Harry Blair Retiring

May 13, 2013

Harry Blair, Associate Chair of the Department of Political Science, Senior Research Scholar and Lecturer in Political Science, is set to retire on June 30, 2013.

Harry has had a long association with our department.  He has taught popular and successful courses, such as  Promoting Democracies in Developing Countries.  Since 2004, he has served as associate chair of our department.  In that capacity, he has played a key role in helping to identify non-ladder instructors to fill gaps when faculty take leaves, and in general in strengthening the undergraduate curriculum.  He has also been a liaison between the department and the Provost Office on curriculum and staffing. 

Harry’s research interests currently focus on democratization in developing countries, particularly on civil society and decentralization. His numerous articles have appeared in American Political Science Review, Comparative Politics, Journal of Development Studies, and World Development among others.

Harry previously taught at Bucknell, Colgate and Rutgers Universities.

Harry will continue to be associated with the Department of Political Science in his new role as Visiting Fellow, beginning with the new term.

The Department of Political Science would like to express its deep gratitude for his work over these years.  We are excited for him as he moves into this new phase.