David P. Forsythe is University Professor and Charles J. Mach Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Emeritus, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA. Educated at Wake Forest (BA) and Princeton (MA, PHD) Universities, he joined the faculty at UNL in 1973.

Between 1993 and 1998, Dr. Forsythe Served as the Chair of the Department of Political Science. In 1997, he became the founding director of UNL's human rights program. An active researcher, Dr. Forsythe's work has been recognized throughout the fields of political science, international relations and human rights. 

Recognition

  • In the fall of 2003 the Mid-West Section of the International Studies Association presented him with the Quincy Wright Distinguished Scholar Award in honor of his lifetime professional achievements.
  • The Human Rights Section of the American Political Science Associated named him a Distinguished Scholar in 2007.
  • In 2013 he received a similar award from the Human Rights Section of the International Studies Association.
  • In 2012 he received the career achievement award from the Academic Senate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Publications on Human Rights and International Relations

  • The Humanitarians: The International Committee of the Red Cross, (Cambridge University Press, 2005)
  • Human Rights in International Relations, (Cambridge University Press, 4th ed. forthcoming)
  • The United Nations and Changing World Politics, (Westview Press, 8th ed. forthcoming; with 3 other authors)
  • American Foreign Policy in a Globalized World, (Routledge, 2006; edited with two others)
  • The Politics of Prisoner Abuse: US Policy toward Enemy Prisoners after 9/11 (Cambridge University Press, 2011)
  • The ICRC: A Neutral Humanitarian Actor, (Routledge, 2nd ed., 2016, with a co-author)
  • The Encyclopedia of Human Rights (Oxford University Press, 2009, 5 volumes; general editor), winner of the Dartmouth Medal for the best reference publication in that year given by the American Library Association.