Faculty

Dr. Mobley joined the Department of History and Political Science at Bethany in the fall of 2018. A native of Brunswick, Ga., she earned her B.A. in political science with a minor in classical studies from the University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn., in 2010 and then completed her Ph.D. in political science at the University of Georgia in 2015. After finishing graduate school, she taught at Wabash College in Indiana and Pittsburg State University in Kansas before moving to Bethany.

Dr. Mobley became interested in politics in middle school because of a confluence of an interest in social justice, the debut of the television show “The West Wing,” and participation in Model United Nations. All three continued through high school, and her interest was nurtured by particularly strong social studies teachers.

She left for college with a plan for majoring in political science and a vague idea of becoming a diplomat. While studying abroad in Cameroon during the spring semester of her junior year, she realized that her dream job would actually be teaching undergraduates and hopefully paying forward the positive impact that her teachers and professors had had on her.

Education
Ph.D., The University of Georgia (Athens, Ga), 2015
B.A., The University of the South (Sewanee, Tenn.), 2010

Areas of Passion & Research
Dr. Mobley’s teaching and research interests broadly concern international relations, with specific focus on ethics during and after conflict. For instance, her article in The Journal of Military Ethics analyzes the motivations behind the maintenance of the Dover ban in the United States and the failure of other states to institute similar policies. In the classroom, she challenges her students to consider multiple explanations and implications of political decisions through lively conversations and activities. For more information regarding some of her pedagogical techniques and research, see her articles regarding kinesthetic learning and the use of pop culture in the classroom.

Personal interests
Traveling, hiking, concert-going, and cooking

Favorite Quote, Book, or Movie … Why?
President Bartlet: We meant ‘stronger’ here, right?
Sam Seaborn: What’s it say?
President Bartlet:I’m proud to report our country’s stranger than it was a year ago.
Sam Seaborn: That’s a typo.
President Bartlet: Could go either way.
“The West Wing,” Season 1, episode 12 (He Shall, from Time to Time)

Fun facts
As of 2019, Dr. Mobley has traveled to 10 countries and five continents.

Recent Publications
Mobley, Kayce and Sarah Fisher. 2019. Political Scientists in Polite Company: Talking Politics with Family Members. Journal of Political Science Education 15(3): 399-405. DOI: 10.1080/15512169.2018.1509006.
Botello-Samson, Darren and Kayce Mobley. 2018. Big Brother Ltd. Chapter 6. 1984 and Philosophy. Eds. Ezio Di Nucci and Stefan Storrie. Philosophy and Popular Culture Series. Chicago: Open Court Publishing Company. 59-69.
Mobley, Kayce. 2016. Hiding Death: Contextualizing the Dover Ban. The Journal of Military Ethics 15(2): 122-142. DOI: 10.1080/15027570.2016.1209333.
Mobley, Kayce and Sarah Fisher. 2015. Field Guide to Teaching Agency & Ethics: The West Wing & American Foreign Policy. Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy 2(1).
Mobley, Kayce and Sarah Fisher. 2014. Ditching the Desks: Kinesthetic Learning in College Classrooms.The Social Studies 105(6): 301-309. DOI: 10.1080/00377996.2014.951471.

Alumni Connections
Dr. Mobley’s sister majored in mathematics at Berry College and studied under Dr. Eric McDowell, a Bethany alum.