Contact

Amber A. Díaz
Kenan Institute for Ethics
Duke University
102 West Duke Building
Box 90432
Durham, NC 27708-0432

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Curriculum Vitae

(updated 09/25/11)

Education

Ph.D. in Political Science, Duke University, July 2011
A.M. in Political Science, Duke University, May 2006
B.S. in Political Science, Arizona State University, May 2004, summa cum laude
B.A. in Spanish (Language and Literature), Arizona State University, May 2004, summa cum laude

Current Position

Kenan Postdoctoral Fellow, Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University, August 2011-present

Conducts scholarly research and contributes to undergraduate education and university programming. Helps plan and implement the Duke 2012 Winter Forum, "Refugees, Rights and Resettlement"; contact for the Duke Human Rights Center; coordinator for 2012 Ethics and Film Series; instructor for Spring 2012 DukeImmerse program, "Leaving Home: The Law, Ethics, and Political Economy of Displacement (LEAPED)."

Teaching Experience

Instructor, ETHICS180S/PS199CS, Ethics in Global Politics, undergraduate seminar at Duke University, Spring 2011
Completed the Teaching Politics Certificate Program in the Duke University Department of Political Science, Fall 2009-Spring 2010
Teaching Assistant with discussion sections for PS106, International Security, undergraduate lecture course at Duke University, Spring 2009 (Professor Alexander Downes)

Lecture: "Coercion in Recent Conflicts" (31 March 2009)

Teaching Assistant for PS142, War and Peace, undergraduate lecture course at Duke University, Spring 2008 (Professor Christopher Gelpi)

Lectures: "World War I (Part II): Evaluating Theories" (25 March, 2008) and "System Structure and International Conflict" (22 January, 2008)

Teaching Assistant with discussion sections, PS93D, International Relations, undergraduate lecture course at Duke University, Fall 2007 (Professor Peter Feaver)
Teaching Assistant with discussion section, PS158/PPS181, Non-State Actors in World Politics, undergraduate lecture course at Duke University, Spring 2007 (Professor Tim Büthe)

Lecture: "Transnational Politics of Human Rights" (26 February, 2007)

Completed GS301, Instructional Uses of Technology, at Duke University, Fall 2006
Teaching Assistant with discussion sections, PS93D, International Relations, undergraduate lecture course at Duke University, Fall 2006 (Professor Joseph Grieco)

Lecture: "International Law and Institutions" (29 November, 2006) (PDF here)

Instructor, POS191C, Political Satire: Is the Pen Mightier than the Sword?, freshman seminar at Arizona State University, Spring 2004; syllabus here
Writing Tutor, Barrett Writing Center at Arizona State University, Fall 2002-Spring 2004
Other samples of teaching materials here

Research Interests and Training

international ethics, foreign policy, public opinion, audience costs, experimental methods in political science, risk and decision-making, humanitarian intervention, regime change, governmental structure and policy outcomes, ideology and military effectiveness, national language policy
Research Assistant to Professor Alexander Downes, Duke University Department of Political Science, May 2009-April 2010
Five additional semesters as a research assistant in the Duke University Department of Political Science.
Institute for Qualitative and Multi-Method Research (IQMR), Arizona State University, January 2007
Virtual Summer Institute in Political Psychology, Stanford University, Summer 2006
Junior Fellow (Research Assistant) to Professor Miriam F. Elman, Arizona State University Department of Political Science, Fall 2003.
Legislative Research Intern, Committee on Health, Arizona State Senate, Spring 2002.

Recent Working Papers

Dissertation: “Bumbling, Bluffing, and Bald-Faced Lies: Mis-Leading and Domestic Audience Costs in International Relations”

“Prudent, yet Powerless? The Ethics of Public Opinion and Foreign Policy in an Era of Global Governance”

“From Vietnam to Iraq: The War Powers Resolution and Evolution of the Legitimacy Norm from Domestic and International Perspectives”

“Words, Words, Words: A Two-Level Analysis of Language Reform as a State-Building Strategy.” Co-authored with Nazlı Avdan.

