Dr. Elizabeth Kaufer Busch

Co-director
Laura and Pete Walker Professor of American Studies
Director of American Studies

Elizabeth Kaufer Busch is the Laura and Pete Walker Professor in American Studies, Co-Director of the Center for American Studies, and Director of American Studies at Christopher Newport University. She earned a Ph.D. in political science from Michigan State University, with specializations in American Politics and Political theory. . She serves on the board of directors of the Jack Miller Center for Founding American Principles and History and the Washington, Jefferson, and Madison Institute.

Her research focuses on civic education, administrative lawmaking, and the role that our evolving conceptions of sex, gender, and equality have on public policy. She has published articles, book chapters, and scholarly studies on these subjects. She is co-author or co-editor of Democracy Revisited: Essays on the American Regime (2009), Civic Education and the Future of American Citizenship (2012), and Title IX: The Transformation of Sex Discrimination in Education (2018). She (with William Thro) is currently working on a number of writing projects focusing on reclaiming what they term the "American Proposition" in an "Anti-Constitutional Culture."

Busch was the recipient of the Alumni Society Award for Excellence in Teaching and Mentoring.

Email: elizabeth.busch@cnu.edu

Dr. Nathan E. Busch

Co-director
James and Cynthia Crawford, Professor of US National Security
Distinguished Professor of Political Science

Dr. Nathan E. Busch earned a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto with specializations in international relations and political philosophy. Prior to coming to CNU, he held positions at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Harvard University, and the University of Georgia.

In addition to numerous scholarly articles and reports, his recent books include The Routledge Handbook of Nuclear Proliferation and Policy (2015), The Politics of Weapon Inspections: Assessing WMD Monitoring and Verification Regimes (2017), and Homeland Security: An Introduction (2021).

Busch was the recipient of the 2017 Faculty Excellence Award for Scholarship and the 2017 Alumni Society Award for Excellence in Teaching and Mentoring.

Email: nbusch@cnu.edu

Dr. Frank W. Garmon Jr.

Faculty Fellow

Assistant Professor of American Studies

Garmon specializes in American political economy. After studying history and economics at Christopher Newport University, he completed his MA and PhD in history at the University of Virginia. He has published articles in the Economic History Review, the Journal of the Early Republic, Historical Methods: A Journal of Quantitative and Interdisciplinary History, and Social Science Journal.

His first book, A Wonderful Career in Crime: Charles Cowlam’s Masquerades in the Civil War Era and Gilded Age, will be published by Louisiana State University Press in the fall of 2024. The book traces the career of Charles Cowlam, a Gilded Age swindler who received presidential pardons from Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis during the Civil War. His intrigues reveal how Americans built trust amidst the transience and anonymity of the nineteenth century and exposes the vulnerabilities of a political system built on personal connections.

Garmon received the Provost’s Award for Faculty Excellence in Teaching Student Writing in 2023. He regularly offers a course on American Entrepreneurship, and a senior seminar on Alexander Hamilton structured around the award-winning musical.

Email: frank.garmon@cnu.edu

Dr. Jeffry Morrison

Faculty Fellow

Professor of American Studies
Director of Academics, James Madison Foundation

Dr. Jeffry Morrison is a professor of American Studies and Honors at Christopher Newport University and Director of Academics at the federal government’s James Madison Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia. He graduated with distinction from Boston College and from Georgetown University, where he earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in Government. Dr. Morrison has also held faculty positions at Princeton University, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and Georgetown University. He has published as author or co-editor six books on American political thought and culture, as well as chapters, articles, and reviews in scholarly publications in the fields of history, political science, and religion. He has lectured at colleges and historic sites throughout the United States and in England (Hertford College, Oxford) and made media appearances on radio, in print, on video, and on television (C-SPAN, BBC).

