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Western Colorado University / Brian Bernhardt
Brian Bernhardt

Brian Bernhardt

Associate Professor of Politics & Government
970.943.3025
Kelley Hall 205

Education

Ph.D., University of Colorado Boulder, Political Science, 2014
M.A., University of Colorado Boulder, Political Science, 2010
B.A., James Madison University, Political Science and Philosophy, 2005

Schools

Departments

Academic Programs

Biography

Classes Taught

  • HWTR 100: Local Food in the Gunnison Valley
  • POLS 117: Introduction to Political Ideas
  • POLS 180: Introduction to American Politics
  • POLS 250: Politics of the Environment
  • POLS 255: Introduction to Comparative Politics
  • POLS 300: Constitutional Law I
  • POLS 310: Political Theory II – Late Modern and Contemporary
  • POLS 340: Politics of Social Movements
  • POLS 370: Political Economy
  • POLS 376: American Political Thought
  • POLS 485: Studies in Political Theory – Democracy and the State

Research and Teaching Interests

  • Anti-Authoritarian Social Movements
  • Democratic Theory and Practice
  • Environmental Politics, Extractive Industries, and Food Systems
  • The Political Economy of Capitalism, Neoliberalism, and Globalization
  • The State and the Politics of Non-State Peoples

About Me

Working at Western is a dream come true and I am thrilled to call this beautiful area home! You’ll often find me exploring the Gunnison Country’s vast public lands on foot, bike or skis–frequently with my dogs running along.

I am also a devoted short-season vegetable gardener and passionate about cooking with locally-sourced ingredients. One of my great joys in life is spending hours in the kitchen, turning home-grown food into a rich–and, inevitably, really spicy–home-cooked meal.

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