Graduate Students

Graduate Student Directory

  • PhD Program 
    Kaan Afsar aekremk1@binghamton.edu Environmental security, cybersecurity and public opinion/policy
    Muuhammet Akkus makkus1@binghamton.edu Comparative Politics, Religion and Politics, Political Violence, Religious Movements, State Capacity, Public Opinion
    Hazal Aktas haktas@binghamton.edu International Conflicts, Terrorism, State minority policies, Political Violence  
    Rael
    Almonte Reyes    		 ralmont4@binghamton.edu Election Systems, Democratic Deconsolidation, Political Economy, Political Behavior, Latin America & the Carribean

    Shambralyn
    Baker    		 sbaker13@binghamton.edu International environmental politics, international institutions and law, biodiversity politics  
    Kathleen
    Bannon    		 kbannon1@binghamton.edu American Foreign Policy, International Relations, Bureaucratic Politics
    Onsel Gurel
    Bayrali    		 obayral1@binghamton.edu Federalism, Global Health, Political Economy, African Politics
    Ekin Cengiz ocengiz1@binghamton.edu    
    Hyoungrohk
    Chu    		 hchu13@binghamton.edu Comparative Politics, Political Behavior, Autocratization, Political Idelogies, Polarization
     Tyler
    Clarke    		 tclarke3@binghamton.edu Congressional Behavior, Elections & Campaigns, Representation, Voting Behavior, American Politics
     Shawn
    Donahue    		 sdonahu1@binghamton.edu    
    Furkan
    Emer    		 femer1@binghamton.edu International Relations, Civil-Military Relations 
    Viktorya Erdogu verdogu@binghamton.edu Human Rights, Authoritarian Regimes, Domestic Politics in IR, Legitimation Strategies 
    Yusuf
    Evirgen    		 yevirge1@binghamton.edu Contentious Politics, State Repression, Human Rights, Coups
    Andrew
    Foote    		 afoote1@binghamton.edu    
    Alice
    Hong    		 yhong33@binghamton.edu Protest and State Repression, Social Media and Political Violence,Surveillance, Digital Repression, NGOs.  
    Redwanul Hoq rhoq@binghamton.edu Civil Society Organizations and Government, Democratization, Comparative Politics
    Oguzhan Irguren oirgure1@binghamton.edu Domestic Politics & IR, Foreign Policy, Socialization  
    Hyesung
    Jang    		 hjang41@binghamton.edu    
    Abdinasir
    Jimale    		 ajimale1@binghamton.edu Civil wars, rebel governance, terrorism, political violence, and African politics  
    Muhammet Furkan
    Karakaya    		 mkaraka1@binghamton.edu    
    Hadis Karatashi hkaratashi@binghamton.edu Conflict, human rights, and comparative government structures
    Enzo Jeson Li eli19@binghamton.edu Social Movements, Civil War, Rebel Alliances
    Mary Lind mlind@binghamton.edu Technology/Media in politics, Huhman Rights & Human Rights measurement, International Human Rights laws/norms/enforcement, Domestic Politics in International  Relations
    Ezgi
    Muftuoglu    		 emuftuo1@binghamton.edu    
    Raphaela M. Oliveira roliveira@binghamton.edu Democracy, Social Rights, Latin America, Authoritarianism.
    Anton Onishchenko aonishchenko@binghamton.edu Authoritarianism, institutional transformations, democratic transition
    Jongho
    Park    		 jpark374@binghamton.edu    
    Alexander
    Perdue    		 aperdue2@binghamton.edu European Party Politics, Political Ideologies  
    Almira
    Sadykova    		 asadyko1@binghamton.edu    
    Kaan
    Sener    		 ksener1@binghamton.edu    
    Moyan
    Shi    		 mshi12@binghamton.edu International conflicts, authoritarian regimes, state violence, terrorism  
    Roberta Villaca robertavillaca@binghamton.edu Political and Criminal Violence, Latin America
    Oner
    Yigit    		 oyigit1@binghamton.edu Ethnic Politics, State Minority Politics, Ethnice Conflict, Minority Rights, Nation Building. 
    TianYi
    Zhao    		 tzhao19@binghamton.edu    
  • MA Program
    Dana Buralkiyeva  dburalkiyeva@binghamton.edu Human Rights, Decolonization, Freedom of Expression, Cybersecurity

