Lois Oppenheim

Dr. Lois Hecht Oppenheim is Professor Emerita of Politics and Global Studies at American Jewish University, where she taught for over twenty-five years (1991-2016). Prior to coming to AJU, Dr. Oppenheim was a Political Science professor at Whittier College (1976-1991). Her expertise is in comparative and global politics, with a focus on less developed countries, especially Latin America. Her country specialty, Chile, began when she did field research there during the presidency and military overthrow of Salvador Allende in the early 1970s. She has since traveled to and lived in Chile for extended periods of time, and has written three editions of her award-winning book, Politics in Chile. Her special interests also include democracy and democratization, women in politics, and the politics of food. She has held numerous awards and research grants, including two Fulbrights.