Dr. George Watson is a Parents Association professor of political science in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. Coming to ASU in 1969 from Duke University, he served his first twenty-five years in the Department of Political Science before coming to the Cronkite School to teach statistics, research methods and media and politics—courses that have regularly been offered as part of ASU's distance learning instructional television and Web-based curriculum. Professor Watson has co-authored texts in research methods and in statistics, as well as a <A HREF="http://rodan.asu.edu/~george/shaping.html" TARGET="main">book on the politics of appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court.</a> He has consulted with staff in the United States Senate and the Congressional Research Service regarding the appointment process and maintains this Web site on the topic.

For much of the time between 1986 to 1997, Professor Watson served as director of what is now ASU's Center for Learning and Teaching Excellence. during that time he helped establish the Consortium for Instructional Innovation, ASU's Rookie Camp for new faculty, and Arizona's Wakonse Teaching Fellowship. He is a past president of the International Society for Teaching and Learning Excellence and a charter member of ASU's Distinguished Teaching Academy.

Professor Watson has also been active in faculty governance issues, serving as president of ASU’s faculty assembly for the 2002-2003 academic year and of the Downtown Phoenix Campus in 2007-08. He was the 2007-08 chair of the Arizona Faculty Council, the representative body of Arizona's state universities to the Arizona Board of Regents. Retiring from this 39-year career at ASU, Professor Watson now splits his time between homes in Oregon and Arizona.

George Watson
Parents Association Professor Emeritus
Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Telecommunication
Arizona State University
Phoenix, Arizona 85004
(602) 496-5555
g.watson@asu.edu