    Sean Collery

    		 scollea1@binghamton.edu American Politics, Elections, Immigration and Demographics.
    Kaya Foster  kfoster@binghamton.edu Contentious Politics and Human Rights
    Hudai Sencan hsencan@binghamton.edu    
    Vibeka Just vjust@binghamton.edu American Party Politics, Campaigns and Elections, Polarization

Student Excellence Award Winners

  • Student Excellence Awards
    • Michael Catalano (Research 2023)
    • Tara Riggs (Teaching 2023)
    • Mert Can Bayar (Teaching 2022)
    • Esol Cho (Teaching 2022)
    • Roya Izadidastgerdi (Teaching, 2021)
    • Christine Sylvester (Teaching, 2020)
    • Marc Davignon (Teaching, 2020)
    • Allison Bugenis (Teaching, 2019)
    • Jeremy Berkowitz (Teaching, 2018)
    • Mert Moral (Research, 2017)
    • Halil Ozen (Research, 2016)
    • Scott Boddery (Research, 2015)
    • Graig Klein (Research, 2015)
    • Sheryl Symons (Teaching, 2015)
    • Ben Farrer (Research, 2014)
    • Josh Zingher (Research, 2014)
    • Chad Clay (Research, 2012)
    • Ian Farrell (Teaching, 2011)

Student Publications

  • Graduate Student Publications

    Akcinaroglu, S., & Evirgen, Y. (2025). Ripe moments for terror attacks: Opportunity benefits鈥搑eputation  tradeoff. Conflict Management and Peace Science, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/07388942251317110

    Yigit, 脰. (2025). Shifts in Religious Instrumentalization: Friday Sermons and Ethnic Conflict in Turkey. Nationalism and Ethnic Politics, 1鈥23. https://doi.org/10.1080/13537113.2025.2458572

    Bayrali, O. G., & Jimale, A. (2025). COVID-19 Pandemic in Somalia, South Africa and Zimbabwe: Why do Leaders Love COVID-19 Precautions?. In COVID-19 and Public Policy (Vol. 33, pp. 177-197). Emerald Publishing Limited.

    Heller, W., Muftuoglu, E., & Rosenberg, D. (2023). The institutional underpinnings of policymaking in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. In O. Shvetsova (Ed.), Government responses to COVID-19 pandemic: Between a Rock and a Hard Place. Palgrave Macmillan.

    Zhao, T. (2023). Center-regional political risk sharing in the COVID-19 public health crisis: Nigeria and South Africa. In O. Shvetsova (Ed.), Government responses to COVID-19 pandemic:andemic: Between a Rock and a Hard Place. Palgrave Macmillan.

    Bayrali, O. (2023). Pick your poison: Political expediencies, economic necessities, and COVID-19 response in Malaysia and Indonesia. In O. Shvetsova (Ed.), Government responses to COVID-19 pandemic:andemic: Between a Rock and a Hard Place. Palgrave Macmillan.

    Bayar, M. C., & Seyis, D. (2023). Populist responses to COVID-19: Turkey and Israel as cases of pro-science populism and the United States and Brazil as examples of science-skeptic populism. In O. Shvetsova (Ed.), Government responses to COVID-19 pandemic: Between expediency and inequality. Palgrave Macmillan.

    Chu, H. (2023). The Visegrad populist leaders鈥 responses to COVID-19 pandemic. In O. Shvetsova (Ed.), Government responses to COVID-19 pandemic: andemic: Between a Rock and a Hard Place. Palgrave Macmillan.pp/ 177-196.

    Catalano, M., & Chan, A. (2023). Common law systems and COVID-19 policy response: Protective public health policy in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. In O. Shvetsova (Ed.), Government responses to COVID-19 pandemic: andemic: Between a Rock and a Hard Place. Palgrave Macmillan.

    Hyoungrohk Chu. 2023. 鈥淭he Visegrad Populist Leaders鈥 Responses to COVID-19 Pandemic鈥 In: Shvetosva Olga (Ed.) Government Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Between a Rock and a Hard Place. Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 177-196.

    Akcinaroglu, S., & Shi, M. (2023). Exploring the Impact of Cryptocurrency on Terrorism.          Terrorism and Political Violence, 1鈥25. 

