I have a Bachelor's Degree in International Affairs from University of Colorado in Boulder; a multidisciplinary degree (Pol. sci. History Economics French etc). I started my Master's Degree in the School of International Service at the American University in Washington D.C. and interned at the Brookings Institution in Russian Foreign Economic Policy. I finished my M.A. in Political Science at the University of Colorado at Boulder with an emphasis on International Relations and wrote my thesis on International Law and the Effects of Perestroika in the Soviet Union. I earned my PhD from Colorado State University in Political Science with an emphasis on International Environmental Politics Comparative Central and Eastern European Politcs and International Relations. My dissertation was about Hungarian Environmental NGOs and the Influence on and Access to the Hungarian Government in the post-communist time frame.I love teaching and care about my students. I feel like I can learn as much from them as they can from me. To paraphrase Michelangelo I'm still learning.For fun I love to read (everything--I own over 1000 books) cook travel swim bike and hang out with my family two large dogs a cat two hamsters and a leopard gecko.We love to travel as a family and experience new places different cultures and foods. We have taken our boys to Munich the Tuscan region of Italy the Mayan Riveria parts of France, the British Isles, Barcelona. And this Summer we explored Northern Europe (Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Iceland).  Our next adventure will be Southern and Central Italy in the Summer of 2023. If I were not a Professor I probably would have become a chef. I love to cook and have certificates in Artisan Bread making and Pastry making.I am a Sommelier, and am currently working on my Italian and French Wine Scholar certifications.