Arlen Specter Center Research Fellows- Initial Presentations

Raju Parakkal, PhD
Associate Professor of International Relations, College of Humanities and Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University - East Falls Campus, Philadelphia, PA
TOPIC- Antitrust and American Sports Leagues, Lesson for Antitrust Action against Big Tech
Dr. Parakkal's research interests in antitrust law and policy include an examination of the challenges posed by Big Tech—large technology and internet firms such as Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon to market competition, consumer choice, and social welfare. Dr. Parakkal’s research here focuses on Senator Specter, who as a member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, investigated antitrust concerns in the sports industry. Dr. Parakkal’s paper analyzes how Specter’s findings can be applied to the current antitrust proceedings against Big Tech.

Gabriel C. Kelly, Ph.D. Candidate in Political Science at George Washington University
TOPIC-Crafting US Foreign Policy Towards China Through Congress
Mr. Kelly examines how Arlen Specter’s policy of Senatorial international diplomacy practiced throughout his visits to China and his relationships with essential Chinese representatives helped define U.S. foreign policy towards the People's Republic of China

Mitchell Topf, Masters Degree Candidate, Youngstown State University, Youngstown OH
TOPIC-Arlen Specter in the Middle East: The Peace Process Through the eyes of a Pennsylvania Senator
Mr.Topf's research focuses on Senator Arlen Specter's significant personal involvement in Middle Eastern diplomacy, which grew out of the Senator's membership on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Mr. Topf will analyze the efficacy of Specter's diplomacy conducted throughout his many trips to the region to meet with leaders such as Hafez al-Assad of Syria, Yassar Arafat of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, and Hosni Mubarak of Egypt.