Greetings alumni and friends,
I am excited to be the new chair of the Department of Political Science! As my first order of business on behalf of the Department, I would like to thank our outgoing chair, Dr. Charley Turner. Charley’s tenure was full of budgetary strife, mandatory furloughs, and hiring freezes. Thanks to Charley’s leadership, the Department was able to weather the storm, and emerge strong, vibrant, and healthy. While still a member of the faculty in the Department, Charley has moved on as Chico State’s California Faculty Association president.
The Department of Political Science is as robust and diverse as ever! With around 1,000 majors throughout our seven programs, we are one of the largest departments on campus, and criminal justice alone is the University’s fourth largest major. In the 2013-2014 academic year, our faculty have been productive publishing books and peer-reviewed articles, as well as engaging in service projects throughout the North State. Our impressive students have won local and national awards and competitions too. The positive energy and exceptional accomplishments on the seventh floor of Butte Hall make the Department of Political Science the envy of all departments across campus.
To provide you all with a little information about me: I earned my PhD in Criminal Justice from Washington State University in 2006, and I came to Chico State in 2007 as a faculty member in the Criminal Justice Program. I earned accelerated tenure and promotion in spring 2012 and just completed my first sabbatical in fall 2013. For my sabbatical, as a member of the Consortium for Public Safety Research, I interviewed people sentenced in Butte County under the new AB 109 legislation about their experiences in the program. I’m excited to share the data collected with the Butte County Sheriff’s Office to help streamline their supervision program.
This edition of Political Statements will hopefully be the last paper version. The front office staff is working with Chico State to generate an all-electronic copy for future editions. Additionally, we are also attempting to increase our production of the newsletter from once to twice a year. A more consistent publication will be better able to inform you of the successes throughout the department and of our alumni! We are always eager to hear from you, so please let us know how you are doing by contacting us at politicalscience@csuchico.edu.