Tabitha M. Benney portrait
  • Associate Professor, Political Science Department
  • Affiliated Faculty, University of Utah, Center for Global Change and Sustainability
  • Affiliated Faculty, Environmental and Sustainability Studies, University of Utah
  • Research Fellow, Earth System Governance (ESG) Network
  • Affiliated Researcher, The Griffith Criminology Institute and Global Risk Governance Program, University of Cape Town
  • Assistant Professor, Political Science Department
  • Affiliated Faculty, Center for Genomic Medicine
  • Affiliated Faculty, Latin American Studies Program
  • Affiliated Faculty, Asian Studies Program
801-585-7475

Professional Service

  • American Political Science Association. Role: Panel Chair. “Social Responsibility and International Economic Policy,” Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA (September 2021). 09/01/2021 - 09/21/2021
  • Energy Policy. Reviewer. 08/03/2021 - 09/08/2021
  • International Studies Association. Role: Discussant. “Government Responses to Climate Change,” International Studies Association, Las Vegas, NV. 04/05/2021 - 04/12/2021
  • International Studies Association. Role: Chair. “The Environment, Climate Change and the Dynamics of Peace and Conflict,” International Studies Association, Las Vegas NV . 04/05/2021 - 04/12/2021
  • International Journal of Public Administration . Reviewer. 03/01/2021 - 06/01/2021
  • REN21. Role: GSR Expert Contributor. Secretariat of the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21) . 01/01/2021 - 05/31/2021
  • Atmosphere. Topic Board Editor. 09/01/2020 - 10/01/2023
  • Sustainability. Role: Reviewer. Reviewer. 05/06/2020 - 06/06/2020
  • REN21. Role: GSR 2020 Expert Contributor. Secretariat of the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21). 01/01/2020 - 05/31/2020
  • International Journal of Comparative Sociology. Reviewer. 03/02/2019 - 12/31/2019
  • G-20 Commission. Role: Member. Advisory Committee, G-20 Commission. Task Force 2: Climate Change and Environment, Saudi Arabia Ministry (2019-2020). 03/01/2019 - 12/31/2020
  • G-20 Commission. Role: Advisory Committee. Task Force 2: Climate Change and Environment, G-20 Commission Saudi Arabia Ministry . 01/01/2019 - 12/01/2020
  • REN21. Role: Area expert and survey respondent. GSR 2019 Expert Contributor for the Secretariat of the Renewable energy Policy Network for the the 21st Century. 11/05/2018 - 06/21/2019
  • Earth System Governance Network. Role: Discussant. Panel, “Transnational Governance & the UN Sustainable Development Goals: Exploring New Frontiers,” Earth System Governance Annual Conference, Utrecht, Netherlands. 11/05/2018 - 11/09/2018
  • Earth System Governance Network. Role: Panel Chair. Panel, “Theoretical and Methodological Foundation of Science, Knowledge and Uncertainty,” Earth System Governance Annual Conference, Utrecht, Netherlands. 11/05/2018 - 11/09/2018
  • Earth System Governance Network. Role: Discussant. Discussant on panel, "What is Agency." ESG Annual conference, Utrecht, Netherlands. 11/05/2018 - 11/08/2018
  • International Studies Association (ISA). Role: Committee Member. Harold & Margaret Sprout Award Committee, Environmental Studies Section (ESS) . 01/01/2018 - 12/31/2018
  • Environmental Studies Section (ESS) of the International Studies Association (ISA) . Role: Committee Member. Harold & Margaret Sprout Award Committee. 03/22/2017 - 03/30/2019
  • International Studies Association. Role: Discussant. Land as an Object(ive) of Development: Who gets access?, . 02/22/2017 - 03/02/2017
  • International Studies Association. Role: Panel Chair. Sovereigns and Finance. 02/22/2017 - 02/26/2017
  • American Political Science Association (APSA). Role: Chair. Dissertation Award Committee, Science, Technology, and Environmental Politics Section of the American Political Science Association. 05/17/2016 - 09/06/2017
  • Scholars Strategy Network, Utah Chapter. “Unequal Voices: Inequality in Utah and Beyond,” Community Event – City Library (March 2016). 03/22/2016 - 03/22/2016
  • Energy Politics . Reviewer. 01/01/2016 - present
  • Earth System Governance Network. Role: Research Fellow. ESG Researcher. 01/01/2016 - present
  • Global Politics . Reviewer. 01/01/2016 - present
  • Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Climate Science . Reviewer. 01/01/2016 - 11/23/2016
  • Cogent Social Sciences. Role: Board of Editors. A multi-disciplinary journal at Taylor & Francis/Routledge Publishing. 07/2015 - 03/31/2017
  • Scholars Strategy Network (SSN). Co-Chair, Utah Chapter. 06/15/2015 - 10/01/2018
  • International Studies Association (ISA). Role: Nominations Committee. Environmental Studies Section of the ISA. 02/2015 - 03/2017
  • International Studies Association (ISA). Role: Speaker. Society for Women in International Political Economy (SWIPE) Roundtable (by invitation), ISA Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA. 02/2015 - 02/2015
  • International Studies Association (ISA). Role: Discussant. Ethics of Economic Statecraft, ISA Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA. 02/2015 - 02/2015
  • National Science Foundation (NSF). Reviewer for Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE), NSF. 01/02/2015 - 04/09/2015
  • International Studies Association (ISA). Role: Discussant. Water, Power and Money, ISA Conference, New Orleans, LA. 01/2015 - 02/2015
  • International Studies Review . Reviewer. 04/2014 - present
  • Review of International Political Economy Journal. Reviewer. 08/01/2013 - present

