Kelly McHugh, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Political Science
Department Chair

My goal is to demonstrate that few questions in international politics have settled answers. As such, I seek to create a classroom atmosphere that encourages critical thinking and the active exchange of ideas; I do not want students arriving at class in a passive mode, expecting that I will provide them with an authoritative “correct” answer.
Biography
I am a native of Delaware, and I received my Ph.D. in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Delaware in May 2011. At FSC, I teach courses in international politics, national security, and U.S. foreign policy. My research focuses on the domestic aspects of US foreign policy, and I have published articles and book chapters on topics including Congress’s role in foreign policy, and Presidential decision-making in wartime. I am a past president of the Florida Political Science Association (FPSA) and I currently chair the Roundtable on Teaching Political Science at the FPSA’s annual meeting.Education
- Ph.D., Political Science and International Relations, University of Delaware, May 2011
- M.A., Political Science and International Relations, University of Delaware, May 2007
- B.A., Political Science (Degree with Distinction), University of Delaware, May 2005
Awards
- President, Florida Political Science Association, 2018-2019 & 2020-2021
Publications
McHugh, Kelly. “No more Iraqs: analysing use of force decisions during the Obama administration” Global Peace, Change and Security 22, no. 1 (Winter 2021).
McHugh, Kelly A. “The President vs. Congress: US Intervention in the Yemeni Civil War” in Contemporary Cases in U.S. Foreign Policy, ed. Ralph Carter. Rowan & Littlefield, 2020, pp. 123-148.
McHugh, Kelly A. “One War, Three Presidents: Afghanistan Policy under Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump” in The Future of Afghanistan ed. Mihaly Usozr, Nova Science Publishers, 2020, pp. 139-171.