Two West Virginia University political science professors are available to comment on todays (Nov. 8) announcement by President Bush that U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is stepping down from his post at the Pentagon after six years. The President also introduced Robert Gates as his nominee to replace Rumsfeld. Gates, a former CIA chief, was a member of the Baker commission that is making recommendations to Bush on how to proceed in Iraq.

Joe Hagan and Neil Berch, both professors in the Eberly College of Arts and SciencesDepartment of Political Science, also can provide analysis of Tuesdays (Nov. 7) election results on both the state and national level.

Hagan is the chair of WVU s Political Science Department and serves as the director of the International Studies Program. He is an expert in foreign policy/ international relations, and teaches classes on the politics of war and peace and comparative foreign policy analysis.

Hagan can be reached at joe.hagan@mail.wvu.edu , 304-293-3811, ext. 5283, or 304-599-2043.

Berch has extensive knowledge of state and local politics, economic policy, and economic models of politics.

He can be reached at neil.berch@mail.wvu.edu , 304-293-3811, ext. 5290, or 412-445-3957.