Internal Service

  • “Understanding the Air Quality Policy Interface,” SUST 6000 (February 2022) . Guest Speaker, 02/08/2022 - 02/11/2022. College service.
  • CSBS Reviewer, University of Utah Graduate and Teach Fellowships (2022). Reviewer, 01/01/2022 - 03/31/2022. College service.
  • Fellowship Selection Committee, Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS), University of Utah. Member, 01/01/2022 - 03/30/2022. College service.
  • Graduate Council Representative for the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Utah. Member, 08/01/2021 - 07/30/2024. University service.
  • “Social Impacts and Policy Panel,” COVID-19 Symposium, The Immunology, Inflammation, and Infectious Disease Initiative (3i), University of Utah. Speaker, 06/10/2021 - 06/10/2021. University service.
  • 4th Year Promotion and Tenure Subcommittee, Department of Political Science. Member, 03/31/2021 - 12/31/2021. Department service.
  • 6th Year Promotion and Tenure Subcommittee, Department of Political Science. Member, 03/31/2021 - 12/31/2021. Department service.
  • 7th Year Promotion and Tenure Subcommittee, Department of Political Science. Chair, 03/31/2021 - 12/31/2021. Department service.
  • “Why Did India Fared So Well at the Start of the Pandemic?” Go Learn and Continuing Education, At Home Speaker Series. Speaker, 03/31/2021 - 03/31/2021. University service.
  • Betty Glad Committee, Department of Political Science. Member, 03/15/2021 - 05/01/2021. Department service.
  • “Understanding Air Pollution,” Introduction to Environmental Sociology, Department of Sociology, University of Utah . Guest Lecturer, 03/03/2021 - 05/03/2021. College service.
  • “Prioritizing Equity in Climate Resilience Planning,” Hinckley Institute of Politics, University of Utah (2021). Panelist, 01/10/2021 - 02/10/2021. College service.
  • International Relations Field Exam Committee . Chair, 01/01/2021 - 03/31/2021. Department service.
  • Economics Impacts, University of Utah Climate Resilience Report Committee . Subcommittee Member, 10/07/2020 - 04/30/2021. University service.
  • International Studies Program . Faculty Advisory Committee, 09/01/2020 - 07/31/2021. College service.
  • 5th Year Promotion and Tenure Subcommittee, Dept of Political Science . Chair, 07/01/2020 - 06/30/2021. Department service.
  • 3rd Year Promotion and Tenure Subcommittee, Dept of Political Science . Member, 07/01/2020 - 06/30/2021. Department service.
  • College of Behavioral and Social Science Representative, Global Change and Sustainability (GCSC) Executive Committee. GCSC Representative, 07/01/2019 - 06/30/2021. College service.
  • Betty Glad Committee. Review Committee, 03/07/2019 - 05/01/2019. Department service.
  • Go Learn - India. Country Team Leader, 01/01/2019 - 12/31/2020. University service.
  • “Generating Inequality,” The Great Polarization: Economics, Institutions and Policies in the Age of Inequality, Department of Economics, University of Utah. Moderator, 09/03/2018 - 09/07/2018. College service.
  • Panel on “European Politics and Security,” Hinckley Institute of Politics. Moderator, 03/14/2018 - 03/15/2018. College service.
  • CSBS Nominations Committee, GCSC First Year Fellowship . Committee Member, 02/01/2018 - 02/28/2018. College service.
  • International Relations Field Exam Committee. Committee Member, 01/01/2018 - 12/31/2020. Department service.
  • Faculty Advisory Committee, International Studies Program. Faculty Advisor, 01/01/2018 - 12/31/2019. University service.
  • International Relations Field Committee (2013-present). Committee Member, 01/01/2018 - 12/31/2019. Department service.
  • Executive Committee, Department of Political Science. Committee Member, 01/01/2018 - 12/31/2019. Department service.
  • Political Science Research Colloquial Committee. Committee Member, 01/01/2018 - 06/30/2018. Department service.
