Adam Irish, PhD

Professor Adam Irish is a graduate of the University of Michigan (B.A.) and the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (M.A. & Ph.D.). Between degrees he served in Teach For America at a Title I school in Las Vegas, Nevada teaching 5th grade for two years.
 
While completing his doctorate, Professor Irish earned several teaching accolades, culminating in the 2011 Campus Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award. Prior to arriving in Chico, he spent two years as a Mellon Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow at Wheaton College (MA) and one year at Georgetown University teaching advanced courses in international law.
 
Professor Irish’s research focuses on the obstacles countries face when trying to cooperate - specifically how democracy and party politics affect the creation and use of international law and international organizations. Professor Irish also conducts pedagogical research, often co-authoring with graduate students.
 
Since 2016, Professor Irish has been the faculty adviser to the Chico State chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the Political Science honor society. Between 2016-2020, Chico State’s chapter was recognized as one of the 16 "Best Chapters" out of over 600 chapters nationally! Recently, Chico State’s chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha earned the Outstanding Student Organization Award and the Event of the Year Award. In 2020, Professor Irish has received the Myles Tracy Outstanding Student Organization Advisor Award.

Professor Irish is a die-hard fan of D&D and other tabletop role playing games (RPGs). He GMs two weekly home games as well as multiple one-shot and short-arc games in the broader Chico gaming community. Professor Irish also hosts a YouTube Channel - Mad Mage Crafting – about building epic RPGs.