Richard C. Kearney retired as professor of political science and public administration at North Carolina State University. His career also included lengthy teaching, research and administrative responsibilities at East Carolina University, the University of Connecticut and the University of South Carolina. Dr. Kearney's research interests include comparative state politics and policy, labor relations and human resource management policy, and he has published prolifically on these and related topics. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma. He lives in Raleigh and Beaufort, North Carolina.