Spinner-Halev named Abbey Fellow

Jeff Spinner-Halev (photo by Dan Sears)

Jeff Spinner-Halev, Kenan Eminent Professor of Political Science, has been named an Abbey Fellow.

Abbey Fellows are appointed for three-year terms in five of the largest majors in the College of Arts and Sciences: biology, English and comparative literature, history, political science and psychology. They provide critical links between their departments and the Academic Advising Program. They serve as leaders, mentors and advocates to link academic advising to the overall teaching and learning experience. Abbey Fellows strengthen faculty presence in the advising process and help cultivate the learning experience for undergraduates both inside and outside the classroom.

Spinner-Halev teaches political theory. He received his B.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. Between degrees, he spent two years in Washington, D.C., working for Citizens for Tax Justice, a small public interest group. Before coming to Carolina in 2005, Spinner-Halev was on faculty at the University of Nebraska.

As an Abbey Fellow, Spinner-Halev is developing ways for political science majors to engage more with campus and contemporary political issues and to engage more with one another. He is setting up movie nights, showing different political films; helping to plan student-led roundtables on campus issues; and planning faculty-led events to discuss current political issues.

Nancy ’74 and Douglas Abbey of San Francisco gave a gift to the College in 2004 to establish The Abbey Fellows Program.

Spinner-Halev joins Florence Dore in the department of English and comparative literature, Elaine Yeh in the department of biology, Kathleen DuVal in the department of history and Elizabeth Jordan in the department of psychology as fellows. Read more about past and present Abbey Fellows. Former Abbey Fellows become a part of the Academy of Abbey Fellows at the end of their term.