Email: jeffry.morrison@cnu.edu

Dr. Jonathan W. White

Faculty Fellow

Professor of American Studies

Jonathan W. White is a professor of American Studies at Christopher Newport University. He is the author or editor of 16 books that cover a variety of topics, including civil liberties during the Civil War, the USS Monitor and the Battle of Hampton Roads, the presidential election of 1864, and what Abraham Lincoln and soldiers dreamt about. He serves as vice chair of The Lincoln Forum, on the Boards of the Abraham Lincoln Association and the Abraham Lincoln Institute, and on the Ford’s Theatre Advisory Council. Among his awards are the 2019 State Council of Higher Education for Virginia’s Outstanding Faculty Award—the highest honor bestowed upon college faculty by the Commonwealth of Virginia; CNU’s Alumni Society Award for Teaching and Mentoring (2016); and the 2015 Abraham Lincoln Institute Book Prize. His recent books include A House Built By Slaves: African American Visitors to the Lincoln White House, which was co-winner of the $50,000 Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize (with Jon Meacham); Shipwrecked: A True Civil War Story of Mutinies, Jailbreaks, Blockade-Running, and the Slave Trade (2023), and Final Resting Places: Reflections on the Meaning of Civil War Graves (2023), which he edited with Brian Matthew Jordan. He has published two books with CNU students: Untouched by the Conflict: The Civil War Letters of Singleton Ashenfelter, Dickinson College (2019), which he edited with Daniel Glenn, and My Work among the Freedmen: The Civil War and Reconstruction Letters of Harriet M. Buss (2021), which he edited with Lydia J. Davis.

Email: jonathan.white@cnu.edu

Rear Admiral Bill McCarthy

Faculty Fellow

Adjunct Professor of Leadership and American Studies

McCarthy is a retired Rear Admiral with over 37 years of military and civilian service. His Navy service included combat operations in Operation Desert Storm. His four operational commands included the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington and Carrier Strike Group EIGHT. A U.S. Naval Test Pilot School graduate, he served on the Joint Staff and in a variety of test and acquisition assignments, culminating in command of the Navy’s Operational Test and Evaluation Force. Following active service, McCarthy served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense at the Deputy Assistant Secretary level as Deputy Director (OT&E), Net-centric and Space Systems/Missile Defense. His awards include the Navy Distinguished Service Medal and the Office of the Secretary of Defense Exceptional Civilian Service Medal.

McCarthy has served as an adjunct professor of public administration and procurement at Old Dominion University. In addition to serving as an adjunct faculty member in American Studies at CNU, he is also a member of the adjunct faculty at Regent University’s Robertson School of Government, where he teaches courses on the Presidency, Congress, and American Politics.

McCarthy earned a BA in Biology (cum laude) from the College of the Holy Cross. He holds master's degrees in national security studies and public administration from the Air War College and Auburn University Montgomery, respectively. He has completed additional graduate studies at the Robertson School of Government and the Kennedy School of Government. Publications include a variety of technical papers as well as book chapters, including “Eisenhower, the New Look, and Old-fashioned Morality” in Just War in Presidential Rhetoric: U.S. Presidents Making Moral Arguments on War, Peace, and Security, forthcoming 2023, and “Directed Energy and Fleet Defense” The Technological Arsenal - Smithsonian, 2001 He is a member of Pi Sigma Alpha and Pi Alpha Alpha honor societies. His current research entails a comparative study of the National Security Council decision-making models of the Eisenhower and G.W. Bush administrations.

Email: william.mccarthy@cnu.edu

Dr. Hannah Norman-Krause

Postdoctoral Fellow

Visiting Assistant Professor of Leadership and American Studies

Hannah Norman-Krause is a Postdoctoral Fellow for the Center for American Studies and a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Leadership and American Studies. She holds a Masters of Public Policy and Administration (2019) and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Political Science (2023) from Baylor University. Her research focuses on the American Supreme Court’s interpretation of religion in its Establishment and Free Exercise jurisprudence, and her doctoral work looked specifically at Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s unique reading of the clauses. In 2023, Norman-Krause won the Richard D. Huff Award for Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching.

Email: hannah.normankrause@cnu.edu

Daniel Shelton

Head Junior Fellow

Hometown: Roanoke, Virginia

Mentor: Dr. Nathan Busch

Email: daniel.shelton.20@cnu.edu

Daniel Shelton is a senior at Christopher Newport University and is expected to graduate in 2024. He is double majoring in international affairs and American studies with a concentration in the social sciences and minoring in U.S. national security studies, leadership, and international business and culture. After graduation, Shelton plans to obtain a Master’s Degree in International Relations to work in the Foreign Service for the Department of State. Shelton has been awarded the National Defense Transportation Association University Scholarship two years in a row and CNU’s Dean’s Merit Award. Outside of the center, Shelton is involved in the President’s Leadership Program, the Alexander Hamilton Society, and Bridge USA at CNU.

Fun Fact: Shelton enjoys hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Christopher Lubinski

Junior Fellow

Hometown: Fredericksburg, Virginia

Mentor: Dr. Frank W. Garmon Jr.