    Cingranelli, D., Mark, S., & Sadykova DuMond, A. (2023). Democracy, Capacity, and the Implementation of Laws Protecting Human Rights. Laws, 12(1), 6.


    Ye, H. (2023). Delayed Cooperation: Political Systems, Elections, and the Outcomes of Trade Negotiations. Review of International Political Economy.


    Pashayan, A., Kehlenbach, E., Ye, H., Mueller, G., & Willis, C. (2023). The Realities Facing Graduate Students: Before, During, and After the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic. PS: Political Science & Politics, 56(3), 391-397.


    Sasmi, D. T., & Shi, M. (2023). Southeast Asian Leaders鈥 Political Orientation Towards the Environmental Policy Outcome. Asian Journal of Comparative Politics.


    Munir, H., Catalano, M., & Martinek, W. (Forthcoming). Judicial Decision Making on Lower Federal Courts. In M. Fix & M. Montgomery (Eds.), Research Handbook of Judicial Politics. Edward Elgar Publishing.


    Catalano, M., & Chan, A. (2023). Common Law Systems and COVID-19 Policy response: Protective Public Health Policy in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. In 


    O. Shvetsova (Ed.), Government Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic: Between a Rock and a Hard Place. Palgrave MacMillan.


    Catalano, M. A. (2022). Ex Ante and Ex Post Control Over Courts in the US States: Court Curbing and Political Party Influence. Justice System Journal, 43(4), 503-523.


    Catalano, M. (2023). Can the US Constitution Handle Political Parties? In D. Klein &

    J. Smith (Eds.), The US Constitution in Five Minutes. Equinox Publishing Home.


    Shvetsova, O., Zhirnov, A., Adeel, A. B., Bayar, M. C., Bayrali, O. G., Catalano, M., Catalano, O., Chu, H., Giannelli, F., Muftuoglu, E., Rosenberg, D., Seyis, D., Skopyk, B., VanDusky-Allen, J., & Zhao, T. (2022). Protective Policy Index, a Global Dataset of Origins and Stringency of COVID-19 Mitigation Policies. Scientific Data, 9(319).


    Shvetsova, O., Zhirnov, A., Giannelli, F., Catalano, M., & Catalano, O. (2022). Can Correlation Between Governor's Party and COVID-19 Morbidity Be Explained by the Differences in COVID-19 Mitigation Policies in the States? American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 62(6), E381-E383.


    VanDusky-Allen, J. A., Utych, S. M., & Catalano, M. (2022). Partisanship, Policy, and Americans鈥 Evaluations of State-Level COVID-19 Policies Prior to the 2020 Election. Political Research Quarterly.. 2022 Jun;75(2):479-496.


    Shvetsova, O., Zhirnov, A., Giannelli, F., Catalano, M., & Catalano, O. (2022). Governor's Party, Policies, and COVID-19 Outcomes: Further Evidence of an Effect. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 62(3), 433-437.


    Seyis, D., & Heller, W. B. (2021). Voter Support for Anti-Immigrant Populist Parties: The Effect of Economic Pessimism and "Out-Group" Immigration. Journal of Political Institutions and Political Economy, 2(3), 429-451.


    Best, R., & Seyis, D. (2021). How Do Voters Perceive Ideological Congruence? The Effects of Winning and Losing under Different Electoral Rules. Electoral Studies, 69.


    Naushirvanov, T., Rosenberg, D., Sawyer, P.S., & Seyis, D. (2022). How populists fuel polarization and fail their response to COVID-19: An empirical

    analysis. Frontiers in Political Science.


    Asadzade, P., & Izadi, R. (April-June 2022.). The Reputational Cost of Military Aggression: Evidence from the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine. Research and Politics. 1-7


    Izadi, R. (2022). State Security or Exploitation. A Theory of Military Involvement in the Economy. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 66(4-6), 729-754.


    Bennett, A., & Seyis, D. (2021). The Online Market's Invisible Hand: Internet Media and Rising Populism. Political Studies. 71(3), 655-675.


    Mark, B. S., Ye, H.-J., Foote, A., & Crippin, T. (2021). It鈥檚 a Hard-Knock Life: Child Labor Practices and Compliance with IMF Agreements. Social Sciences, 10(5), 171.


