Political science professor elected to lead national association
By Christopher Machado
A Providence College faculty member and political thinker is leading one of the nation’s largest political science associations. Anthony (Tony) Affigne, Ph.D., professor of political science and a member of the PC faculty since 1992, was elected president of the Western Political Science Association — the third-largest political science professional association in the United States.
The association, which represents more than 1,100 members primarily in the western regions of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, promotes the teaching and research of government and politics and facilitates the discussion of public affairs. In announcing his election as president, the organization lauded Affigne’s distinguished record of scholarship and service.
“For decades, Dr. Tony Affigne has shaped the study of race, ethnicity, and politics with both intellectual rigor and deep humanity,” said Lorrie Frasure, association president for 2024-2025, and the inaugural Ralph J. Bunche Endowed Chair and professor of political science and African American studies at UCLA. “Tony has expanded our understanding of how power and identity shape democratic life while building a more inclusive and intellectually vibrant community within the discipline.”
At PC, Affigne has taught courses in the political science and Black studies departments, as well as in the Latin American and Latina/o Studies program. He also has served as a visiting full professor in international relations and public affairs and in ethnic studies and political science at Brown University, teaching Brown’s first ever courses on Latino politics.
Away from the classroom, Affigne’s research on Latino, Black, and Asian American politics, environmental parties and policy, and the early history of political science has been published in the U.S. and abroad. He also has presented his research and has been an invited participant at dozens of political science conferences across the country.
Affigne has been recognized several times for his service to the field, including receiving the Adalijza Sosa-Riddell Mentoring Award, the Frank J. Goodnow Award for Distinguished Service to the Profession, and the Founder’s Award for Leadership in the Study of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics from the American Political Science Association.
Affigne explained that his term will be focused on ensuring that the association remains a vibrant community of scholars in the face of the increasing costs of conference attendance and political headwinds. Efforts will include piloting virtual conferences, creating pathways to include scholars from community colleges, and developing international responses to restrictions on academic freedom.
“The WPSA is the most exciting, accessible, and forward-looking political science association in the U.S.,” said Affigne. “My first WPSA conference was in 1994. Even then, the WPSA was a natural fit for my own interests. My election to serve as president of this unique association is one of the greatest honors I’ve earned in nearly four decades as a political scientist. To be recognized in this way, by my community of peers and the professional colleagues who know me best, is humbling and extremely gratifying.”
More about Dr. Affigne
- Earned a doctorate in political science and public policy from Brown University and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Rhode Island
- Former chair of the PC political science and Black studies departments
- Founder and former co-president of the Research Section on Race, Ethnicity, and Politics of the American Political Science Association
- Former treasurer and executive council member of the American Political Science Association
- Invited lecturer at more than a dozen institutions, including Syracuse University, University of Texas-Dallas, New School for Social Research (New York), University of California-Santa Barbara, Wellesley College, Bowdoin College, and Queens University-Belfast (Northern Ireland)
- Appointed member of Rhode Island’s Long-Term Care Coordinating Council, Coastal Resources Management Council, and City of Providence Ethics Commission
- Co-editor of Latino Politics en Ciencia Política: The Search for Latino Identity and Racial Consciousness (NYU Press, 2014)
- Former book review editor for the Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics (Cambridge University Press)
