Ideopolis Volume 1, Issue 1, Fall 2013

Volume 1, Issue 1

Rhode Island College

Fall, 2013

The Ideopolis The Newsletter of the Political Science Department

WE'RE BAAAACK!!!

I arrived on campus a little over seven years ago, in the fall of 2006. Fresh from small-town Wisconsin and in a totally new environment, I remember coming across a Political Science newsletter from the previous spring. What a pleasant (and welcoming) surprise it was to find an article about the newest Political Science faculty member-me!

Flash forward to our first departmental meeting in September of this year. The person responsible for that 2006 newsletter, Professor Schmeling, proposed we resuscitate it. We discussed the need for an information source for anyone and everyone interested in the department. So, after a long hiatus... we're back, and with a new name.

The word,"ideopolis," was actually coined by political experts, John Judis and Ruy Teixeira, to mean "a city sustained primarily by intellectual enterprises, with a highly educated idea noun \ī-ˈdē-ə, -ˈdēə also ˈī-(ˌ)dē-ə or ˈī-dē\: a

workforce," but we like to think of it as something even broader: an idea

thought, plan, or suggestion about what to do; an

community. We invite YOU to contribute your ideas to this community;

opinion or belief; something that you imagine or

please let us know what you would like to see in The Ideopolis. We hope

picture in your mind polis noun \ˈpä-ləs\: a Greek city-state; broadly: a state or society especially when characterized by a sense of community

to get our next issue out by early spring, so send us stuff as soon as you can.

On behalf of the Editorial Board, I

hope you find our articles informative and that you enjoy catching up on the latest news about students, alumni,

INSIDE: ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT, RIC STUDENT IN LONDON, MEET OUR PROFS & MORE!!

faculty, events and more.--MBB !1

Volume 1, Issue 1

Rhode Island College

Fall, 2013

Alumni Spotlight Brian Hull '08 is the Senior Consultant for the Research & Advisory Practice at the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, a nonprofit research and strategy firm focused on low-income urban economic development policy.

Brian focuses on the intersection of research, data analysis, and strategic consulting and is lead advisor to municipalities and county governments on key trends impacting inner city economies and businesses. He analyzes local economic conditions and workforce readiness to determine industry clusters with the highest potential for market opportunities to facilitate business growth, job creation, and wealth generation for local residents. He also researches and develops "The entire RIC innovative strategies focused on key growth drivers that leverage local assets and strengths found within the experience community.

helped crystalize my thinking about the political world, my place in it, and brought my previous activism"

Brian also leads ICIC’s Anchor Institution research, Brian Hull '08 identifying how large businesses and institutions ca better provide local economic opportunities by aligning internal operating practices with community strengths to generate mutually beneficial shared value. Additionally, Brian explores innovative workforce development programming to create a more productive labor force that can be connected to local job opportunities in growing and emerging industries and clusters.

Brian was State Coordinator for a progressive activist group in Rhode Island working to support low-income individuals and families though community organizing, coalition building, policy development, advocacy, and electoral campaigns. He is the former editor of the Rhode Island’s Future blog, the state’s largest progressive news blog and ran a successful small business in Rhode Island from 1996 until 2010.

Brian earned his Master in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, focusing on urban economic and workforce development, social and urban policy, and state and local public finance. He also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Rhode Island College, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 2008 with a 4.0 GPA, and earning the Herbert R. Winter Award for excellence in Political Science.

“I’m grateful for the wonderful professors I was able to work with while at RIC, including Michelle BrophyBaermann, Tom Schmeling, Francis Leazes, and Claus Hofhansel. The support and guidance I received for everyone really enhanced my educational experience, from pushing me to think more deeply about my assignments, energizing the political science club through critical issue analysis, and honing logic and argumentation skills through the debate club. The entire RIC experience helped crystalize my thinking about the political world, my place in it, and brought my previous activism experience to a new level." !2

Volume 1, Issue 1

Rhode Island College

Fall, 2013

Meet the Faculty: Robyn Linde

By Timothy X. McLaughlin '15 Dr. Robyn Linde ("Lin-dee") is known by her students as a professor who is always willing to go the extra mile and make things easily accessible. The department's most recent political science hire, Linde is originally from Ohio; she has a BA from Indiana University, an MA from the University of Delaware, and a PhD from the University of Minnesota. Linde brought her talents to RIC after looking to move to a larger city with her partner, Holly, from their home in Northampton, Massachusetts. When their two daughters aren’t keeping her busy, Linde dedicates much of her time to her courses at RIC. In addition to directing and teaching classes for the International Nongovernmental Organizations Studies program (INGOS), she teaches a variety of courses, including International Law & Organization and Global Politics.