Email: christopher.lubinski.20@cnu.edu

Christopher Lubinski is a senior at Christopher Newport University and is expected to graduate in the fall of 2023. Lubinski plans to work in defense or intelligence by double majoring in political science and American studies with a double minor in U.S. national security studies and history. He has interned with the Office of Nebraskan Congressman Don Bacon to further this plan. Alongside his mentor, Dr. Frank Garmon, he has worked on Lincoln Pardon documents and a biography of Charles Cowlam. When he isn’t helping the Center for American Studies, Lubinski spends time with the CNU Marching Captains, the Catholic Campus Ministry, and Bridge USA at CNU.

Fun Fact: The bowling alley Lubinski and his friends used to play at when he lived near Offutt AFB in Bellevue, Nebraska, was the safehouse the Secret Service took George W. Bush during 9/11.

Reagan Connelly

Junior Fellow

Hometown: Stafford, Virginia

Mentor: Dr. Jonathan White

Email: reagan.connelly.20@cnu.edu

Reagan Connelly is a senior at Christopher Newport University and is expected to graduate in the spring of 2024. She is double majoring in political science and American studies with a concentration in constitutional studies and minoring in leadership studies. She is on the pre-law track and serves as CNU’s pre-law program student assistant director. Post-graduation, Connelly plans to attend law school to study constitutional law. In the summer of 2022, Connelly was a summer scholar here at CNU. Throughout the summer of 2022, Connelly served as a summer scholar for Dr. Jonathan White. During the summer of 2023, Connelly worked as a research associate for the Federalist Society in Washington, D.C. Alongside her mentor, Dr. Jonathan White, Connelly is transcribing and annotating a set of Civil War diaries written by an officer for an African-American regiment, which should be published soon. Outside the Center for American Studies, Connelly is a small group leader for CNU Cru, a campus ministry.

Fun Fact: Connelly has two shih tzus named Finnegan and Dublin.

Erin Burrier

Junior Fellow

Hometown: Wintersville, Ohio

Mentor: Dr. Elizabeth Kaufer Busch

Email: erin.burrier.22@cnu.edu

Erin Burrier is a second-year at Christopher Newport University and is expected to graduate in the spring of 2025. She is on the pre-law track, double majoring in political science and American studies with a concentration in constitutional studies and minoring in leadership studies. Post-graduation, Burrier plans to attend graduate school, work as an elections coordinator/educator, and eventually run for office. As a big proponent of civic education and engagement, Burrier has initiated, led, and served as an advisor for Monroe Senior High School’s annual voter registration drive. Alongside her mentor, Dr. Elizabeth Kaufer Busch, Burrier has summarized constitutional interpretation methods and strategies to rejuvenate American democracy. Her newest projects include creating the CAS Junior Fellows section on the CAS website and serving as a tutor. Outside of the center, Burrier is actively involved as a Presidential Scholar, the Student Government Association’s Chief of Staff, and a sister of the Alpha Sigma Alpha Theta Gamma Chapter.

Fun Fact: Burrier is a published Spotify host of Season 2, Episode 6 of The Tidewater Project.

Dylan Frederick

Junior Fellow

Hometown: Bealeton, Virginia

Mentor: Dr. Frank W. Garmon Jr.

Email: dylan.frederick.21@cnu.edu

Dylan Frederick is a junior at Christopher Newport University and is expected to graduate in 2025. Frederick is on the pre-law track, double majoring in American studies and international affairs and minoring in Middle East and North African studies and national security studies. Post-graduation, Frederick plans to practice military law and become a JAG officer. He has been assisting Dr. Garmon with his biography on Charles Cowlam and multiple articles concerning Reconstruction America. Frederick has been published with Dr. Garmon by the American Numismatic Society and served as a Summer Scholar in the summer of 2023. Outside of the Center for American Studies, Frederick has worked at McDonald’s and currently serves as the Vice-President of CNU Rugby.

Fun Fact: Frederick’s cat is brown.

Naquoia Meister

Junior Fellow

Hometown: Eugene, Oregon

Mentor: Dr. Elizabeth Kaufer Busch

Email: naquoia.meister.22@cnu.edu

Naquoia Meister is a senior at Christopher Newport University and is expected to graduate in the spring of 2024. Meister is majoring in political science with a minor in American studies. He frequently assists with conferences hosted by the Center for American Studies. During the summer of 2023, Meister served as a summer intern for the center. In the past, Meister has worked on David Yancey’s, Scott Taylor’s, and Stephen Ferguson’s political campaigns. Outside of the center, he is the president of Pi Sigma Alpha, a member of CNU’s Alexander Hamilton Society, a campaign intern for Danny Diggs for State Senate, and has maintained a 4.0 GPA.

Fun Fact: Meister enjoys visiting national parks when he has the time.

