Dr. Carolyn (Rowley) Shaw is a 1988 gold cord graduate of East High School. Since her graduation she has dedicated her life to academia and international relations.  Following high school she attended Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA where she graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1991 with a BA in Political Science.  She received a PhD in Government with an emphasis in international politics in 2000 from the University of Texas, Austin.  In 2011, she was a Fulbright Scholar, studying for six months at the Marie Curie University in Lubin, Poland.

Currently she is Professor of Political Science and Department Chair at Wichita State University.  Her specialty is with the Organization of American States, with emphasis on international organizations, peacekeeping and the protection of human rights.  She has been a panelist and speaker, presenting papers in more than 25 countries.  She has published one book, seven book chapters and 23 professional articles.

She was the sole representative from the United States to the World Bank Symposium in Ethiopia.  She serves as faculty advisor to the Model United Nations Team at WSU and has taken students to conferences in St. Louis, Chicago, New York, the Galapagos Islands and Antalya, Turkey.  Her contributions have not been limited to the academic world. She is a lay leader (Clerk of Session) of her church in Wichita and for many years has been a Girl Scout leader.

She has been married to David for 25 years. They have two children, Adam and Delaney.