The Global Politics class is Professor Linde's favorite to teach and anyone who has taken it can probably tell by the enthusiasm and expertise she brings to the subject material. She stresses a participatory classroom with active learning in an effort to keep students on their toes and engaged. As someone with a self-described short attention span, she finds it difficult to lecture for too long. Everybody enjoys when class is broken up and material is more easily digestible through critical group discussions—common aspects of Linde's teaching style.

It helps that Professor Linde feels comfortable teaching subjects that she’s interested in, like international relations and social movements, along with her other research interests--human rights, children's rights, LGBT rights, international law and nonstate actors--with a department that allows her to do so. She has the ability to teach what she wants and in a way that can most effectively leave an impact on her students. A good example can be seen in her INGOS 302 course on social entrepreneurship—a service learning project in which Linde has her students work with a local organization in order to see how a real NGO operates. Last semester, Linde and her class helped a group called Healthy Families Initiative which works to assist victims of domestic violence in the Muslim community of Rhode Island.

Dr. Linde arrives to class ready to get her students engaged and, most importantly, she leads them with passion and a deep knowledge of the topic. Often this attitude is contagious. She is a welcome addition to our campus and we all benefit from her great work in the classroom. !3

Volume 1, Issue 1

Rhode Island College

Fall, 2013

Dr. Francis Leazes is leading an effort to turn the North Burial Ground (NBG) in Providence into a tourism and economic development asset for the city with the help of RIC students. Working with Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, the funds awarded to Dr. Leazes, 2013 grads Britni Gorman and Neale Ross, along with Communications student, Chloe Hedenskog, and History Graduate graduate student, Michelle Valetta, are busy building a web site devoted to on-line walking tours of the largest public burial ground in Rhode Island. Dr. Seth Dixon’s classes in Geographic Information Systems help out by mapping the cemetery and taking GPS coordinates of gravesites featured on the tour. So far the team, which also consists of Dr. Ron Dufour (History) and Dr. Erik Christiansen (Public History), have mapped a tour that focuses on four prominent women buried in NBG. A 26 stop digital tour that features Civil War participants, including two Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, will soon be uploaded. The next tour will be one that begins by telling the story of the Riot of 1831 in Providence, the event that transformed the Town of Providence into a city. If you are interested in helping out, and perhaps earning credit for Headstone, North Burial doing so, we are Ground, Providence looking for individuals proficient in web design and coding using PHP and Javascript, as well as anyone else interested in writing short biographies of people interred in the burying ground. Mayors and governors, senators and members of Congress, Chief Justices along with just the ordinary citizen are all waiting for their stories to be told. Visit the website at www.ric.edu/northburialground to learn more. If you think you might want to join in the effort to restore a cultural asset and learn something about some of the formative political events of Providence and Rhode Island as you do so, contact Dr. Leazes at fleazes@ric.edu. 

Unearth History at the North Burial Ground

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Rhode Island College

Fall, 2013

ALUMNI NEWS

Samantha Winters ’13 began an M.A. in African Politics at the University of London, School of African Studies (SOAS).

Lauren Naylor '13 is attending law school at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Amie Marcou and Jennifer Iarocci (both '12) are in their first year at RWU Law School, where Mike Hartley '12 also attends.

Ryan McCauley '13 has been accepted to the Master's Degree in Public Policy program at UMass Dartmouth.

Moise Bourdeau '11 is currently a graduate student in the Heller school for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University where he is on scholarship working toward a Master of science in International Health Policy & Management.

Emily Winchell '11 is finishing up a Masters Degree in legislative affairs in the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University.

Winters '13

Neil Hodge '10 began his Masters in Library and Information Sciences at UCLA. Kevin Andrade ‘09 (Masters in Latin American Affairs, University of Arizona '12) is a staff writer for the Portuguese weekly, O Jornal.

Kaitlyn Petronelli '09 graduated May 12th from St. Thomas Law School in Florida. Kate is working the MiamiDade Public Defender's Office.

John Paul Cimino '08 graduated from William and Mary Law School in 2012, where he is now Assistant Dean for Veteran Affairs.

