Areas of research interest Political agency:       Democratic education       Power, authority, and responsibility Political membership:       Immigration, citizenship, and assimilation       Theories of multiculturalism       Race and ethnic politics Education Doctor of Philosophy, Political Science, Duke University, 2006 Master of Arts, Political Science, Arizona State University, 2000 Bachelor of Science, Political Science, Arizona State University, 1998 Bachelor of Arts, English, Arizona State University, 1998 Teaching experience Visiting assistant professor, Wake Forest University, 2005-present Instructor and teaching assistant, Duke University, 2002-2005 Teaching assistant, Arizona State University, 1998-2000

About Professor Kessel
Alisa Kessel has been a visiting assistant professor/adjunct professor of political theory in the Department of Political Science at Wake Forest University since 2005.   She earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from Duke University in 2006.   Professor Kessel's work in democratic theory reflects her interest in questions about political membership and agency in democratic communities.   Her work ranges from theoretical debates about authority and agonism to policy questions about education and immigration.   While the specific foci vary, fundamentally each project concerns the same constellation of issues about who is granted membership in democratic communities, what kinds of relationships are cultivated between citizens (and non-citizens), and what sensibilities and capacities nurture democratic engagement.   Because questions of membership and participation are almost always raised in the context of real-life political struggles, Professor Kessel's work is often animated by contemporary political discourses and debates.

Professor Kessel has taught several courses in the department in political theory and American politics, including "Democracy and the Ancient Greeks," "Race in America," "The Politics of Poverty," and "American Government and Politics."   She is currently teaching "Religion in American Politics."