PLIR 1010; Fall 2024; Instructor of record: Peter A. Furia

International relations (IR) traditionally refers to the study of conflict and cooperation among sovereign states, with a particular emphasis on the military behavior of great powers. In recent decades, however, the majority of the world’s wars have been civil wars, and IR scholars have become increasingly interested in non-military issues like inequality, migration, climate change and international law. Our course reflects these developments in the field and combines mostly humanistic readings with mostly social-scientific assignments.

PLIR 3080; Spring 2025; Instructor of Record: Todd S. Sechser

Nuclear weapons are an old technology, yet they continue to command outsized attention in international politics. This course explores the role of nuclear weapons in U.S. foreign policy, the foreign policies of other countries, and in international relations more generally. It aims to help students understand why countries pursue (or do not pursue) nuclear weapons, what they try to do with those weapons, and how to think through problems of nuclear strategy.

From Introduction to International Relations (Fall 2024); complete student survey here.

• “Luke was probably the best TA I have had at my time at UVA. He was very knowledgeable on a wide range of subject matters, which allowed him to effectively answer any questions the class may have had. He effectively commanded the classroom, allowing all students to be engaged and participate in the class discussion which really contributed to our success in the course.”

• “He would encourage open discussions and truly wanted us to express how we felt and that enabled us to explore different perspectives in international politics. He consistently provided many different perspectives for one particular subject in our discussion sections which made it a safe and open space for dialogue that enriched all of our understandings. His knowledge was something the participants would often praise. You would present an idea and he immediately knew what idea, theory, or dialogue it was related to and asked questions to deepen our understanding.”

• “Luke gave us very good feedback to help us on future assignments. Luke is extremely smart, brilliant I'd say, and I am honestly so glad to have been able to work with him and gain knowledge from his intelligent brain.”

• “Luke Schumacher was extremely personable and fostered a safe space to ask questions. His feedback was actionable, which helped students improve on each assignment. His knowledge and method of presenting it was extremely digestible and rich. I had a great experience this semester with him and his contributions and insights have made my experience in the course!”

• “This discussion would not have been the same without Luke and I can tell how passionate he is about teaching us about international relations. He is extremely knowledgeable and it was great to work with him.”

• “Luke Schumacher's ability to connect concepts with practical examples helped deepen my comprehension and application of the material. I greatly appreciated how he went out of his way to be accessible for questions and ensured everyone was supported. He created a highly productive learning environment. My experience in this course would not have been complete with his insight!”

• “The learning activities facilitated by Luke Schumacher greatly contributed to my understanding of the course material. He consistently clarified complex topics, encouraged thoughtful discussion, and provided detailed, actionable feedback.”

• “Elite section – Thanks for being awesome.”

• “Luke is just wonderful.”

• “I suppose since everyone has different backgrounds when it comes to international relations and the topic we discussed in class, some topics may be sensitive, I clearly remember saying something wrong in class but the instructor was really helpful in rounding it up so the comment didn't offend anyone.”

• “Luke always made sure to be respectful when discussing international relations topics and created a safe environment in which students felt comfortable discussing difficult issues.”

• “He was open do all political perspectives and taught in a non-partisan manner.”

• “Luke welcomed all views and entertained any question or comment.”

• “He was very understanding of what was said in discussion. He'd also bring in counterpoints to what we were discussing for us to see different perspectives.”

• “Luke was a great TA who helped me understand the backgrounds of IR first when I was having trouble. He also provided very good discussion questions for the class to talk about during discussion section to make it productive. I appreciate the work he's done and I hope to have him again.”

• “He is great! Very knowledgeable about the topics.”

• “Luke was a great and knowledgeable resource.”

• “It was great. I didn't dislike anything about the way it was structured or the things we were required to do.”