Amy Saunders '06 secured a tenure-track librarian position at the University of Southern California following completion of her Masters in Library and Information Sciences program at Lesley University.

Kim Leadford '04 earned her J.D. from Temple Law School but left legal practice for the film industry. She is coexecutive producer of the movie, Butler, which opened to critical acclaim this fall.

Alison Foley ’01 (JD, Roger Williams) has her own immigration law office in Tampa, Florida.

Jay Correiro ’98 (JD and MPA Rutgers University, Camden '02) works for the U.S.Department of Commerce in DC. Joseph Coleman ’95 (PhD Brown University, '02) is Humanities Coordinator at Shady Hill School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. !5

Got news? We'd love to hear from you! Please email YOUR Alumni Update to mbrophy@ric.edu. Pics are very welcome!

Volume 1, Issue 1

Rhode Island College

AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS 2012-2013

Student

Fall, 2013

Scholars

Each year, the Political Science Department honors outstanding students with awards. This past spring: • the Aime and Gertrude Forand Award for Scholarship (Honors Projects) in Political Science at RIC was awarded to three students: Kevin Dwyre, Jonathan Lamantia and Jesse Pösl Rhinehart • Jonathan Lamantia also received The Herbert Winter Award for Excellence in Political Science • Brianna Smith received the North Providence League of Women Voters Award. This award is given to a Poli Sci or Pub Ad student with a GPA of 3.0 or higher who is registered voter in North Providence Several spring '13 grads won prestigious fellowships, including: • Donald Brown won a Massachusetts Pride Fellowship to teach in a charter school in Fall River and pursue an M.A.T. at Northeastern University • Jonathan Lamantia received a fellowship for JD study at the University of Connecticut Law School • Jesse Pösl Rhinehart received a fellowship for PhD study at The New School for Social Science Research

In the fall of 2012, Governor Lincoln Chafee presented Mandie Ellis '13 with the coveted John H. Chafee Award. This award, named for the Governor's father, goes to a RIC undergraduate who has demonstrated leadership in both public and community service. To learn more about Mandie and the Award, go to: www.ric.edu/news/details.php?News_ID=1958.

Photo courtesy of RIC News

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Volume 1, Issue 1

Rhode Island College

Student

HONORS THESES

Fall, 2013

Scholars

The student who elects to do an Honors Thesis commits to investigating a topic or question of interest over two semesters, with the research culminating in the Thesis. Typically begun in the fall of the senior year, the student works closely with an advisor to develop a proposal that the department must approve before moving on to the second semester. If the student has a successful proposal, the final project goes before a committee, where the student must defend it. For the student to receive departmental honors, the majority of the committee must vote to approve the Honors Thesis. Last spring, four students successfully defended their theses (their advisors are in parentheses): Kevin Dwyre (Weiner): “Habitus in the Political Sociology of Pierre Bourdieu: Cultural Practices as Class Distinction and Reproduction." Understanding “false consciousness” in terms of habitus: the embodied dispositions in the misrecognition of symbolic relations of domination/ subordination

Jonathan Lamantia (Weiner): “An Articulation of Kantian Social Contract as the Evolution of Reason." Focus is on the often neglected, but significant role of social contract theory in the 1790s political philosophy of Immanuel Kant which serves as the foundation of the 1970s political theories of John Rawls and Jürgen Habermas.

Daniel J. McCarthy III (Schmeling): "Understanding the Determinates of U.S. District Court Judges’ Decisions on Patriot Act Cases." A quantitative analysis of the relative roles that judges’ political attitudes and strategic calculations play in Federal District Court Decisions involving the U.S.A. Patriot Act of 2001.

Jesse Pösl Rhinehart (Weiner): "Max Weber and Thomas Mann: Approaches to Normative Commitment." Mines the intersection of political theory and literature grounded in the writings of Nietzsche in order to understand how to construct meaning-adequate ideal types which enable the interpretation of actions in its sequences and in its patterns before we move to the level of causal adequacy in empirical analysis.

The following students will be present their theses in the spring:

Gary Pascoa (Schmeling): "'Fire Alarms' in the Court: Congress, Interest groups, and the Strategic Drafting of Judicial Review." An examination of how interest groups attempt to influence Congress to shape opportunities for judicial review of actions of administrative agencies. Will focus on these activities in relation to the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).

