Political Science

Dr. Benjamin Toll specializes in the study of American politics. He received a PhD from Indiana University, Bloomington in 2015 and a MA from the J.M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies at Baylor University. He teaches Introduction to American Politics and a variety of upper-level classes in American politics. He also teaches courses in the Criminology program at Wilkes.

Toll's research focuses on religion's impact on American politics, communications between elites and the public and how we respond to the elites. He regularly comments on local and statewide elections for press locally, nationally, and internationally. His favorite was during the 2020 campaign when in the course of one week he interviewed with a German newspaper, Finnish radio station, British television station and Japanese newspaper.

When not teaching or doing research, Dr. Toll likes to spend time with his family which consists of four kids, five toads, two fish, one dog and one wife. He coaches youth soccer (because he has to), and youth softball and baseball (because he likes it).

Dr. Toll also serves on a statewide citizen's review panel that looks at child welfare policy and makes recommendations to the state Office of Children, Youth, and Family about best practices. His experience working in a juvenile detention facility, working with at-risk teenagers, policy knowledge and six years as a foster parent makes that a perfect fit for community engagement.

Dr. Andrew P. Miller is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Coordinator of the International Relations Program at Wilkes. Dr. Miller received a BA in Political Science from Illinois College, an MA in Political Science from Illinois State University and a PhD in Political Science from Purdue University. His teaching and research interests focus on economic development in Latin America, specifically the politics of the coffee industry and the economic development potential of tourism. He is the author of three books on development issues in Central America with a fourth due to publish in the Summer of 2023. He lives in Laflin with his wife Christy and enjoys traveling and watching sports.

Dr. Robert Seeley earned his BA in Economics from Franklin and Marshall College and his PhD in Economics from the University of Maryland. During his tenure at Wilkes, he has served as Chair of the Department of Business Administration and Economics, Director of the Master of Business Administration program, and Director of the Master of Health Administration program. Dr. Seeley is particularly interested in the economics of labor markets (Labor Economics), tax policy (Public Finance), the earnings of professional and collegiate athletes (Economics of Sports), health policy (The Economics of Health Care), and the economics of crime.

Dr. Kyle Kreider specializes in the study of public law and the Supreme Court. He received his PhD from Temple University. He teaches Criminal Law, Law and Society, and Constitutional Law. In addition, Dr. Kreider has co-authored four books on voting rights and electoral reform. When not teaching or writing, Dr. Kreider spends time with his family and his two golden retrievers. He enjoys watching baseball, soccer and true crime TV.

Dr. Andreea Maierean is an Associate Professor of Political Science and the Study Abroad Director. She received her PhD in Political Science from Boston University. She previously studied in Bucharest, Romania at the National School of Political Studies and Public Administration; in Trieste, Italy, at the University of Trieste; in Budapest, Hungary, at Central European University; and in Vienna, Austria, at the Institute for Human Sciences. Her research and teaching interests include post-communist transitions to democracy, transitional justice and environmental policy.