Dr. William Nichols is the Chair of the Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Global Studies and Political Science. As a Professor of Political Science, Dr. Nichols is very active in global initiatives on the St. Edward's campus and abroad.
Originally from Ames, Iowa, Dr. Nichols moved to Austin in the mid-1980s to pursue a doctoral degree in Government (Political Science) at the University of Texas at Austin. After teaching at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, and the University of Texas-Austin, he joined the St. Edward's faculty in 1999. He has taught a variety of courses through the years focusing in particular on International Relations, Comparative Politics, European Politics, American Foreign Relations, Strategic Intelligence and the Senior Research Seminar. As a strong proponent of international education, Dr. Nichols has led 12 study abroad programs to such locales as Sevilla, Spain, Angers, France, and the Ritsumeikan Asia-Pacific University in Beppu, Japan. He has also taught at APU in 2020, 2022 and 2023. He is the coordinator for the St. Edward's University-Asia Pacific University Dual Degree program in Global Studies and Political Science. Dr. Nichols continues to conduct research on Spanish politics and foreign relations and has collaborated with advanced undergraduate students who have presented their projects at national political science conferences.
Visiting Professor, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, 2020 and 2022
Lecturer, The University of Texas at Austin, 1995-1999
Visiting Assistant Professor, Southwestern University, 1995-1997
Ph.D. Government, The University of Texas at Austin, 1994
M.A. The Elliot School of International Affairs, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C., 1985
B.A. Spanish and Journalism, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 1979