Patrick Pride (Weiner): “Thoroughly Under The Skin: Raymond Williams, Affect Theory and Political Studies.”

Studies the odyssey of Cambridge don/New Left Review founding editor Raymond Williams in applying Marx’s concept of false consciousness to literary criticism. An odyssey taking him through sociology of literature and critical theory to the concept of “structures of feeling [affect]” in the discourse of politics and culture.

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INGOS Corner

Rhode Island College

Fall, 2013

In the KNOW about INGOS?

The INGOS Program introduces students to international nongovernmental organizations (like Amnesty International, Doctors without Borders and Greenpeace), and explores the many ways these important organizations are shaping the world. The program offers two tracks: a certificate and a minor; both tracks are open to all students. For more information, contact Professor Robyn Linde at rlinde@ric.edu.

INGOS News This summer and fall, two INGOs students went abroad for their international internships for the certificate in INGOs. Milton Taylor went to Liberia to work for the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, and Annie Dickson (Political Science minor ‘11) went to Haiti to work with the NGO Haiti Communitere. Annie has since accepted a job as the Apprenticeship Program and Production Manager with Rebuild Globally, an NGO in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, that works to employ local artisans to make products from recyclable materials. Check out Annie’s organization at http://www.rebuildglobally.org.

This Spring, the INGOs course, INGOs and Social Entrepreneurship (INGO 302), will partner with the Dorcas International Institute on a range of service learning projects. Students will work in areas including grant-writing, development, an immigration program and the Welcoming Rhode Island program, a community-based initiative to foster a welcoming environment for foreign-born Rhode Islanders.

Political Science minor, Annie Dickson ('11), and Country Director for Rebuild Globally, Sarah Sansted, Port-au-Prince, Haiti

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Volume 1, Issue 1

Geography Corner

Rhode Island College

Fall, 2013

Oh, the PLACES You'll Go... with GEOGRAPHY!

National Geography Awareness Week is Nov. 18-22. The Rhode Island Geography Education Alliance (RIGEA), housed in the Political Science Department here at Rhode Island College, hopes that Geography Awareness Week will be a platform to promote spatial thinking and global awareness (something we like to call geo-literacy) here in the Ocean State.

Geography News Students in Prof. Mark Motte’s GEOG 339: Metropolitan Geography class are spending this fall in a realworld city planning studio with “WaterFire Providence” as their client. Teamed with Prof. Steven Lubar and graduate Students from Brown University’s Center for Public Humanities, the RIC geographers have been assessing the cultural impacts or “value added” of public art to residents’ and visitors’ impressions of the state’s capital city.

Working with face-to-face and on-line surveys, the students from RIC and Brown have been asking the question, among others, “How likely [on a scale from 1 to 10] are you to recommend that a friend visit the city?” This question was selected because it encompasses a psychological investment on the part of the respondents: Are they prepared to put their own reputations on the line to invoke a friend’s gratitude or ire through such a recommendation? Research into the role of WaterFire and similar public happenings in fostering positive impressions of and loyalty to Providence is in line with recent scholarly work on what has become known as creative placemaking: measuring the role of entrepreneurship in the arts as a stimulus toward cultural innovation, a sense of belonging and community attachment, and economic growth.

(cont'd on next page)

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Rhode Island College

Fall, 2013

The students undertook parallel surveys in New Bedford, Massachusetts during that city’s Working Waterfront Festival to compare residents’ and visitors’ impressions of the city. They also executed surveys in both Providence and New Bedford on days when no public event was scheduled. Thus controls were established by comparing two different cities during significant public artistic happenings and, conversely, under conditions when no such events were scheduled. The students’ research to date reveals that Providence fairs very well in the emotional investment of residents and visitors. During WaterFire, approximately 70% of respondents were active promoters of Providence (giving the city a score of 9-10 on the “Likely to Recommend” scale), while on a non-WaterFire night 42% were promoters. In New Bedford, 66% were promoters on the Festival day, while only 11% were promoters on the non-Festival survey day. The students’ research has been very well received by our client, Peter Mello, the chief administrative officer of WaterFire. The work of the class continues.

