Edward Lynch is professor and chair of political science at Hollins University. His specialties are foreign policy, international relations, international law and the politics of developing areas. Professor Lynch received his doctorate from the University of Virginia, and wrote his dissertation on religion and politics in Latin America. He is the author of five books and numerous articles.
Besides his academic credentials, Professor Lynch worked on Capitol Hill in Washington as a national security analyst and also worked in the Reagan White House as a consultant on Central America. He serves as political analyst for the NBC affiliate in Roanoke and is in great demand as a speaker on political and global issues. Professor Lynch has traveled to South Africa, Zimbabwe, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Israel, Oman, and Qatar as a member of an official government or academic delegation. He has traveled to over 100 countries all together.
Areas of Expertise
- Terrorism
- Politics of the Middle East
- U.S. Foreign Policy
- State and Local Government
- National Security
Courses Taught
- Intro to International Relations
- Intro to Comparative Politics
- Intro to Political Theory
- Model UN/Model Arab League
- First Year Seminar – How to Be a President
- Politics of the Middle East
- Conquest
- International Law
- State and Local Government
- Government and Politics of Africa
- Politics of the World’s Oceans
- Contemporary European Politics
- Anger, Terrorism and Revolution
- Seminar in U.S. Foreign Policy
- Seminar on U.S. National Security
Accomplishments
- Returned from a semester-long sabbatical leave with two book contracts, four refereed journal articles, a conference paper, a book chapter and 34 invited guest lectures.
- Traveled to Qatar as a Fellow with the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations.
- Traveled to Israel as an Academic Fellow with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.
Research Interests
- Terrorism
- Politics of the Middle East
- U.S. Foreign Policy
- State and Local Government
- National Security
Education
- M.A., Ph.D., University of Virginia
- A.B., St. Joseph’s University
Publications & Articles
- The Arab Spring: The Failure of the Obama Doctrine, Prager Publishing, 2021.
- Isolating Qatar: The Gulf Rift Crisis 2017-2021, Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2022.
- The Cold War’s Last Battlefield: Reagan, the Soviets and Central America, SUNY Press, 2011.