Jennifer S. Schiff
Professor | Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC, UNITED STATES
Jennifer Schiff's research is in comparative water policy around the globe, with a concentration on policies targeting water scarcity.
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Biography
Dr. Schiff came to Western in 2010 as a faculty member in the Department of Political Science and Public Affairs. She loves being exposed to new countries and cultures (and foods!), and that started when she had the opportunity to live in Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore many years ago. Dr. Schiff holds a Ph.D. in International Studies from Old Dominion University, and at Western, she teaches a number of classes in international politics, which focus primarily on matters of international development, environmental policy, and diplomacy. Additionally, her scholarship analyzes comparative water policy around the globe, with a specific concentration on policies targeting water scarcity and the human right to water. Dr. Schiff is also very interested and active in the scholarship of teaching and learning.
Dr. Schiff's research is two-tiered. First, comparative water policy around the globe is the primary focus of her research, with a specific concentration on policies targeting water scarcity, decentralization, and the human right to water. Second, she studies the organizational culture of political science departments, both in terms of their partnerships with other university entities, and in terms of their relationship to international studies programs.
While at Western, Dr. Schiff has taught Global Issues, International Political Economy, International Environmental Politics, Model United Nations, Politics of Asia, Politics of Ethnic Conflict, Simulations in Diplomacy, Introduction to International Studies, and International Studies Capstone.
Industry Expertise (1)
Education/Learning
Areas of Expertise (8)
International Studies
Politics of Ethnic Conflict
Model United Nations
International Political Economy
Global Issues
International Environmental Politics
Politics of Asia
Simulations in Diplomacy
Accomplishments (5)
UNC Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching (professional)
2020 Western Carolina University
Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award (professional)
2017 Western Carolina University
College of Arts and Sciences Teaching Award (professional)
2013 Western Carolina University
Excellence in the Teaching of Liberal Studies Award (professional)
2012 Western Carolina University
Grand Prize Award – Graduate Student Paper Competition (professional)
2009 International Studies Association/South
Education (3)
Old Dominion University: Ph.D., International Studies 2010
Cleveland State University: M.A., History 2001
University of Virginia: B.A., History 1997
Affiliations (2)
- American Political Science Association
- International Studies Association
Links (3)
Languages (1)
- English
Media Appearances (1)
Political science professor Jennifer Schiff named one of UNC System's top teachers
WCU Stories online
2020-04-08
Jennifer Schiff, associate professor of political science and public affairs at Western Carolina University, has been named one of the top educators in the University of North Carolina System.
Articles (5)
Implicit alignment: India's National Water Policy and a human rights-based approach to water management
Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water2021 As a potential solution to water scarcity, the United Nations advocates for a human rights-based (HRB) approach to water management, characterized by a focus on the provision of safe drinking water and sanitation, stakeholder participation, and the realization of water equity for traditionally marginalized communities. Although most states around the world suffer from some form of water scarcity or stress, not all governments have officially recognized the validity of an HRB approach to water management.
The WRIS System: A Framework for Designing and Implementing Simulations in an Online Course Environment
Journal of Political Science Education2019 Global politics simulations are most often employed within a course via face-to-face student interactions, but they can also be integrated into a broader course model and implemented effectively for online and distance learners. To that end, this article proposes the WRIS system as an organizational framework for online course design to include a simulation component.
Measuring the human right to water: An assessment of compliance indicators
Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water2018 According to the United Nations, over a billion people lack access to clean drinking water. As a call to action regarding deficient water availability, the UN has recognized formally the prescriptive norm of a “human right to water” within treaty legislation for over a decade.
“Wicked Problems” in General Education: The Challenges of Diversity, Civic Engagement, and Civil Discourse
The Journal of General Education2019 Wicked problems have multiple causes, require multifaceted solutions, and have no clear ending point at which the problem is truly solved. Encouraging respectful discourse on campus presented itself as a wicked problem at [institution name removed for the purposes of blind review] when, at the Martin Luther King, Jr. unity march in January 2018, several bystanders hurled racial epithets at the march's participants.
Reconciling Decentralization: The Human Right to Water, India’s Yamuna River, and the Challenge of Transboundary Governance
Journal of Human Rights Practice2018 Clean freshwater access is a concern that is global in scope. The international community has codified the human right to water within a number of legal agreements and regimes, but the right remains sparsely implemented within states. With this in mind, this article examines the case of the Yamuna River, one of India’s most polluted waterways, and asks if the Indian government maintains the capacity to abide by the international water rights policy to which it has tacitly agreed.
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