Emily McKenna

Junior Fellow

Hometown: Somerset, Massachusetts

Mentor: Dr. Elizabeth Kaufer Busch

Email: emily.mckenna.22@cnu.edu

Emily McKenna is a sophomore at Christopher Newport University and is expected to graduate in 2026. McKenna is double majoring in American studies with a concentration in constitutional studies and political science with a concentration in international affairs and a minor in leadership studies. Post-graduation, she plans to work in the government. Outside of the center, McKenna is a delegate of the Student Government Association, a team leader with the Youth Volunteer Corps of Hampton Roads, a sister of Gamma Phi Beta, and a resident assistant.

Fun Fact: McKenna has thrown tea in the Boston Harbor.

Corinne Ruocco

Junior Fellow

Hometown: Killingworth, Connecticut

Mentor: Dr. Nathan Busch

Email: corinne.ruocco.20@cnu.edu

Corinne Ruocco is a senior at Christopher Newport University and is expected to graduate in the spring of 2024. Ruocco is majoring in political science with minors in leadership and U.S. national security studies. Post-graduation, she plans to become an event planner. As a junior fellow, Ruocco has assisted with conferences hosted by the Center for American Studies. Ruocco is active in many involvements, including Phi Sigma Pi and an internship for the Center for Career Planning office.

Fun Fact: Ruocco knows the preamble to the Constitution and can sing it to the School House Rong song.

Cameron Tomaino

Event Staff

Hometown: Newport News, Virginia

Email: cameron.tomaino.22@cnu.edu

Cameron Tomaino is a senior at Christopher Newport University and is expected to graduate in 2024. He is double majoring in international affairs and American studies with a minor in national security studies. Post-graduation, Cameron wants to pursue a career in Foreign Service, working abroad, and dedicating his life to advancing global peace, justice, and prosperity. Outside of the center, Cameron is also involved in The Captain’s Log, Summer Scholars, and Phi Sigma Pi, an honor fraternity.

Fun Fact: Cameron is a bit of a news junkie, doing his best to keep up with everything/everywhere.

Lucy Vick

Junior Fellow

Hometown: Quinton, Virginia

Mentor: Dr. Frank W. Garmon Jr.

Email: lucy.vick.22@cnu.edu

Lucy Vick is a sophomore at Christopher Newport University and is expected to graduate in 2026. She is double majoring in theater with a concentration in musical theater and American studies with a concentration in the humanities and minoring in leadership studies. After graduation, Vick plans to become a live performer. This year, she will play Sarah Brown in Opera CNU’s “Guys & Dolls.” Outside of the center, Vick is active in chamber choir, residence life, and Theatre CNU.

Fun Fact: Vick has a twin sister.

Paiton Jones

Junior Fellow

Hometown: Roanoke, Virginia

Mentor: Dr. Nathan Busch

Email: paiton.jones.22@cnu.edu

Paiton Jones is a sophomore at Christopher Newport University and is expected to graduate in the spring of 2026. She is double majoring in international affairs and American studies with a concentration in constitutional studies and triple minoring in leadership studies, U.S. national security studies, and Spanish. Jones has worked on past conferences for the center. After graduation, Jones plans on attending graduate school to pursue a career in higher education. Outside of the center, Jones is involved in Residence Life and CNU Alternative Breaks and is a sister of Alpha Delta Pi.

Fun Fact: Jones’s favorite primary sources to read are the Anti-Federalist Papers.

Keelyn Graves

Junior Fellow

Hometown: Petersburg, Virginia

Mentor: Dr. Nathan Busch

Email: keelyn.graves.20@cnu.edu

Keelyn Graves is a senior at Christopher Newport University and is expected to graduate in 2024. He is double majoring in American studies and political science with a double minor in history and U.S. national security studies. While with the center, Graves has published an undergraduate paper and received multiple summer research stipends. Outside of the center, Graves is a brother of Pi Kappa Phi and the president of CNU’s Alexander Hamilton Society. Post-graduation, Graves plans to further his education and become a public servant.

Fun Fact: During the summer of 2023, Graves worked to improve local Virginia communities, both economically and socially!

Katherine Grant

Junior Fellow

Hometown: Elk Grove, California

Mentor: Dr. Elizabeth Kaufer Busch

Email: katherine.grant.21@cnu.edu

Katherine Grant is a junior at Christopher Newport University and is expected to graduate in the spring of 2025. She is double majoring in political science and American studies with a concentration in constitutional studies while double minoring in leadership studies and human rights and conflict resolution. Throughout her time with the center, Grant has assisted her mentor as a junior fellow and summer scholar by working on Dr. Kaufer Busch’s new book and book reviews. Outside of the center, Grant is a tutor for the Center of Student Success and is active in the Student Government Association and CNU’s Alexander Hamilton Society. Grant plans to further her studies by attending law school or graduate school after graduation.

