Greetings, friends and alumni! I hope this newsletter finds you well. It is packed with the comings and goings of students, faculty, staff, and friends. I hope you will see some folks here you recognize, and I hope reading through these brief stories will prompt you to reconnect with mentors and friends from your time at Chico State.
As you will see, our department has weathered many seasons since the last installment of Political Statements. We have experienced the growing seasons of new students and new faculty. Professor Wilking is highlighted on page 2 and represents the latest addition to our tenuretrack faculty. Moreover, the combined number of students in our programs is now over 1,000! New and continued scholarships have enabled many of these deserving students to attend Chico State.
We have also experienced the bustling activities of summers. Our current students and department members continue a high level of professional productivity, as seen in the research they engage in and the challenges they take on. It will not come as a surprise to readers of this publication that our Model UN program continues to excel or that our innovative faculty have found new ways to partner with students and our community in studying the effects of the criminal justice system via the newly developed Consortium for Public Safety Research.
The political science department continues to harvest the fruits of its labors as well. Our alumni are a consistent point of pride in the many successes they experience. I like to think that majoring in our programs has given many of you the solid grounding you've needed for your careers in the justice system, government, and countless other creative endeavors both in the United States and around the world.
With heavy hearts, we have also witnessed the end of winter for some members of our political science family. Professors Steve Newlin and Bob Ross and staff members Betty Mills and Tami Harder Kilpatric have passed since our last issue. They are remembered and will be missed.
Throughout these seasons, our Department endures. And I hope your fond memories of your time with us do as well. Cheers!