News from Denison University

For more information contact: Barbara Stambaugh, media relations, 740-587-8575 or 740-390-0831. E-mail stambaughb@denison.edu

Media Advisory: Denison University Expert on Republic of Georgia-Russia Conflict

GRANVILLE, OH (08/12/2008; 1206)(readMedia)-- Sue Davis, a Denison University associate professor of political science and recognized expert on Georgia-Russia relations, is available for interviews. She has spent significant time inside the Republic of Georgia and is consulted by U.S. government agencies.

In short, Davis says, the historical context of this conflict includes subterfuge, injured pride, money, oil reserves, political credibility, and the general disorder of the initial post-Soviet era, but a detailed understnding involves more specific questions:

• Why did Saakashvili “poke the bear” by antagonizing Russia?
• How have Saakashvili’s close relationships with President Bush, President Sarkozy and Senator McCain impacted recent events?
• How have Russia’s oil revenues affected its relationship with Georgia?
• What are the roots of South Ossetian separatism?
• Is all of this part of a Putin-Medvedev power struggle?
p>Davis can answer these questions and offer deeper insight into the situation. Her extensive study of Georgia and Russia--their relationships with each other and with the rest of the world--combined with her extraordinary teaching and communication skills, enables her to articulate what's going on...and what could happen next.

Davis joined the Denison faculty in 2002, holding a doctorate from Emory University. She has published two books and a number of articles on Russiaand the Caucasus.

To arrange an interview, contact Barbara Stambaugh, media relations, at 740-587-8575 or 740-390-0831. E-mail stambaughb@denison.edu.

For more information about Dr. Sue Davis, go to http://www.denison.edu/academics/departments/politicalscience/sue_davis.html

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Ganville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in research, civic engagement, and the cultivation of independent thinking.

-30-