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Dr. Hellinger is one of the world’s leading scholars on Venezuela and Latin America. He has taught at Webster University for nearly 30 years, serving as professor of political science and chair of the Department of History, Politics and Law. He has held two Fulbright positions in Chile, has been a visiting senior associate at St. Anthony’s College Oxford and a visiting professor at the Central University of Venezuela. Dr. Hellinger has traveled extensively in Venezuela. In August 2004, he provided commentary on the Chavez recall vote for NPR and the BBC. After Chavez was retained by voters, he briefed the new ambassador as part of an expert U.S. State Department panel. He later traveled again as part of a think tank working toward bettering relationships between the U.S. and Latin America. Dr. Hellinger has authored many articles on Venezuela and the book Venezuela: Tarnished Democracy. He is also the co-author of Venezuelan Politics in the Chávez Era: Class, Polarization and Conflict and a participating editor at Latin American Perspectives. Dr. Hellinger holds a Ph.D. in political science from Rutgers University and is fluent in Spanish. He has received numerous honors, including the 2003 Senior Specialist award from the Fulbright Foundation. Dr. Hellinger serves on the board of Washington-based Center for Democracy in the Americas and is president of the Venezuelan Studies Section of the Latin American Studies Association.