Public Administration Corner

The Perks of Being a Pub Ad Major

PA NEWS The Public Administration program wants its majors to create networks as they look forward to internships, graduate school and the world of work. This semester, students in Dr. Leazes' Political Science 301: Foundations of Public Administration course were able to meet with a variety of PA practitioners, including RIC Geography alumnus, Jason Pezzullo '99, MPA RIC-URI '10, Principal Planner for the City of Cranston; Susanne Greschner, an alumnae of the RIC-URI MPA Program ('01) and Rhode Island's Director of Municipal Affairs; SueEllen Kroll, Director of Grants and Strategic Partnerships for the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities; RIC Public Administration alum, Ryan Gardiner '07, MPA RIC-URI '08, now a Budget Analyst for the RI Department of Administration; and Derrick Pelletier '09 MPA RICURI, who works for the Rhode Island Office of Management and Budget. !10

Volume 1, Issue 1

Rhode Island College

Fall, 2013

An American in London (and Paris, too)?

It was finally time to see downtown London. At this point I was still uncertain about my feelings regarding the city.

I was unsure about what this experience would be like for me or if I could even enjoy it. But I was open enough to give it a try. I was mesmerized by the beautiful architectural form and the constant activity all around me. I literally had never been exposed to what I was seeing. You never knew what was around the corner. I was in awe of all the novelty I was taking in at once. There were so many people coming and going, so much sensory stimuli.

This trip made me become very aware of the possible influences of place of birth, culture and class on someone’s behavior. I became more and more confident in my own ability to navigate the city on my own, to respond effectively to

Lucas Dieter '14

unfamiliar situations, and to observe and learn from my surroundings. Even though there were thousands of people almost always around me, the city provided me another means of solitude and independence in its own way.

The city of Paris is literally one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. It was so obvious the effort that was being put into making the city appealing to the senses. I loved the open-ness with which Parisians displayed affection. This was a place I could spend a lot of time in, returning constantly to be in this amazingly inviting and beautiful environment. I would love to return here with a lover. I miss the place just writing about it.

Thanks to Lucas Dieter for this brief excerpt from his essay, "Reflections on the London Course, 2013."

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Volume 1, Issue 1

Rhode Island College

Fall, 2013

Faculty Focus Catching up with the Folks in Craig-Lee

Michelle Brophy-Baermann recently began her term as RIC's first campus-wide Coordinator of Academic Advising. She is currently beginning research on a project on the politics of roadside memorials.

Claus Hofhansel presented a paper on minority religions and the state in Europe at a Council of European Studies conference in Amsterdam. He also published an article on this topic in the Journal of Church and State. This summer he began a new research project on changes in citizenship laws in Western Europe and the United States. He will present a paper on loss of nationality in Britain and Germany next spring either in Chicago at the Midwest Political Science Association meeting or the Council for European Studies meeting in Washington, DC.

Francis Leazes, in partnership with Professor Deborah Johnson at Providence College, has received a research grant from the College and University Collaborative of Rhode Island to undertake a comparative analysis of successful arts initiatives in New England and the United States. Dr. Leazes is also Project Director for the North Burial Ground Project.

Robyn Linde has been working on a book on the international diffusion of human rights law pertaining to children. She’s also working on another project on the inclusion of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) rights at the United Nations and on the development and diffusion of legal protections for LGBT individuals in national legal systems globally. She is also currently serving on the boards of Healthy Families Initiative and Amnesty International USA’s Archives Advisory Committee.

Thomas Schmeling is in his fifth year as chair of the department. This past spring he presented a paper, "James Madison’s Negative on State Laws and Modern Judicial Review,” at the New England Political Science Association, and chaired a panel on judicial behavior at the Law & Society Association. This fall, he is overseeing the pilot offering of the Generation Citizen course. In Spring 2014 he will pilot our new methods course, POL300, about which he is both very excited and a little nervous.

Rich Weiner has had two articles published, one on post-regulatory corporatism in the Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning, and a second on post-secular sensibility and sacralization in The European Legacy. Additionally, he has presented papers and lectures at: the University of Chicago; the University of Vienna; Université du Québec à Montréal L’Institut d’études politiques (Sciences Po Grenoble) /Université Mendes France; and the Telos Institute in New York.

