Faculty Spotlight: Eric Budd

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Eric N. Budd, Ph.D headshot

Eric N. Budd, Ph.D, was born and raised in Arlington, Massachusetts and describes himself as “political from the start”. Both of his parents were very politically-conscious people who were continuously involved in civil rights issues and volunteerism. As a child, he remembers being engrossed in the infamous Watergate scandal, and his interest in politics only grew from there. In college, he originally wanted to become a lawyer, but then decided to focus on political science instead, along with the study of developing countries and international conflict resolution. In 1993, he graduated with his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Chicago, and began his career as an educator soon after. 

In 1994, Eric was hired on as a visiting professor at Fitchburg State University. Since then, he has become a Professor of Political Science, and even served as chair of the Economics, History & Political Science Department.  He teaches a variety of courses including Global Issues, Introduction to Peace Studies, and Dilemmas of Peace and War. He loves the different subjects he teaches, and he also enjoys connecting with his students. 

Along with teaching, Eric dedicates a great deal of time to researching and writing, with his favorite research topics including developing countries, challenges for democracy, and conflict resolution like that of that Israeli-Palestian conflict. After 10 years at FSU, Eric published his very first book in 2004 entitled Democratization, Development and the Patrimonial State in the Age of Globalization.

Conflicted are the Peacemakers: Israeli and Palestinian Moderates and the Death of Oslo book cover

In 2013, he launched his second book Conflicted are the Peacemakers: Israeli and Palestinian Moderates and the Death of Oslo. Currently, Eric is working on his third book, Reimagining the Post-Conflict State: History, Memory, National Narratives, and Barriers to Reconciliation, with an anticipated publication date of 2023. This work focuses on what happens after conflict ends, build relationships, and rethink stories about conflict. 

Eric resides in Holden, MA with his wife Pureza, their two children and pets. In his free time, he enjoys running, watching movies and traveling. Be sure to check out our display with copies of Dr. Budd's books, located at front of the large bookcase at the Library entrance.