Fun Fact: Grant collects necklace charms and shot glasses from different places and people.

Andrew Emerson

Junior Fellow

Hometown: Chesapeake, Virginia

Mentor: Dr. William McCarthy

Email: andrew.emerson.21@cnu.edu

Andrew Emerson is a junior at Christopher Newport University and is expected to graduate in the spring of 2025. He is double majoring in political science and American studies and double minoring in leadership studies and philosophy of law. Outside of the center, Emerson is the president of CNU Tonight, vice president of operations for CNU Alternative Breaks, and a resident assistant. He also assists political campaigns such as the successful campaigns of Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones and Virginia state Senator Aaron Rouse and the ongoing campaign of Michael Feggans. Post-graduation, Emerson plans to attend law school.

Fun Fact: Emerson owns a large collection of professional and novelty ties.

Justin Heller

Junior Fellow

Hometown: Vienna, Virginia

Mentor: Dr. Hannah Norman-Krause

Email: justin.heller.21@cnu.edu

Justin Heller is a junior at Christopher Newport University and is expected to graduate in 2025. He is on the pre-law track, double majoring in political science and American studies with a concentration in constitutional studies. Outside of the center, Heller is a member of CNU’s Captain’s Log and club soccer and a brother of Kappa Sigma. Post-graduation, Heller plans to attend law school.

Fun Fact: Despite being a Washington Commanders fan his whole life, Heller has only seen one playoff win.

Harry Hayden

Junior Fellow

Hometown: Powhatan, Virginia

Mentor: Dr. Elizabeth Kaufer Busch

Email: harry.hayden.20@cnu.edu

Harry Hayden is a senior at Christopher Newport University and is expected to graduate the spring of 2024. He is on the pre-law track, majoring in American studies with a concentration in constitutional studies and double minoring in history and political science. Hayden is a tutor for the Center of American Studies. Outside of the center, Hayden is a co-training manager of the student ambassadors, a brother of Sigma Phi Epsilon, and the CNU Interfraternity Council Vice President of Judicial Affairs. His past accomplishments include being named the Fraternity Community Member of 2022 and earning a spot on the CNU Dean’s List. Post-graduation, Hayden plans to attend law school and ultimately teach.

Fun Fact: Hayden has played soccer for 19 years.

Eve Manning

Junior Fellow

Hometown: Woodstock, Virginia

Mentor: Dr. Nathan Busch

Email: eve.manning.21@cnu.edu

Eve Manning is a junior at Christopher Newport University and is expected to graduate in 2025. She double majors in political science and American studies with a minor in U.S. national security studies. Post-graduation, Manning hopes to work in the field of counterterrorism, hopefully with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. This past summer, Manning shadowed an investigator. She assists with events through the center and is currently working with Dr. Nathan Busch to begin work on a bibliography. Outside of the center, Manning is the Director of Academic Affairs for Alpha Delta Pi and a member of the Arabic club.

Fun Fact: Manning used to be a competitive Irish dancer.

Benjamin Jones

Junior Fellow

Hometown: Fredericksburg, Virginia

Mentor: Dr. Hannah Norman-Krause

Email: benjamin.jones.22@cnu.edu

Benjamin Jones is a sophomore at Christopher Newport University and is expected to graduate in May 2026. He is double majoring in political science and international affairs and double minoring in leadership studies and U.S. national security studies. Post graduation, Jones plans on working in U.S. intelligence. Outside of his work with the center, Jones is the vice president of participant relations for CNU Alternative Breaks and is attending the International Leadership Association Conference in Vancouver.

Fun Fact: Jones is a pianist of eleven years.

Maeve Korengold

Junior Fellow

Hometown: Alexandria, Virginia

Mentor: Dr. Linda Ficht

Email: maeve.korengold.22@cnu.edu

Maeve Korengold is a sophomore at Christopher Newport University and is expected to graduate in the Spring of 2026. She is double majoring in American Studies and Leadership Studies, with a minor in French. In the future, Maeve is interested in a career in public policy or law. Maeve is working with Professor Linda Ficht to research the controversy surrounding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion statements in higher education. Maeve is active in many involvements on campus, including the Student Diversity and Equality Council as the Vice President of Policy and as a brother in Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed service fraternity.

Fun Fact: Maeve has a guinea pig named Amy.