Frank Thames is Professor of Political Science at Texas Tech University. Dr. Thames received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in 2000 and joined the Texas Tech faculty in 2002. His current research focuses on legislative behavior in post-communist legislatures, the economic effects of electoral systems, and gender. His journal articles have appeared in Communist and Post-Communist Studies,Demokratizatsiya, Europe-Asia Studies, Social Science Quarterly, Politics & Gender, Comparative Politics, and Comparative Political Studies.  He co-authored  Contagious Representation:  An Examination of Women's Representation in Democratic Political Systems, with Margaret Williams.  He teaches undergraduate courses on Comparative Politics, Gender, and Russian Politics. He teaches graduate courses on Comparative Politics, Legislatures, and Gender.