Chair's Message
Welcome back to Political Science!
The end of my first term as chair has put me in a somewhat reflective space, thinking about the things we’ve accomplished, the wonderful people that surround me every day, and the work we have left to accomplish.
The last year has been a complicated year at Cal Poly, in the country and around the world. I am so impressed by our students, staff and faculty — they continue to challenge me to think through and about the values we hold and the community we aspire to be. Our department continues to be a vibrant space for our community to engage with complex ideas and problems — and the growth in our major, minors and graduate programs over the course of the year indicates that students at Cal Poly are hungry for places to critically engage with these issues and develop the skills that will serve them well professionally.
This year, Dean Doug Epperson announced his retirement and we have started the process to hire a new dean for the college. Kathryn Rummell (English) will serve as the interim dean for the 2018-19 academic year during the search. The Political Science Department successfully hired a new tenure-line faculty member, Nancy Arrington, from Emory University. Nancy will start in the fall and will focus her teaching and research in the areas of public law and research methods, with an emphasis on gender and the courts. We are excited to have Nancy join us!
In this issue of Alumni Connections, you will read about our successful Model UN (first delegate award!) and Mock Trial seasons. You can catch up with what your fellow alumni have been up to since graduation. You will read about the first group of students selected to compete in a statewide research competition. And, you can read about our newest Learn by Doing activity — the California Bill Project.
Thank you for your continued support of our students, faculty and staff. You make so much of what we do possible. If you’d like to reconnect with the department, please do let us know! We’d love to hear from you!