To kick off the Van Ek Virtual Speaker Series, Professor Beth Simmons will be discussing her paper, coauthored by Dr. Robert Schaffer, called, "Globalization and Border Securitization in International Discourse." 

Dr. Simmons is best known for her research on international political economy during the interwar years, policy diffusion globally, and her work demonstrating the influence that international law has on human rights outcomes around the world. She will be exploring the causes behind shifts in border-related concerns.