Lewis Irwin, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Political Science Department
Office: 521 College Hall
412.396.1844
irwinl@duq.edu
Education
B.S. Civil Engineering Management, 1986, U.S. Military Academy at West Point; MA, MPhil, and Ph.D. in Political Science, Yale University, 1998; Master of Strategic Studies, U.S. Army War College, 2009.
Research, Publications and Service
Dr. Irwin has published two books and a variety of journal articles and opinion pieces to date. His first book focused on consequential changes in the policymaking process over the last several decades, viewed from the legislative actors' perspective, and was entitled A Chill in the House (SUNY Press, 2001). He also authored The Policy Analyst's Handbook (M.E. Sharpe, 2003) a book on the primary techniques of policy analysis. He has a forthcoming book on the U.S. government's strategic and interagency performance in Afghanistan.
Dr. Irwin's research interests include the policymaking process and the techniques of policy analysis, as well as public finance practices, defense and foreign policy, economic redevelopment, and a variety of domestic social and public policies.
Prior to coming to Duquesne, Dr. Irwin served for 14 years on active duty in the United States Army, during which time he served in a variety of command and staff positions around the world. After receiving his doctorate in political science from Yale University, he served on the political science faculty at the United States Military Academy, West Point, for three years. Dr. Irwin has advised senior Army policymakers on the legislative process, and he is a veteran of Operation "Desert Storm" in Iraq, Operation "Enduring Freedom" in Afghanistan, and other operational and training deployments worldwide. He still serves as a Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve in addition to his faculty service at Duquesne.
Dr. Irwin is active in a variety of veterans' and community service organizations, in addition to his ongoing service in the U.S. military.
Statement
I aim to enhance the Policy Center students' experience in three ways. First, through the Social and Public Policy Analysis course, I want to improve the students' ability to see through to the crux of contemporary policy issues efficiently and quickly, in order to hone their critical analytic skills. Secondly, I work with students on various social issues in depth to allow them to achieve the carefully constructed empirical analyses that will enable them to add meaningfully to those ongoing debates. And finally, I am to relate the national debates to our regional concerns, with the goal being to help our western Pennsylvania communities react appropriately in the face of a rapidly changing economic and social environment.