  • Political Science Research Colloquia Committee . Co-Chair, 07/01/2017 - 06/30/2018. Department service.
  • Society, Water, and Climate (SWC) Executive Committee . Committee Member, 03/01/2017 - 12/31/2018. College service.
  • Executive Committee, Department of Political Science . Member, 07/01/2016 - 07/01/2017. Department service.
  • Betty Glad Committee, Department of Political Science. Member, 03/15/2016 - 05/06/2016. Department service.
  • "Presidential Primaries Roundtable” Hinckley Institute of Politics . Discussant, 03/15/2016 - 03/31/2016. College service.
  • Strategic Hiring Committee . 01/01/2016 - 06/06/2016. Department service.
  • Society, Water, and Climate (SWC) Cluster Search Committee . Committee Member, 06/01/2015 - 06/01/2017. College service.
  • Teaching Sustainability Award (Wasatch Award). 06/01/2015 - 06/01/2016. University service.
  • Learning Abroad Directors Training Certification, University of Utah (2015). 05/13/2015 - present. College service.
  • Policy Solutions Challenge, “Water Policy Solutions in the United States,” Center for Public Policy and Administration, University of Utah. Judge, 04/01/2015 - 04/30/2015. College service.
  • Hinckley Journal of Politics. Editor, 08/2014 - 05/31/2016. University service.
  • Executive Committee, Department of Political Science. Member, 08/2014 - 07/2015. Department service.
  • Society, Water, and Climate (SWC) Research Cluster Search Committee. ENVST Director Subcommittee Member, 08/01/2014 - 04/15/2015. College service.
  • Program Committee, Center on Global Change and Sustainability . 07/2014 - 07/2015. Other service.
  • Discussant, “Reflexivity and World Politics,” University Of Utah. 03/25/2014 - 03/25/2014. Department service.
  • “Presentations and Job Talks” Professional Skills Development, Department of Political Science, University of Utah. Speaker, 03/01/2014 - 03/30/2014. Department service.
  • CSBS Dean’s Building Committee. Research Team, 02/01/2014 - 12/2014. College service.
  • Environmental and Sustainability Studies Program. Scholarship Committee, 01/2014 - 06/2016. College service.
  • Hinckley Journal of Politics. Faculty Editor, 01/2014 - 03/2014. Other service.
  • International Relations Comprehensive Exam Committee. Member, 11/01/2013 - present. Department service.
  • Environmental and Sustainability Studies Program. Executive Committee Member, 10/01/2013 - 06/30/2016. Other service.
  • "Sustainability Inquiry," University of Utah Sustainability Journal. Faculty Editorial Board, 10/01/2013 - 07/2014. University service.
  • “A Line in the Sand: Syria and US Foreign Policy,” Hinckley Institute of Politics, University of Utah. Panelist, 10/01/2013 - 10/31/2013. College service.
  • Political Science Research Colloquia Committee . 08/28/2013 - 06/30/2015. Department service.
  • International Relations Field Committee. Member, 08/01/2013 - present. Department service.

Honors & Awards

  • Teaching Sustainability. Wasatch Teaching Award, 10/01/2015
  • University of Utah Teaching Grant. University of Utah, 01/15/2014
  • Affiliates Dissertation Fellowship. UCSB Affiliates Foundation, 02/01/2013
  • Distinguished Teaching Award. University of Utah, 05/05/2022
  • Junior Faculty Teaching Award Nomination. University of Utah , 12/11/2019
  • Beacon of Excellence Nomination - Award is to recognize and celebrate the outstanding people, programs or projects who have helped make the University a Beacon of Excellence through their commitment to providing an exceptional student education. Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence, 07/01/2018
  • Junior Faculty Teaching Award Nomination. University of Utah, 11/25/2017

Affiliations

  • Earth System Governance Network (ESG), Research Fellow, 01/01/2016 - present
  • Scholars Strategy Network (SSN), Co-Chair, Utah Chapter, 07/15/2015 - present

In the Media