    Shvetsova, O., VanDusky-Allen, J., Zhirnov, A., Adeel, A. B., Catalano, M., Catalano, O., Gianelli, F., 

    Muftuoglu, E., Rosenberg, D., Sezgin, M. H., & Zhao, T. (2021). Federal Institutions and Strategic Policy Responses to COVID-19 Pandemic. Frontiers Political Science - Elections and Representation.


    Shvetsova, O., Zhirnov, A., VanDusky-Allen, J., Adeel, A. B., Catalano, M., Catalano, O., Giannelli, F., Muftuoglu, E., Riggs, T., Sezgin, M. H., Tahir, N., & Zhao, T. (2020). Institutional Origins of Protective COVID-19 Public Health Policy Responses: Informational and Authority Redundancies and Policy Stringency. Journal of Political Institutions and Political Economy, 1(4), 585-613.


    Adeel, A. B., Catalano, M., Catalano, O., Gibson, G., Muftuoglu, E., Riggs, T., Sezgin, M. H., Shvetsova, O., Tahir, N., VanDusky-Allen, J., Zhao, T., & Zhirnov, A. (2020). COVID-19 Policy Response and the Rise of the Sub-National Governments. Canadian Public Policy / Analyse de Politiques, 46(4), 565-584. 


    Walz, M., & Foote, A. (2020). Keeping the Left at Bay: Delegate Selection System Choice in US Democratic Nominations. Electoral Studies, 67.


    Seyis, D., & Munir, H. Judiciary Under Attack: Populists in Government and the Independence of the Judiciary. In K. Hawkins, E. Hawkins, N. Wiesehomeier, L. Littvay, & A. Chryssogelos (Eds.), The Ideational Approach to Populism: Consequences and Mitigation. Cambridge University Press. 


    Benjamin, G., & Catalano, M. A. (2020). New York State鈥檚 Multi Party System. In R. Davis (Ed.), The "Other" Parties: Minor Political Parties in Contemporary American Politics. University Press of Kansas.


    Mark, B. S. Program Lending by the IMF in Human Rights Research: Lessons for Policymakers. In D. Cingranelli & M. Filippov (Eds.), Under contract at UPenn Press.


    Akcinaroglu, S., & Tokdemir, E. (2018). To Instill Fear or Love: Terror Groups and Strategy of Building Reputation. Conflict Management and Peace Science, 35(4).


    Moral, M., & Zhirnov, A. (2018). Issue Voting as a Constrained Choice Problem.

    American Journal of Political Science, 62(2), 280-295.


    Ozen, H. E. (2018). Egypt鈥檚 2011-2012 Parliamentary Elections: Voting for Religious vs. Secular Democracy? Mediterranean Politics, 23(4), 453-178.


    Tokdemir, E., & Mark, B. S. (2018). When Killers Become Victims: Political Use of Force, Human Rights, and Strategic Target Selection. International Interactions, 44(2).


    Moral, M. (2017). The Bipolar Voter: On the Effects of Actual and Perceived Party Polarization on Voter Turnout in European Multiparty Democracies. Political Behavior, 39(4), 935鈥965.


    Moral, M., & Tokdemir, E. (2017). Justices 'en Garde': Ideological Determinants of the Dissolution of Anti-Establishment Parties. International Political Science Review, 38(3), 264-80.


    Tokdemir, E. (2017). Winning Hearts and Minds (!): The Dilemma of Foreign Aid in Anti-Americanism. Journal of Peace Research, 54(6). Forthcoming.


    Wang, Z., & Youn, H. (2017). Repress or Respect? Precarious Leadership, Poor Economy and Labor Protection. Human Rights Review, 18(1), 21-43.


    Klein, G. R., & Tokdemir, E. (2016). Domestic Diversion: Selective Targeting of Minority Out-Groups. Conflict Management and Peace Science, 36(1).


    Moral, M. (2016). The Passive-Aggressive Voter: The Calculus of Casting an Invalid Vote in European Democracies. Political Research Quarterly, 69(4), 732-45.


    Tokdemir, E., & Akcinaroglu, S. (2016). Reputation of Terror Groups Dataset: Measuring Popularity of Terror Groups. Journal of Peace Research, 53(2), 268-277.

