Hello alumni and friends!
The Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice continues to grow and flourish with approximately 1,200 majors! We welcomed a new department administrative support coordinator, Liz Wasinger, last summer, as well as five new tenure-track assistant professors to our growing department: Sarah Smith, Gwen Ricordeau, and Nikki Sherman, all in our criminal justice program, Angela Gapa in our international relations program, and Maitreya Badami in our legal studies program. We are extremely lucky to welcome such talented and dedicated professionals to our department and are excited to share more information about our new colleagues in this newsletter.
This past fall we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice! Starting as a political science minor in the Division of Social Sciences in 1950, we became an academic department in 1967. Today the Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice is one of the largest departments on campus and is proud to offer four undergraduate majors, four undergraduate minors, two graduate degrees, and a certificate. We are home to 24 tenure-line and 20 lecturer faculty members, 3 office staff members, and many high impact educational practices, such as our Community Legal Information Center, the Moot Court Competition, our award-winning Model United Nations team, and our nationally recognized Town Hall Meeting program. The Department’s accomplished, committed, and energetic faculty have expertly educated generations of students with the learning experiences and environment needed to become familiar with and competent in the attitudes, subjects, and skills of the disciplines of political science, international relations, legal studies, public administration, and criminal justice, as well as the capacity to attain a sense of civic responsibility and career success that has allowed them to utilize the knowledge, skills, and judgment acquired in our programs. On October 6, 2017, the City of Chico issued a proclamation recognizing and congratulating the Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice on the occasion of its 50thanniversary. We look forward to another 50 years of excellence.
Our department appreciates the continued support of our generous donors and friends. With support like yours, the Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice is able to recognize and promote academic excellence in all our programs and provide superior learning experiences for our students. We have recently started the process of establishing an endowed scholarship to help cover the costs for our students interning in Washington, D.C. This scholarship, only possible because of your support, will provide our students an outstanding opportunity for career development. Many of our past Washington, D.C. interns have found careers working in government, politics, and non-profit positions in and around Washington.
We love to hear from our amazing alumni, friends, and donors. Please contact us with news and accomplishments at politicalscience@csuchico.edu.