Ohio State professor receives national ranking

COLUMBUS – An Ohio State University political science professor has been named one of the most influential scholars in his field in a national survey.

Alexander Wendt ranks third among the Top 10 Most Influential International Relations Scholars in a survey published in the November issue of Foreign Policy, the premier magazine of global politics, economics and ideas. Wendt is the Ralph D. Mershon Professor of International Security in Ohio State's Department of Political Science, which itself was ranked 15th among the nation's top 20 Ph.D. programs by the magazine.
The survey of more than 1,100 colleges and universities asked professors to name the best schools for both academic and policy careers, as well as the most influential scholars.

Wendt, who joined the Ohio State faculty in 2004, has research and teaching interests in international relations, global governance, political theory and the philosophy of social science. He is the author of "Social Theory of International Politics," published in 1999. After earning his doctorate in political science at the University of Minnesota in 1989, he taught at Yale University, Dartmouth College and the University of Chicago before coming to Ohio State.

"The fact that Professor Wendt is singled out as one of the 'leading lights' in international relations is extraordinary recognition of his accomplishments and certainly reflects well on his department and our university," said Ohio State President Karen A. Holbrook. "The Department of Political Science can also be proud of another outstanding ranking."

A 2004 London School of Economics ranking of political science departments placed Ohio State 4th in the world, and the latest U.S. News and World Report rankings of graduate programs in political science put Ohio State in 13th place.