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Berea.edu/Academics/Departments & Programs/Political Science/Faculty & Staff

Dr. John Heyrman

Professor of Political Science/Political Science

John Heyrman portrait wearing a tie and a dress up shirt with background of bookshelves.

Contact

  • Ext. 3370
  • heyrmanj@berea.edu

Office Location

  • Frost Building, 109

Office Hours

  • Mon/Wed/Fri: 10:30 – 11:15 a.m.

Biography

John Heyrman, a Professor of Political Science, graduated with a B.A. degree from Oberlin College in 1982, majoring in Government and Economics. He received his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Minnesota in 1991, with a dissertation entitled “Mobilizing Citizens: A Study of Citizens’ Groups and Participation.” He arrived at Berea in 1988 with his wife Laura, who teaches art history and art appreciation at Bluegrass Community & Technical College in Lexington. Since then, they have had two children: Elizabeth (born 1992) and Alexander (born 1999).

Heyrman teaches a variety of courses in political science: American Government, Introduction to the Study of Politics, State and Local Government, Judicial Process, Citizen Politics, Congress and the Presidency, Senior Research Seminar, Politics Hollywood Style, and Media Coverage of Politics. He has taught Writing Seminars I and II, as well as Senior Seminar in Contemporary Global Issues in the General Studies program.

Degrees

  • B.A., Oberlin College, 1982
  • Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1991

Publications & Works

  • Papers and Publications

    • “Participant Media, Participation, and Politics: Can a Production Company Play a Part in American Politics.” This paper was presented at the March 2022 meeting of the Kentucky Political Science Association.
    • “Fictional Foreign Policy: How Madam Secretary and House of Cards Depict United States Foreign Policy.” This was published in 2021 in the Commonwealth Review of Political Science.  You can read it here.
    • Politics, Hollywood Style: From Smith to Selma. This book was published in 2018 by Lexington Books.

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