    Zhirnov, A. (2016). Electoral Coordination in India: The Role of Costly Campaign Communication. India Review, 15(4), 359-378.


    Zhirnov, A. (2016). Campaigns, Information, and Coordinated Voting in Multi-Party Elections under Plurality Rule. Electoral Studies, 41, 190-201.


    Wang, Z., & Youn, H. (2016). Locating the External Source of Enforceability: Alliances, Bilateral Investment Treaties, and Foreign Direct Investment. Social Science Quarterly, 99(1), 80-96.


    Best, R. E., & Zhirnov, A. (2015). Perils and Pitfalls of Ignoring Disproportionality鈥檚 Behavioral Component. Electoral Studies, 40, 256-267.


    Garmendia Madariaga, A., & Ozen, H. E. (2015). Looking for Two-sided Coattail Effects: Integrated Parties and Multilevel Elections in the U.S. Electoral Studies, 40, 66-75.


    Moral, M., 脰zen, H. E., & Tokdemir, E. (2015). Bringing the Incumbency Advantage into Question for Proportional Representation. Electoral Studies, 40, 56-65.


    Carkoglu, A., Vitiello, T., & Moral, M. (2012). Voter Advice Applications in Practice: Answers to Some Key Questions from Turkey. International Journal of Electronic Governance, 5(3/4), 298-317.


    Zhirnov, A. (2010). Issues of Territorial Stability in India. In I. M. Busygina, L. V. Smirnagin, & M. G. Filippov (Eds.), 鈥淕iant鈥-States: Problems of Territorial Stability. MGIMO-University.

Hire a Binghamton PhD

  • Hire a PhD

    Andrew Foote

    • Dissertation Title: Choosing Who Votes
    • Chair: David Clark
    • Committee: Amanda Licht, Ekrem Karako莽
    • Dissertation Synopsis: When are we likely to see incumbents undertake electoral reforms that selectively alter the voting population? I argue that reforms such as absentee voting, citizenship extensions and revocations, and ballot quotas are tools of pre-election manipulation (PEM) that an incumbent can use when there is growing support for an opposition group, but she has committed to improving the quality of elections. When an incumbent commits to improving the quality of elections, she makes it more costly to engage in electoral fraud or to repress the growing base of opposition support. PEM strategies allow the incumbent to selectively alter the electoral playing field while avoiding the perception that her commitment to election quality has weakened. I introduce the Citizenship, Absentee Voting and Suffrage Dataset, and create an index of PEM usage. I test the relationship between growing opposition support, commitment to election quality, and uses of PEM strategies, and also test the effects of PEM usage on the likelihood of future protests and leader turnover.

    • Dissertation Title: A Third Wave of Autocratization?: An In-Depth Look into the Populist-
      Driven Executive Aggrandizement
    • Chair: Robin E. Best
    • Committee: Ekrem Karakoc, William B. Heller
    • Dissertation Synopsis: In my dissertation, I argue that populists, when they control the executive and the legislative branches, gradually expand their control over checks and balances and erode democratic institutions. To show this phenomenon, which Bermeo (2016) calls 鈥渆xecutive aggrandizement,鈥 in Chapter 1, I explore the global trends of democracy measures and show that democracies governed by populist incumbents who also control the majority of the legislature experience democratic backsliding. In Chapter 2, I
      turn to the judiciary, arguably the most vital democratic check on the executive and
      legislative branches. I specifically focus on judicial independence and demonstrate
      quantitatively that populist incumbents who control the majority of the legislature
      gradually expand their control over the judicial system. After showing quantitative
      evidence for global populist-driven executive aggrandizement in two chapters, I study how populists erode the independence of the judiciary by conducting process tracing on
      Turkey and Ecuador. My dissertation contributes to the democratic backsliding and populism literature by showing that (1) the populist-driven democratic decline is not limited to a few outliers but a global trend, although (2) (younger) unconsolidated democracies are affected more significantly than consolidated democracies. Also, this study explores (3) the specific conditions and chain of events that lead to executive aggrandizement at the expense of judicial independence.
Distinguished Dissertation Award

2023 

Huei-Jyun Ye "Deals to be Determined: Domestic Political Uncertainties and Trade Negotitaions."