“Citizen Soldiers? Liberalism, Civilian Control, and Military Effectiveness”

Honors and Awards

Kenan Graduate Fellow, Instructorship in Ethics recipient, Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University, Fall 2010-Spring 2011
Duke Bradley Fellow, Research Fellowship from the Bradley Foundation, Summer 2011, Summer 2010, and Fall 2008-Summer 2009
Program for the Study of Democracy, Institutions and Political Economy (DIPE) Summer Research Award, Summer 2009
James B. Duke Fellowship, Fall 2004-Spring 2008
Duke Endowment Fellowship, Fall 2004-Summer 2008
Foreign Language Area Studies Fellowship in Romanian, AY 2005-2006
Honorable Mention, Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship, May 2004
Finalist, Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship in the Humanities, May 2004
Phi Beta Kappa since 2003

Computer Skills and Language Abilities

Website design, development, and maintenance (experience with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Dreamweaver, Kompozer/Nvu); social media experience (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, blogs, wikis, discussion fora); data management and analysis with Stata and Microsoft Office suite; audio/visual design and editing with the GIMP, Audacity, and iMovie; course development and management with Blackboard.
English: native speaker.
Spanish, Romanian, French: speaking/listening/writing/reading; translation with some dictionary use.
Portuguese, Italian, other Romance languages: reading/translation into English or Spanish with some dictionary use.
Ukrainian: basic conversation (speaking/listening); basic reading.

Selected Talks

“Prudent, yet Powerless? The Ethics of Public Opinion and Foreign Policy in an Era of Global Governance.” Presented at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the International Studies Association, 16 March 2011.

“The ‘Voters’ Responses to Leaders’ War Justifications’ Experiments.” Presented to the Duke Department of Political Science Security, Peace, and Conflict Workshop on 16 February 2011, and to the Kenan Institute for Ethics Work In Progress Colloquium on 14 February 2011.

“The War Powers Resolution and Evolution of the Legitimacy Norm from Domestic and International Perspectives.” Presented at the 51st Annual Meeting of the International Studies Association, 17 February, 2010.

“Bumbling, Bluffing, and Bald-Faced Lies: Mis-Leading and Domestic Audience Costs in International Relations - Grenada, 1983: Rallying for Hypocrisy?” Presentation at the Triangle Institute for Security Studies (TISS) Tenth Annual New Faces Conference, 11 September, 2009.

“Words, Words, Words: A Two-Level Analysis of Language Reform as a State-Building Strategy.” Co-authored with Nazlı Avdan. Presented at the 49th Annual Meeting of the International Studies Association, 29 March, 2008.

“The Calculus of Intervention: The Role of Domestic Institutions in Foreign Policy Decision-Making.” Presentation, IQMR 2007, at Arizona State University, 10 January, 2007.

“Risky Foreign Policy and Domestic Politics: Prospect Theory, Diversionary War, and the Lessons of the Malvinas/Falklands War.” Poster presentation, Celebrating Honors at Arizona State University, April 2004.

“How Should the Pardoning Power be Used? A Closer Look at Clinton's Controversial Pardons.” Guest lecture, POS310 American National Government, at Arizona State University, April 2001.

Professional Service and Memberships

Facilitator, DukeEngage Workshop: the Ethics of Engagement, May 2011
Associate Editor, Cambridge Review of International Affairs, Spring 2010-present
New Era in Foreign Policy Conference, George Washington University, March 2009
Duke University Department of Political Science International Relations Speaker Series, Graduate Student Coordinator, Fall 2008-Spring 2009; Fall 2006-Spring 2007
Duke Political Science Graduate Student Association, Secretary, Fall 2005-Summer 2006
Women Networking in the Social Sciences (WNSS) at Duke University
American Political Science Association

Organized Section on Qualitative Methods

Organized Section on Foreign Policy

International Studies Association

Section on Foreign Policy Analysis

Section on International Ethics

Section on International Security Studies