Associate Professor of Political Science

Courses Taught

POS100 American Politics and Government
POS/HIS216L American Constitutional History
POS221L American Political Ideologies
POS/PHI/HIS345 Modern Political Thought
POS/PHI/HIS360 Classical Political Thought

Educational Background

B.A., Black Hills State University
M.A. and Ph.D., University of Dallas

Get to know Prof. Uzzell

If you had the chance to work on a biography, whose life story would you like to write?

James Madison, hands down. But one of my current projects is a sort of “parallel lives” of James Madison and Charles Pinckney. Both were Framers of the Constitution; both introduced plans of government at the outset of the Convention; and both left behind records of the Convention. But their versions of history are irreconcilable, which raises all sorts of questions about the trustworthiness of historical eyewitnesses.

Tell us about a member of your “cloud of witnesses” (Heb 12:1) — who’s an earlier Christian whose story inspires, convicts, or challenges you?

Elizabeth, the mother of St. John the Baptist. When Orthodox Christians are baptized, they (or their parents) choose a saint’s name for inspiration and guidance. I chose St. Elizabeth. She was the first person to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to recognize and proclaim Who Jesus was. (Arguably, St. John the Baptist was first to recognize Him, but, being in utero, he was too young to proclaim anything verbally.) St. Elizabeth had a noetic intuition that I lack, so I chose her as my personal saint for inspiration. And Elizabeth happens to be the middle name that my parents chose for me, so I answer to either Lynn or Elizabeth.

What’s your favorite place in the world to visit? Why do you love being there?

Ireland. When I was young, I took a few backpacking trips around Europe. Many places I visited seemed like touristy facsimiles of what I imagined that place to be. The Western coast of Ireland, where I took a walking tour, looked most like the Ireland of my imagination. It was a magical place.

What are your three favorite movies?

I love movies that have the same qualities that I love in novels: excellent character development, a compelling story, and often complex moral quandaries. A couple of my favorite movies have been A Man for All Seasons and the 1995 BBC/A&E adaptation of Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice. Just for a wildcard, I’ll throw in Airplane! I saw that movie when I was 11, which was the right age to see such a zany spoof, and at the time I thought it was the funniest movie I had ever seen. It may still be the funniest movie I’ve ever seen.