Robert Watson, B.S., M.P.A., Ph.D.

Coordinator, American Studies
Professor, American Studies
Robert Watson, B.S., M.P.A., Ph.D.

Basic Information

Contact Information
Phone: 561-237-7432
Fax: 561-237-7216
Office Location
Freiburger Residence Hall
Lynn University
3601 N. Military Trail
Boca Raton, FL 33431

Professional Profile

Robert Watson is a professor, author, media commentator and community activist who joined the faculty of Lynn in 2007 after spending 15 years teaching at other universities around the country. He has published more than 30 books and hundreds of scholarly articles, book chapters, encyclopedia essays and newspaper columns. Watson has co-convened a half-dozen national conferences on the American presidency, moderated political debates and forums and delivered more than one thousand keynote addresses, town hall programs on current issues and lectures to civic, professional and community groups. His work in the community also includes founding and directing Think Act Lead, a non-profit think tank established as a free community service and dedicated to civic education and political reform.

A frequent media commentator, Watson has been interviewed thousands of times by local, national and international television, radio, print and online outlets including CNN, MSNBC, “Time,” “USA Today,” “The New York Times,” the BBC and others, and has appeared on C-SPAN’s “Book TV,” “Hardball with Chris Matthews,” “The Daily Show with John Stewart,” CNN’s “Inside Politics with Judy Woodruff,” Fox’s “Special Report with Brit Hume” and more.

Professionally, he serves or has served on the boards of several scholarly journals, academic associations and community foundations, as well as with the Harry Truman Foundation, the Calvin Coolidge Memorial Foundation and the George McGovern Library and Center for Public Service. He is the founding editor of the journal “White House Studies” and both directs and edits the “Report to the First Lady,” which is presented to the First Lady and White House every four years after the Inauguration. Watson also serves as the official political analyst for WPTV Channel 5 (NBC), WIOD 610 News Radio and WFTL 850 Talk Radio, offers a weekly political roundup for WBZT 1230 on Clear Channel and writes a regular column on politics for the South Florida “Sun-Sentinel.”

Education
  • B.S., Virginia Tech
  • M.P.A., University of West Florida
  • Ph.D., Florida Atlantic University
Teaching Philosophy
Teaching is both an honor and a great responsibility, and I could not imagine doing anything else for a living. I believe students learn best when the experience is both fun and collaborative, and thus I have never been shy about sharing my passion for politics, history and community service with my students or requiring active participation in the classroom. After all, if we instill in students the joy of learning and a hunger for discovery, they will teach themselves for a lifetime, and the journey will make them better citizens, neighbors, consumers and family members. There are essentially four facets that define my approach to teaching: (1) to provide students with a conceptual framework for understanding the topic at hand; (2) to ask students to seek out the lessons of history and interrelationships that impact most public issues and problems; (3) to stress critical thinking through role-playing, debate and lively class discussions; and (4) to compliment lectures and readings with experiential and community-based learning activities.
Teaching Specialties
  • American politics and government
  • American history
  • American presidency and Congress
  • Campaigns/elections and media politics
  • Race and gender issues
  • Environmental politics and history
Areas of Scholarship and Professional Practice
  • American presidency
  • First ladies
  • American government
  • Campaigns and elections
  • Environmental policy
  • U.S. national security and terrorism
  • Women and leadership
  • Public administration
Awards/Honors

For his work, Robert Watson has won numerous awards, including the “International Abraham Lincoln Award” for contributions to the study of the presidency, the “Children’s Hero Award” for the many civic programs he offers schools, the League of Women Voters' “Good Government Award,” and various teaching honors by the Pi Sigma Alpha Honor Society, Golden Key International Honor Society, and others, as well as such campus awards as  Lynn University's “Outstanding Professor of the Year,” “Distinguished Professor of the Year” and the “Faculty Service Award” at other universities prior to joining Lynn’s faculty. He was also named the South Florida Business Journal’s “Heavy Hitter in Education,” has received meritorious honors from the University of Florida, Brandeis University, the American Association of State and Local History, the Western Social Science Association, and others, and has been inducted into two sports halls of fame.

Watson has been selected as a visiting fellow or scholar-in-residence with universities, historic sites, presidential libraries, and synagogues around the country and several of his books are in international translation and/or have been nominated for awards with such organizations as the American Historical Association, American Political Science Association, and the Social Science History Association.

Curriculum Vitae

WatsonR201005.pdf — PDF document, 143Kb
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