Curriculum Vita
Thomas A. Schmeling
address
& Contact Information
Department of Political Science
Rhode Island College
600 Mt. Pleasant Ave.
Providence, RI 02908
(401) 456-8722
email: tschmeling_at_ric.edu
EDUCATION
Ph.D.
in Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1999.
Dissertation:
The Dynamics of American Law: A Diffusion of Innovations Perspective.
Major
fields: Law & Politics,
Political Methodology (Distinction), Political Philosophy.
Graduate Study, University of Chicago, 1981-82.
B.A. with honors, St. Olaf College,
1980.
Majors
in Philosophy and Political Science, Distinction in Political Science.
ACADEMIC POSITIONS
Associate Professor, Rhode Island College,
2006-present
Assistant Professor, Rhode Island College,
2001-2006..
Visiting Assistant Professor, Rutgers
University-New Brunswick. 2000-2001.
Visiting Assistant Professor, St. Joseph's
University. 1999-2000.
Visiting Assistant Professor, Skidmore College.
Summers 1999, 2000 & 2001.
Visiting Instructor, Dartmouth College. Fall 1998.
Instructor, Skidmore College. 1991-98.
Visiting Instructor, Skidmore College. 1987-91.
Courses
taught (selected)
Courts & Public Policy; Constitutional Law;
Law and Politics of Civil Rights;
Civil Liberties; Jurisprudence; American Government & Politics;
Development of American Democracy; Introduction to Politics; Public Policy
Formation; Introductory Methods & Statistics; Criminal Law & Procedure;
Law and Society.
PUBLICATIONS
"Counting on the States: The Impact of State
Law Development on the Exercise of Judicial Review". Judicature
(Forthcoming 2007)
ÒStag
Hunting With the State AG: Anti-Tobacco Litigation and the Emergence of
Cooperation Among State Attorneys GeneralÓ, Law and Policy (October, 2003).
Book Review: Sloane, et al. Drinkers, Drivers and Bartenders. Law & Politics Book Review, Vol. 10 No. 10
(October, 2000).
Book Review: Finkel. Commonsense Justice Law & Politics Book Review, Vol. 6, No. 4 (April, 1996).
Conference papers
Probing
the Secrets of the Solicitor General's Power. American Political Science Association,
Philadelphia, August/September 2006.
Constitutional
Development from the Bottom Up: State Law and Supreme Court Decisions.. Law and Society Association, Chicago, July 2006.
That
Dreadful Class of Evils: Supreme Court Countermajoritarianism in Cases
Invalidating State Laws, 1954-2003.
American Political Science Association, Washington, D.C., September 2005.
Supreme
Court Counter-Majoritarianism Revisited: Warren Court Cases Invalidating State
Laws, 1954-1969. Midwest
Political Science Association, Chicago, April 2005.
Of
Courts and Legislatures: Comity, Conflict and Cooperation in the Policy
Process. Law and Society
Association, Chicago, June 2004.
Targeting
Justice: Policy Entrepreneurship, Political Backlash & The New Politics of
State Attorney General Races. New
England Political Science Association, April 2004.
Stag
Hunting with the State A.G.: Anti-Tobacco Litigation and the Emergence of
Cooperation Among State Attorneys General. Law & Society Association, Pittsburgh, June 2003.
Playing
the Litigation Game: Cooperation and Coordination Among State Attorneys General
in Multistate Lawsuits New
England Political Science Association, Providence, May 2003.
Courts
and Legislatures in the Diffusion of Policy Innovations: A Competing Risks
Model. Northeastern Political Science Association, Providence,
November 2002.
Listening
for the Dog that Doesn't Bark: An
Examination of the Effects of Stare Decisis in State Supreme Courts. Law & Society Association. Vancouver BC, June
2002.
Reassessing
the Significance of Stare Decisis. New
England Political Science Association, May 2002.
Sample
Selection Effects and the Success of the Federal Government Before the US
Supreme Court. Law & Society
Association. Miami Beach, May 2000.
Do
More Justices Mean Less Justice? Court Size and Efficiency. Midwest Political Science Association. Chicago,
April 2000.
Constitutional
Adjudication as Degradation Ritual: The Impact of Bowers v. Hardwick.
Law and Society Association. Chicago. May, 1999.
Dynamics
of Judicial Innovation: A Diffusion Approach Employing a Sample-Selection
Model. Northeastern Political
Science Association Boston, November, 1998.
The
Diffusion of Legal Innovations: A Re-examination. American Political Science Association. Boston,
September, 1998.
The
Diffusion of Legal Issues Among State Courts: An Event History Analysis. Law and Society Association. Aspen. June, 1998.
Arguing
the Punishment: Jury Nullification and Instructions on Sentencing in 'Three
Strikes' Cases. Law and Society
Association. Toronto, June, 1995.
Revisiting
the Diffusion of Doctrinal Innovations: A Case Study and Research Note . Law and Society Association. Phoenix, June, 1993.
Panel Chair, Law & Society
Association Annual Meeting, 2006
Publisher's
Reviewer, WW. Norton Co., Ginsberg, Lowi and Weir, We the People, 2005.
Publisher's
Reviewer, CQ Press, Barbour, Wright, Streb & Wolf, Keeping the Republic,
2005.
Manuscript Reviewer, Law
and Society Review, 2004
Publisher's
Reviewer, CQ Press, Susan Mezey, Behind Closed Doors: Gay Rights in Law
& Politics, 2004.
Panel Chair, Law and
Society Association Annual meeting, 2003.
PublisherÕs
Reviewer, Van Geel, Understanding Supreme Court Opinions 2d Edition, 1997.
Director,
Bachelor of General Studies Program, 2004-2007.
Council
of Rhode Island College:
Chair
of Council, 2005-2006, reelected 2006-2007
Executive
Committee member, 2004-2007
Department
Representative, 2002-2007
Joint
AFT/Administration Committee on Faculty Evaluation, 2006
Committee
on Committees, 2004-2006
Chair,
American Democracy Project- Campus, Culture and Climate Committee, 2003-2004.
Moderator,
Presidential Election Panel "Antidotes for Addicts", 2004.
Organizer,
Constitution Day/ James Madison Event and Video, 2005.
Campus
Coordinator, James Madison Foundation, 2002-present.
Campus
Coordinator, Truman Scholarships, 2002-present.
Pre-Law
Advisor (Skidmore)
Director,
Law and Society Program (Skidmore)
Faculty
Advisor and Founder, Alpha Beta Epsilon Chapter, Pi Sigma Alpha Political
Science Honors Society, 2002-present.
Faculty
Advisor, Political Science Club, 2001-present.
American
Politics Position Search Committee 2005.
Political
Science Advisement Committee 2005.
Departmental
Representative to College Honors Program 2005.
Honors
Thesis Supervisor, Ryan Fitzpatrick. 2005.
Honors
Thesis Supervisor, April Knights, 2005.
Honors
Thesis Supervisor, Nichole Magnifico, 2005.
Grants & honors
Rhode
Island College. $1,600 Faculty Research Grant, 2004.
Pi
Sigma Alpha. $865 Chapter Grant
from National Organization, 2004
Selected
by senior class to give Cap & Gown address, May 2006.
Related community
service
Co-President,
Nathanael Greene Middle School Parent-Teacher Organization, 2005-2006.,
reelected 2006-2007.
Appointed
Member- Superintendent's Committee on the Future of Nathan Bishop Middle
School, 2006.
Co-founder
and Communications Director, East Side Public Education Coalition.
Professional
memberships
Law and Society Association.
American
Judicature Society.
American
Political Science Association.
Midwest
Political Science Association.
Professional
References
On. request