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is not yet present. The // classes are added to so styling immediately reflects the current // toolbar state. The classes are removed after the toolbar completes // initialization. const classesToAdd = ['toolbar-loading', 'toolbar-anti-flicker']; if (toolbarState) { const { orientation, hasActiveTab, isFixed, activeTray, activeTabId, isOriented, userButtonMinWidth } = toolbarState; classesToAdd.push( orientation ? `toolbar-` + orientation + `` : 'toolbar-horizontal', ); if (hasActiveTab !== false) { classesToAdd.push('toolbar-tray-open'); } if (isFixed) { classesToAdd.push('toolbar-fixed'); } if (isOriented) { classesToAdd.push('toolbar-oriented'); } if (activeTray) { // These styles are added so the active tab/tray styles are present // immediately instead of "flickering" on as the toolbar initializes. In // instances where a tray is lazy loaded, these styles facilitate the // lazy loaded tray appearing gracefully and without reflow. const styleContent = ` .toolbar-loading #` + activeTabId + ` { background-image: linear-gradient(rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) 20%, transparent 200%); } .toolbar-loading #` + activeTabId + `-tray { display: block; box-shadow: -1px 0 5px 2px rgb(0 0 0 / 33%); border-right: 1px solid #aaa; background-color: #f5f5f5; z-index: 0; } .toolbar-loading.toolbar-vertical.toolbar-tray-open #` + activeTabId + `-tray { width: 15rem; height: 100vh; } .toolbar-loading.toolbar-horizontal :not(#` + activeTray + `) > .toolbar-lining {opacity: 0}`; const style = document.createElement('style'); style.textContent = styleContent; style.setAttribute('data-toolbar-anti-flicker-loading', true); document.querySelector('head').appendChild(style); if (userButtonMinWidth) { const userButtonStyle = document.createElement('style'); userButtonStyle.textContent = `#toolbar-item-user {min-width: ` + userButtonMinWidth +`px;}` document.querySelector('head').appendChild(userButtonStyle); } } } document.querySelector('html').classList.add(...classesToAdd); })(); Joel H. Westra | °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼×ÊÁÏ

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Dr. Joel H. Westra

Department Chair, Professor, Director, Pre-Law Program
Politics and Economics
Pre-Law

Biography

I grew up in various rural communities within the central United States as the son of a church pastor. Wanting to experience something bigger, I attended the University of Houston, where I received my B.A. in political science in 1998. After briefly considering law school, I went on to study international relations at The University of Chicago and received my Ph.D. in 2004. I joined the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼×ÊÁÏ faculty in 2007 and have served as Pre-Law Advisor since 2008.

Outside of academia, I enjoy traveling, cooking, and dining out with my family, playing the piano, working out, and renovating our Prairie Style home in East Grand Rapids.

Education

  • B.A., Political Science, University of Houston
  • M.A., Social Sciences, The University of Chicago
  • Ph.D. Political Science, The University of Chicago

Professional Experience

  • Professor of Politics (2024–present)
  • Associate Professor of Politics, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼×ÊÁÏ (2012–2024)
  • Assistant Professor of Politics, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼×ÊÁÏ (2007–12)
  • Post-Doctoral Fellow, John G. Tower Center for Political Studies, Southern Methodist University (2005–07)
  • Visiting Lecturer, Committee on International Relations, The University of Chicago (2004– 05)

Academic Interests

My teaching and research interests include international organizations and law, international security, international relations theory, and US foreign policy. My research focuses on multilateral and regional security institutions as instruments of international order, specifically on questions pertaining to institutional design and to mechanisms of legitimation and restraint on the use of armed force within the international system.

Awards

  • °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼×ÊÁÏ Advising and Mentoring Award (2019)

Publications

The Role of Bargaining in the Ongoing Process of Institutional Design

International Law and Foreign Policy Decision-Making

Review of Stefano Recchia, "Reassuring the Reluctant Warriors: U.S. Civil-Military Relations and Multilateral Intervention."

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International Law and the Use of Armed Force First Edition

Cumulative Legitimation, Prudential Restraint, and the Maintenance of International Order: A Reexamination of the UN Charter System

Research and Scholarship

Power Politics in the Global Commons: Institutional Design and Function of the Law of the Sea Treaties

Institutional Architecture of the Postwar International Security Order: Global Security Governance in a Changing World

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<p>In seeking to explain variation in observed institutional design, Prof. Westra has involved undergraduate student research assistants in a multiyear research project collecting and analyzing both qualitative and quantitative data.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Summer 2012: James Randall (McGregor program)</p>
<p>Fall 2012: Alexander Tyan (Honors project/CSR)</p>
<p>Summer 2013: Greg Kim (McGregor program)</p>
<p>Summer 2014: Jisoo Kim (McGregor program)</p>
<p>Summer 2015: Ha Young Bahng (McGregor program)</p>
<p>Fall 2015: Abuoma Nwadike (Honors project); Seung Yong Lee (CSR)</p>
<p>Summer 2016: Isaac LaGrand (McGregor program)</p>
<p>Spring 2017: Edgar Aguilar (Alumni Grant)</p>
<p>Summer 2017: Matt Seafield (McGregor program)</p>
<p>Summer 2018: Kelly Looman (Honors project/McGregor program); Daniela Pereira (Honors project/McGregor program)</p>
<p></p>
</div>
Joel Westra

Contact Me

526-6727
365 Hiemenga Hall
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