiding a copy of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie amongst the books in the Ashbrook Center, forking a professor's office door, carrying out Operation Minty Hippo....the list is endless.

Who was your favorite professor at Ashland?
Dr. Schwarz and Dr. Sikkenga

What book would you recommend to your fellow alums?
A Gentleman in Moscow and the Queens Thief Series

Graduation year
2009

Employer
Early Pregnancy Loss Association

Title
Executive Director

You have a night to yourself, with no obligations, what do you do?
I am a homebody and I always have a DIY project going on in our 1911 home. I am probably either out in the yard working on something or inside painting walls and getting paint off old hardware.

What is a fond memory you have from your time at Ashbrook?
Writing papers and studying in the Ashbrook center late at night, especially during finals week.

Who was your favorite professor at Ashland?
Chris Burkett’s Democracy in America my sophomore year (I was a late comer) was a MAJOR aha! moment for me. Everything just clicked and I knew I was right where I was supposed to be.

What book would you recommend to your fellow alums?
East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Graduation year
2007

Employer
Ashbrook Byrne Kresge LLC

Title
Partner

You have a night to yourself, with no obligations, what do you do?
Go to a new brewery

What is a fond memory you have from your time at Ashbrook?
“Studying” on the 8th floor after the library closed

Who was your favorite professor at Ashland?
Dr Sikkenga

What book would you recommend to your fellow alums?
Cobra II

Graduation year
2019

Employer
FusionFlix Entertainment

Title
Junior Vice President of Production

You have a night to yourself, with no obligations, what do you do?
Watch a movie, play ukulele, catch up with a friend, write a poem, play a video game. Some combination of those things and honestly I might try to do them all in one night 😂

What is a fond memory you have from your time at Ashbrook?
Tea Tuesday's in Mishler. Tuesday's nights (after student senate) a group would gather in Mishler kitchen and drink tea and talk. Also studying in the ABC... something interesting was always going on. Or Shakespeare reading group in Schramm’s office.

Who was your favorite professor at Ashland?
This is an impossible question. Top 3: Dr. Burkett, Dr. Weaver, Dr. Mackall

What book would you recommend to your fellow alums?
Dune

Graduation year
2009

Employer
Squire Patton Boggs

Title
Senior Associate

You have a night to yourself, with no obligations, what do you do?
Play golf

What is a fond memory you have from your time at Ashbrook?
Meeting Dr. Schramm for the first time (too long to write).

Who was your favorite professor at Ashland?
Prof. Sikkenga

What book would you recommend to your fellow alums?
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding

Graduation year
2010

Employer
Third District Court of Appeals

Title
Judicial Attorney

You have a night to yourself, with no obligations, what do you do?
Read

Who was your favorite professor at Ashland?
Dr. Justin Lyons

Graduation year
2010

Employer
Clipboard Health

Title
Head of Customer Operations

You have a night to yourself, with no obligations, what do you do?
Attend a Hollywood Bowl concert

What is a fond memory you have from your time at Ashbrook?
The all-nighter for that first Xenophon paper with a bunch of other Ashbrooks, moving around campus throughout the night, was such fun I won't forget. Really bonded with the group that night. Schramm finding creative ways to poke fun at me in front of increasingly large crowds over the years was also fun.

Who was your favorite professor at Ashland?
Dr. Schramm

What book would you recommend to your fellow alums?
I recently read the "The Last Battle" by Stephen Harding and it was fascinating history. US and German soldiers defending a medieval castle full of French VIPs against a Nazi SS onslaught. I don't know how it hasn't been made into a movie yet.

Graduation year
1999

Employer
City of Ashland, OH

Title
Mayor

You have a night to yourself, with no obligations, what do you do?
Head to the lake to enjoy the sunset, go out to eat, and maybe enjoy a movie on the big screen.

What is a fond memory you have from your time at Ashbrook?
Seeing Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and attending CPAC in Washington DC with some of my fellow scholars.

Who was your favorite professor at Ashland?
Dr. Sikkenga of course!

What book would you recommend to your fellow alums?
The Bible. After all, President Lincoln sure seemed to learn a lot from it.

Graduation year
1995

You have a night to yourself, with no obligations, what do you do?
Read, watch sports

What is a fond memory you have from your time at Ashbrook?
Sitting beside Margaret Thatcher for tea, riding in the elevator with Colin Powell, attending CPAC, traveling to DC for Mr White’s dinner, interning twice in DC, traveling to Toronto to see Phantom.

Who was your favorite professor at Ashland?
Dr. Schramm

What book would you recommend to your fellow alums?
As he was known to do, Schramm sent John Marshall, Definer of a Nation, when I graduated from law school. I still have the note he included tucked into the front cover.

Graduation year
2008

Employer
Pepple & Waggoner

Title
Attorney

You have a night to yourself, with no obligations, what do you do?
Cook or order a delicious meal and find a good show or book.

What is a fond memory you have from your time at Ashbrook?
Working and talking with people at the Ashbrook Center.

Who was your favorite professor at Ashland?
John Moser

What book would you recommend to your fellow alums?
Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann

Graduation year
2016

Employer
Auditor of State Keith Faber

Title
Campaign Manager

You have a night to yourself, with no obligations, what do you do?
Hang out with my wife - cook dinner and watch a movie.

What is a fond memory you have from your time at Ashbrook?
Late nights in the Center drinking bad coffee and wrestling with the important questions.

Who was your favorite professor at Ashland?
Sikkenga or Burkett

What book would you recommend to your fellow alums?
The End of the Affair

Graduation year
2022

Employer
Kademenos, Wisehart, Hines, Dolyk, and Wright Co. LPA

Title
Law Clerk

You have a night to yourself, with no obligations, what do you do?
Sorry to give a typical Ashbrook answer, but I'd probably spend the night reading a good book.

What is a fond memory you have from your time at Ashbrook?
I really enjoyed Ashbrook Orientation and had a super fun time getting to know all of the freshman Ashbrooks in my class.

Who was your favorite professor at Ashland?
Honestly, I think each professor had his/her own strengths, so it would depend on what topic was being taught.

What book would you recommend to your fellow alums?
Crime and Punishment 🙂

About

Current students, recent alums, faculty, and staff

Current students and recent alums

Ashbrook Faculty

Ashbrook Staff

Alumni Relations and Citizen Programs Manager

Student Programs Coordinator

Director of Student Programs

Student Programs Recruiting Coordinator

Associate Director of Student Programs

Ashbrook Alumni Advisory Council

About

Current students, recent alums, faculty, and staff

Current students and recent alums

Ashbrook Faculty

Ashbrook Staff

Alumni Relations and Citizen Programs Manager

Student Programs Coordinator

Director of Student Programs

Student Programs Recruiting Coordinator

Associate Director of Student Programs

Ashbrook Alumni Advisory Council

What have you been up to?