Faculty Focus-November, 4 2026
St. Lawrence faculty continue to bring their expertise to some of today’s most consequential questions. Recently, they published new work and contributed analysis exploring artificial intelligence and writing, democratic transitions and government accountability, international relations, and the intersection of migration, gender, and class.
Mert Kartal
Associate Professor of Political Science Mert Kartal published “Rebuilding Anti-Corruption and Oversight Institutions in Post-Authoritarian Settings” through Transparency International’s Anti-Corruption Helpdesk. The brief examines how countries can repair courts, prosecution services, audit institutions, civil service systems, and other public bodies after years of authoritarian rule.
Kartal explains that democratic transitions can create a short but important opportunity to reverse institutional capture, fight corruption, and restore public trust. Drawing on lessons from countries that have experienced similar transitions, he identifies practical steps domestic reformers can take and ways international organizations can provide expertise, strengthen reform coalitions, and support lasting institutional capacity. He emphasizes that durable reform requires moving quickly while preserving due process and building institutions able to withstand future political pressure.
Kartal has served as a consultant to Transparency International since 2025. His research focuses on international relations and European politics, particularly the European Union’s influence on corruption control across Europe.
Madeleine Wong
Associate Professor of Global Studies Madeleine Wong published “Investigating Class Privilege Among Professional Ghanaian Migrants During COVID-19” in the current issue of Feminist Africa. Based on qualitative narrative interviews, the article examines how highly skilled Ghanaian migrant women navigated disruptions to their professional and personal lives during the pandemic.
Wong’s findings show how the women drew on local and transnational resources and adopted flexible mobility strategies in response to crisis and uncertainty. The study also demonstrates how gendered expectations around care and restrictions on mobility exposed the tension between class privilege and vulnerability within transnational families.
Howard Eissenstat
Laurentian Associate Professor and Chair of History Howard Eissenstat was quoted in Al-Monitor about how upcoming elections in Israel and Turkey could affect relations between the two countries. Eissenstat cautioned that a change in Israeli leadership would not necessarily ease tensions, noting that security concerns, regional ambitions, and Israel’s post-Oct. 7 emphasis on forward defense all point against a significant shift.
Bob Cowser
Professor of English Bob Cowser contributed a commissioned essay to antae, an international literary and creative writing journal based at the University of Malta. The essay examines artificial intelligence, writing, and the unexpected creative value of boredom.
