James Calder, Ph.D.
Professor, Political Science and Geography
Contact
- MS 4.03.24
- 210-458-7671
- James.Calder@utsa.edu
- Curriculum Vitae
Bio
Dr. Calder has been a faculty member at UTSA since 1979, teaching and publishing first as a member of the Department of Criminal Justice until 2006, then to present in the Department of Political Science and Geography. He was named Interim Department Chairman in 2014 and from 2017-2019. He received a B.A. degree in Criminology from the University of Maryland-College Park, an M.S in Criminology from California State University at Long Beach, and the Ph.D. in Government at the Claremont Graduate University. Dr. Calder’s first academic position was at the University of Maryland’s Institute for Criminal Justice and Criminology in between positions in corporate security at two major aerospace companies in Southern California, leaving that field as manager of security operations at the Hughes Aircraft Company’s Missile Systems Group. In recent years, his teaching in Political Science has included topics in global affairs, homeland security, the intelligence community and world affairs, federal justice policymaking, and politics in film. His articles and books have focused mainly on security matters, political leaders, and crime control policies, including studies of American presidents and their roles in directing federal actions against organized crime. He has served on many committees at UTSA and other administrative positions, including first Associate Dean in the College of Public Policy. He is a long-serving member of the Underwriters Laboratories Security Council, the ASIS International Research Council, Association of Former Intelligence Officers, journal biographical studies editor, and member other journal editorial boards.
Teaching
- POL 2513 Politics and the Administrative Process
- POL 3743 Politics in Film
- POL 3813 Politics and Federal Justice Policy
Research Interests
- Crime Control Policy and Politics of Federal Justice
- National Security and Intelligence Policies
- Security Studies in Domestic and International Domains
