Alumni Story and New Professor: Meet Seth Brake
Posted Jun 29, 2026
Seth Brake disproves the adage that you “can’t come home again.” After graduating with a Political Science degree in 2014, Seth sought a Ph.D. in Political Science at the University of South Carolina. Then, after Greg Ryan left Union, Seth rejoined the Union community in 2022 as a Visiting Professor of Political Science. He has been a great addition to Union as a teacher, colleague, and debate team coach. To learn more about Seth’s time at Union, teaching philosophy, research interests, interests in debate, personal life, and more, please click here.
SE: You graduated from Union as a political major in 2014. What is your best memory of your time here?
That is such a hard question. The classes and hard discussions probably changed me the most. Close runners-up might be the mentorship from faculty, long debate trips, the close friendships that I still maintain... but maybe the thing that I found myself thinking about and missing most was the environment of learning: Being surrounded by a group of people who were working through the same tough questions I was, and seemed willing to talk them through with me for hours on end. In particular, I think about the group of friends and me who used to park out in Cobo for hours after our international relations classes to argue about the implications of what we had been taught.
SE: What has it been like transitioning from a student back to a professor at your alma mater? Has it been easy or difficult? What is the highlight of the transition? What has been your biggest challenge?
I never thought I would end up back here, to be honest. My experience at Union convinced me that I wanted to be at an institution like Union, but I started to think that maybe such a place didn't exist. Coming back here was a relief in some ways: The students, culture, and environment are very close to my memory. Of course, I'm not here in the same way I was before, and that's a good thing. I'll never be able to re-experience the UU community as a student. The strangest and most difficult part of the transition was trying to convince myself that I was worthy of the office, the classroom, the trust. The UU political science department is a special place. I feel the weight of that responsibility. It took me a few months to experience that weight as a joyful calling, which I now do. The highlight of the transition was the first time I saw a student go through the same "aha!" moment in a class discussion that I once did. It gave me confidence in the continuity of what we do here, and joy that the same good process can continue, and that I can help make it happen.
SE: Students tell me they love taking your classes. What about your teaching philosophy or style do you think appeals to students?
I'm glad to hear that! Sometimes I worry that I go a little too hard on them. The Greek playwright Aeschylus wrote in Agamemnon:
"Zeus, who guided men to think,
who has laid it down that wisdom
comes alone through suffering."
He goes a little too far, but the idea is still true: In political science, there are some concepts that you cannot learn unless you have suffered over them. The hard dilemmas of the tragedy of the commons do not make sense unless you have tried to organize a group of people to preserve something. The unpleasant truths of international anarchy do not seem valid until you have had to strive in anarchy against others. In my classes, I make students work out the theories as they learn them. This means we do lots of simulations, but it also means that if students are clearly processing something in class, I am not above derailing a whole class period to help tease out that day's suffering and try to turn it into wisdom.
SE: I know it is hard to pick a favorite class to teach, but which class do you really enjoy teaching, and why?
It isn't hard! My favorite class is International Relations. My second favorite is comparative politics. I love teaching introductory survey classes because that's when I get to hand the keys to understanding to students. The upper-level classes are great; I enjoy watching the students learn to turn those keys to open all sorts of doors, but the most rewarding part for me is when a student transitions from being a typical college student to a political science student, and that happens in IR and CP.
SE: You are completing your dissertation. Briefly explain your topic, its importance, and your results.
I am fascinated by alliances. I have always been interested in how states choose and maintain partnerships in the world. But when you have deep asymmetry in an alliance (a very powerful state and a much weaker state), you get some of the most fascinating dynamics. I'm studying how domestic political factors change negotiation dynamics in asymmetric alliances. Sometimes, for example, an ally of the United States tries to buck the system by threatening to stop working with the US and start working with a rival. Nobody really believes these threats, but they still make them. Do the people in those countries understand that it's a scheme to get better treatment? Is there a level of upsetting the apple cart that goes too far for people? To get at these questions, I have conducted a series of surveys, and what I have learned is that people in the more powerful state pay little attention, while people in the weaker state are highly suspicious of any attempts to renegotiate. This leads to a fascinating asymmetry, not just in power but also in attention, with implications for how these negotiations are conducted.
SE: You wear two hats at Union: political science professor and director of debate. What do you love about debate that leads you to want to lead the debate team? What do you want debaters leaving Union to look like or remember about their experience?
The reason I agreed to coach the debate team here at Union is partly because of how strongly I believe in debate as a way to grow in character and knowledge, but more importantly, because of how strongly I believe in UU debate in particular. The UU debate team, both when I was a member and now, specializes in ethical, wise, and character-driven persuasion. We don't treat the truth as a tool to be distorted for our gain. We treat a debate topic like a lawyer treats his client: Justice demands that even a clearly guilty defendant get the best representation possible. Truth demands that even a lopsided resolution get the best defense possible. Because of this approach to debate that combines a love of truth with the sharpening edge of competition, the community of the UU debate team is one of the most edifying and challenging academic environments in which a student can find themselves. If I could help keep that flame burning, I would be delighted to do so. And the current team has not disappointed me: They are every bit the truth-seeking community of high character and love for their neighbor that I remembered, and more. It is a privilege to work alongside them.
SE: The Political Science Department stands out at Union for its unique commitment to interdisciplinary interactions. I am part of the first interfaculty marriage in Union history. Sharon, a nursing professor, and I met in 2007 and married in 2009. You are part of the second interfaculty marriage in Union history. Tell us a little about how you met Kayla Kemp, a sociology professor, and fell in love.
Professor Kemp moved into the office down the hall a few months ago, and we were both at the same stage in our dissertation work, so we began to talk and help each other stay focused and make progress. Of course, we were from "two households, both alike in dignity," being from political science and sociology, and we had to overcome many "ancient grudges" of methodological and theoretical disagreements to avoid becoming "star-cross'd lovers." Very quickly, we realized we were very alike, not just in our approach to education and teaching, but also in the most important matters of life. Her love for Jesus and his Church inspired me to want to know her better, and I noticed that the late nights in the office grading, writing, and organizing debates started to seem less burdensome, knowing she might pop in from down the hall. I ended up helping her think through the challenges of AI in the classroom; she started helping me plan a debate (and even offered to judge). After the Fall semester ended, she made the first move and asked me out for coffee. We ended up talking for five hours. After Christmas break, we went on a few more dates, and things progressed quickly. We got married last November.
SE: If you could tell alumni anything you wanted about teaching at Union, what would it be?
I couldn't believe how much it was still the same place it was back in 2010: the community seeking truth, the professors sacrificing time and careers, the students making the same stupid mistakes and learning the same joyful lessons from them, and so much more. Union is a special place, and I am honored to help it continue into the future. If you find yourself in Jackson, you should stop by the PAC J-hallway and see for yourself.