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Rhode Island College

Fall, 2013

Piloting Generation Citizen: RIC Students Bring "Action Civics" to Providence Middle and High Schoolers This fall, the department was approached by the democracy action group, Generation Citizen, who asked us to provide students who were willing to act as “democracy coaches” in Providence middle and high schools. Seven students enrolled in a two-credit section of POL381 led by Dr. Schmeling. One of the students, David Otto '15, describes his experience below:

Generation Citizen: An Invaluable Experience Teaching "action civics" to a classroom of 7th and 8th graders in a Providence public school seemed like a daunting activity, but it was an experience too great to pass up. Action civics is an approach in which students address problems through real-world experiences that applies to their lives. It’s not every day a RIC Political Science student is able to directly inspire the youth of their community while simultaneously pursuing a major they’re passionate about. Generation Citizen is just that, and it’s shaping up to be the most memorable experience of my college career. The leaders at Generation Citizen have worked tirelessly in creating a meticulous curriculum, a supportive website, leading weekly one hour meetings, and providing constant feedback; their dedication has enabled me to be an effective leader in the classroom.

The experience builds upon my excitement about democracy and allows me to stimulate the minds and actions of young activists. Ana, my codemocracy coach (the title given to college students who teach action civics in middle and high school classrooms), and I work with students at DelSesto Middle School. With the direction provided by the Generation Citizen curriculum, the students were able to identify a problem facing students all over the country: bullying. In order to raise awareness about and prevent bullying, these students have decided to implement a student-led hall monitoring program. It’s our job as democracy coaches to help these students succeed. With only two 1-hour class periods a week, we certainly have our work cut out for us, but the spirit of the students and their democracy coaches makes it all seem possible.

Generation Citizen has chapters at Brown, Providence College, Bryant, and Rhode Island College as of this semester. In addition to Providence, the program operates in Boston, New York, and San Francisco.

--David Otto

For more information about Generation Citizen, go to: www.generationcitizen.org. !13

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Rhode Island College

Fall, 2013

Goings on in Craig-Lee and Beyond

A look at student organizations, events and activities...Go ahead, get involved!

Come one, come all to the Poli Sci Department's Holiday Party! Mingle with your friends, classmates, faculty, and whoever else drops in, and enjoy food, fun and conversation. Look for us during the free period on Wednesday, December 4th, in C-L 224.

Political Science Club: This fall, the Club elected new officers: Andrew Bairos (P), Derrick Trombley (VP), Laura Raymond (T) and Toby Riseborough (S). The Club meets every other Wed. during the free period in the lounge or a nearby classroom. Stop in some time!

Pi Sigma Alpha: Each semester, the Alpha Beta Epsilon chapter of the National Political Science Honor Society, Pi Sigma Alpha, invites a small group of students to become members. To become a member, a student must have: completed 60 credit hours, taken a 300 (or above) level course, a 3.3 in their political science courses and a 3.25 cumulative GPA.

The chapter welcomed 18 new members during the 2012-13 academic year; six more joined this fall. The Executive Board is: Patrick Pride and Laura Raymond (Co-Presidents), Hillary Costa (T) and Tim McLaughlin (S).

Learn more about Pi Sigma Alpha at: www.apsanet.org/~psa/.

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Rhode Island College

Fall, 2013

Visit the Political Science Department's website and Facebook page!

The Ideopolis

Rhode Island College Department of Political Science 600 Mt. Pleasant Ave. Providence, RI 02908

Editorial Board

Michelle Brophy-Baermann Hillary Costa Gary Pascoa Thomas Schmeling

Please email all comments, questions, suggestions, news and more to mbrophy@ric.edu.

AND NOW, A WORD FROM FROM THE CHAIR

Dear Students, First, I want to thank Professor Brophy-Baermann for reviving and editing the department newsletter. It’s a great

opportunity for students to learn what other Poli Sci majors and their professors have been doing. We hope it will continue and that you will all be a part of it in the future.

We have a dynamic department with a lot going on. In addition to the Political Science major, we house the Public

Administration major, the Geography major, and the International Non-Governmental Organizations program. The curricula of all of these have been revised in the last few years and faculty are actively engaged in building the programs. Their work is paying off. We are able to offer more exciting academic and service opportunities for students and all of the programs are growing.

As you have seen from this newsletter, our majors and alumni are doing interesting and socially valuable things.

Some are pursuing graduate degrees, while others are engaged in various forms of community service and development. We think that the Political Science major is well designed to help students develop the skills–clear analytical and critical thinking, the ability to frame and answer important questions, analyze data and communicate effectively both orally and in writing–that will allow them to succeed in a wide variety of careers.

Thomas Schmeling, Chair of the Political Science Department !15