Robert McNamara

Biography

Professor McNamara completed his undergraduate degree at the University of California, Santa Cruz. After obtaining an MA degree in International Relations, he went on for his Ph.D. in Political Science at Hautes Etudes Internationales (Graduate Institute for International Studies) at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. His dissertation work at the time took him to Central America where he researched the link between the region’s civil wars and the politics of asylum in United States foreign policy. In addition to teaching in the Political Science Department at Sonoma State University, Professor McNamara has also been actively involved in public health issues. He served as a Commisisoner on the Sonoma County Commission on AIDS, co-chaired the Sonoma County HIV Prevention Planning Group, and co-authored "Sonoma County 3-year Plan for HIV Prevention."

Professor McNamara is an enthusiastic promoter of international travel (particularly in the developing world) for students seeking a meaningful education.