Ellen Grigsby (Ph. D., University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 1986) teaches political theory and serves as the university's pre-law advisor and the department's internship coordinator.  She is currently working on project investigating concepts of texuality--and textual representation and interpretation--in political theory and art.  No less a theorist than Machiavelli (in his Introduction to The Prince) compares the work of the political theorist to that of the painter, who, in moving an easel, pulls the viewer toward a new field of vision. Her classes interrogate texts, textuality, and interpretation through analysis of the puzzles comprising Ancient and Medieval Political Theory (PS 361), Modern Political Theory (PS 362), and American Political Theory (PS 300).  Recently, she attended the Pre-Law Advisors National Conference in Chicago, Illinois (Summer 2016) and participated with other pre-law advisors and law school admissions officials in sharing and evaluating data and resources on best practices in law school preparation and trends in law school admissions.

Selected Publications

• Ellen Grigsby, Analyzing Politics: An Introduction to Political Science, 5th ed. Wadsworth/Cengage; Belmont, CA; 368 pages; 2011. New, 6th edition is forthcoming in 2015.
• “The Reach of Our Pedagogy: Political Science Undergraduate Classes and Pre-Law Academic Preparation. ” In Before the Paper Chase: The Scholarship of Law School Preparation and Admissions. Frank Guluizza and Tim Garrison, eds., pp. 31-40. Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press, 2012. Co-authored with Amelia A. R. Murphey.
• “Neoclassical Liberals” in Twenty-First Century Political Science: A Reference Handbook, John Ishiyama and Marijke Breuning, eds, pp. 596-604. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2011.
• “History of the Discipline” in Twenty-First Century Political Science: A Reference Handbook, John Ishiyama and Marijke Breuning, eds., pp. 3-10. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2011.
• Ellen Grigsby, Murray S.Y. Bessette, and Shane Ralston. “Track Summary: Teaching Political Theory and Theories.” PS: Political Science and Politics, 44: 666. 2011.
• Ellen Grigsby. “Political Theory, Museum Studies, and Pedagogy.” Political Science Educator: The Newsletter of APSA’s Political Science Education Section 15: 5-7. 2011.
• “Furman v. Georgia,” in The Encyclopedia of American Law and Criminal Justice, David Schultz, ed., pp. 352-353. New York: Facts on File, 2011.
• “Gregg v. Georgia,” in The Encyclopedia of American Law and Criminal Justice, David Schultz, ed. pp. 371-372. New York: Facts on File, 2011.