Now Arriving at UCF, Dr. Demet Mousseau
New faculty member, Dr. Demet Mousseau, has found her way to the University of Central Florida as an Assistant Professor in the Political Science Department.
Intrigued in political and economic issues since high school, Dr. Mousseau always knew she had an interest for political science at a young age. “If I didn’t become a political scientist, I would have pursued medicine and became a general doctor,” said Mousseau regarding choosing another career path, but in the end political science won. “I was always curious about different countries and cultures and wanted to learn how people and societies were governed; and, why there were social, economic and political differences among countries” she states. This fascination helped drive her to earn her undergraduate degree in Economics at Hacettepe University in Turkey and her MA and Ph.D degrees in Political Science at Binghamton University, located in New York.
While in college, hungry for more exposure to the world, Dr. Mousseau packed her bags and journeyed from Istanbul to London by bus, going through Bulgaria, Romania, Austria, Belgium and other countries in Europe. She reflects on the time she lived in Germany and even spent a period in London as a student working at Pizza Hut. During her travels, she observed and noted the cultural and societal differences within each country.
With so many passport stamps and cultural discoveries from exploring, what could amaze Dr. Mousseau about UCF?
“I was surprised to see how big the campus was and how well it was organized,” Dr. Mousseau said about her first impression of the school. While preparing to teach two undergraduate courses: Human Rights Policy and Political Economy in the upcoming spring semester, she is currently working on a research project regarding conflict occurring in transitioning countries. Mousseau explains, “Multi-ethnic countries that are governed by authoritarian regimes, such as the ones in the Balkans separated from the former Yugoslavia and more recently Iraq and Syria, have violent conflicts. I am analyzing the impact of regime type on conflict in these types of multi-ethnic societies.”
Like her traveling experiences, Dr. Mousseau’s music choices spread across many musical borders. When asked what songs reflect her life, she listed, Eagles’ Peaceful Easy Feeling, Genesis’ Follow Me, Follow You and Pink Floyd’s Shine on You Crazy Diamond.
As a new professor at UCF, Dr. Mousseau is devising ways to engage students by introducing her various personal and professional interests into her lecture discussions. With many plans about to take effect in spring, Dr. Mousseau is ready to take off and make her mark at UCF.