The Origins of SquareTwo

SquareTwo had been on the minds of several of the editors for some time. For the senior editor, the thought of an online journal of serious scholarship based on the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ (RGJC) concerning important issues confronting the world today began about fifteen years ago, but the domain name for SquareTwo was only obtained in 2005. It was not until the summer of 2008 that the effort needed to put together a first editorial team and also the website actually took place. For an exposition of our aims, former editor John Mark Mattox wrote a manifesto for the journal, entitled "'By Study and Also by Faith': SquareTwo and Scholarship in Light of the Restoration," which was published in the Fall 2011 issue. In assembling the first editorial team, great care was taken to ensure strict gender parity, as well as parity between younger and older editors. We purposefully sought a diversity of life experiences among the editors, as well. All members of the editorial team are members in good standing in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in keeping with our purpose to develop a forum for the expression of a faithful RGJC perspective on the important issues of the world today.

  SquareTwo's Editorial Board

  • The current editorial team includes:
    • Senior Editor: V. M. Hudson, Ph.D., political science/IR; Foreign Policy magazine's list of Top 100 Influential Global Thinkers, 2009.
    • Ralph C. Hancock: husband of Julie, father (of 5) and grandfather, Ph.D. (Political Science), teaches political philosophy, examines interrelation of theory and practice (with the help of Aristotle, Tocqueville, Heidegger, Leo Strauss, Emmanuel Levinas).
    • Susan R. Madsen: Karen Haight Huntsman Professor of Leadership in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University. She is also the founding director of the Utah Women & Leadership Project. In addition, Susan is a leadership and change consultant and loves to teach, research, and write. She is a global thought leader on the topic of women and leadership and speaks often in various countries around the world
    • Scott Hammond: Scott C. Hammond is a Professor in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University, an author, consultant, and speaker. He appears regularly in the national media, and hosts a regionally broadcast daily radio spot called The Management Minute.
    • B. Kent Harrison (Book Review Editor): Professor Emeritus of Physics and Astronomy (Brigham Young University), received his education at BYU and Princeton University, with experience at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory and Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He has wide-ranging interests, from feminism to history to literature to science.
    • Rachel Zirkle: B.A., Political Science, Brigham Young University,, where she worked on the WomanStats project. Rachel met her husband Isaiah at BYU and they now have four children. In addition to mothering, Rachel enjoys writing in various mediums from published articles to songwriting. She has a passion for politics and religion, gender equality, and kickboxing. 
    • Michelle Brignone: BS, Political Science (BYU), JD (Georgetown), specializing in international women’s human rights. Brignone wrote the supporting brief challenging the assumption of male-only marital power in Swaziland, which case is making its way through the Swazi courts right now.
    • Stephen T. Cranney has a dual-PhD in sociology and demography from the University of Pennsylvania. He has a data science business  in the DC area, with a clientele focus of NGOs in the religion and public life space. 
    • Carl Brinton: MBA (Harvard Business School), Director in EQT Partners' Healthcare practice, with sub-sector responsibility for Healthcare IT and Digital Health in North America. He is the husband of Gloria Gong and father to four dynamic kids.
    • Diane L. Spangler, Ph.D.: Dr. Spangler received her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Oregon followed by a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry. She has served as a Professor at both Brigham Young University and Oxford University, and also maintains a private practice. She currently specializes in the etiology, assessment and treatment of depression, anxiety and eating disorders, cognitive-behavioral theory/therapy, body image, emotion theory, treatment evaluation methodology, and the interface of psychology and religion.
    • Ashley B. Alley: BA in Art History and Curatorial Studies from Brigham Young University, MPSA (Public Service and Administration) from Texas A&M University, with experience in both research and writing related contemporary global women's issues.
    • Savannah Eccles Johnston: Ph.D. Candidate, political science. Her research focuses on American political thought, and she is the mother of two children.
    • Ted Richards is a PhD candidate in Political Science at Claremont Graduate University. He is writing his dissertation on Shakespeare’s influence on Abraham Lincoln’s thought and statesmanship. He found his way to political philosophy by way of apologetics and theology on his mission in Pittsburgh, PA. He is married to a beautiful wife and is the father of two beautiful daughters. Ted is an avid musician.
    • Editorial Assistant, Elizabeth Barton: Born and raised in Provo, Utah, Elizabeth currently lives in London and oversees editorial at a San Francisco-based tech startup. In her free time, she enjoys creative writing and French studies. Elizabeth is passionate for effective written and verbal communication, improved understanding of LDS doctrine/practice and unapologetic authenticity. In her spare time, she enjoys creative writing, exercising and eating cinnamon rolls. She is also the granddaughter of the much-beloved Ray C. Hillam.
    Emeriti:
    • John Mark Mattox
    • R. Decker
    • Karen Hyer
    • Thelma Young
    • L. Hulet, MPA
    • George B. Handley
    • Neal Kramer
    • Neylan McBaine
    • Janille Shumway Stearmer
    • Nkoyo Iyamba
    • Erik Linton