Robert Speel

Dr. Speel earned both his PhD and his MA from Cornell University and his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania. He is currently Associate Professor in, and Program Chair of Political Science at Penn State Behrend in Erie, PA.  He has been associated with the Department of Politics and Public Administration at TMU since 2006.

Dr. Speel's teaching and research interests include most aspects of American politics, including elections and voting behavior, state and urban politics, Congress and the Presidency, and public policy, as well as ethnic and racial politics and Canadian politics. His book, Changing Patterns of Voting in the Northern United States (Penn State University Press), examines the creation of the regional divide of Red States and Blue States in the United States. He continues to research the development of regional movements and regional voting behavior in the United States.

At TMU, Dr. Speel regularly teaches Washington DC: Seat of U.S. Government (POG392) and  team-teaches (with Dr. Gregory Inwood) Canadian-American Relations (POG417).  He also teaches U.S. Politics (POG341).

Dr. Speel is the recipient of 2008-09 Council of Fellows Excellence in Outreach Award and the 2006 George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching.