Faculty & Staff
Tanner Bivens
Robert Tanner Bivens, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Illinois College. His expertise is in the fields of International Relations and Comparative Politics with focuses on norms, institutional dynamics, regional governance, human rights, global LGBTQ+ rights, and qualitative methodologies. The core of Dr. Bivens' work is understanding why authoritarian states accept human rights when they are not pressured to do so by civil society. At Illinois College, Dr. Bivens teaches courses related to global politics, diplomacy, developing nations politics, and comparative research design. His work has been published in outlets such as African Affairs, the Journal of Peace Research, and Africa Today and he is currently working on a book project connected to status management mechanisms within regional organizations.
What do you enjoy most about working with students?
"The thing that I enjoy most about teaching is seeing student success. I want students to leave my class not just with new knowledge about politics but a fundamental understanding of how the world operates as well as how to succeed with a political science degree. I believe it is my duty as an educator at Illinois College to foster student success in my classroom and when they graduate from our college. If a student comes to IC as a political science major. My ultimate goal is to make sure they leave with the tools necessary to succeed and the ability to either find work with a political science bachelors degree or the ability to enter into a strong graduate program to continue their education."