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The annual Political Science Honors Luncheon was held Friday, April 18, 2008. The honorees are seniors who will either graduate in the 2007-2008 academic year or in December 2008, and who have maintained a grade point average of 3.5 or better. This year's honorees are Amanda Jokerst, Joanna Lightfoot, Matthew Lillig, Catherine Mass, Jenna Pfeifer, Katie Starman, Jeff Wattier, and Bill Wendl.

Dr. Bykerk with Honoree Jeff Wattier

Graduate Seminar service learning project registers voters at
Morton Magnet Middle School event, November 1, 2007.

Bill Wendl, winner of Menard Scholarship, with Darlene and Orville Menard, September 21, 2007

Dr. Elizabeth Dahl conducts field research in Beijing, China.

Professor Dahl spent nearly two months in Beijing, China, this past summer conducting follow-up research to her dissertation and more general exploration of topics relevant to her upcoming fall course, PSCI 3640: Politics of the P.R.C. and the Pacific Rim.

Beijing, as China's capital, is of particular interest given its preparation for the 2008 Olympics and prominence in international politics. The city's current population is nearly fifteen million (in comparison, Greece, the host country of the 2004 Olympics, has a total population of under 11 million).

The 2007 British Study Tour, May 7-23, was another big success.

Please see more pictures from this year's trip.

Please click here for flyer and click here for application for 2008 trip.

Alumni Newsletters: Summer 2006 and Fall 2007

The annual Political Science Honors Luncheon was held Friday, April 20, 2007. The honorees were seniors who graduated in the 2006-2007 academic year or in December 2007, and who maintained a grade point average of 3.5 or better. The honorees were Chad Brakhahn, Shelby Buettner, Anthony Costello, Cody Farrens, Lucinda Krafka, Shannon Lakin, Erin Mitchell, Bonnie Moore, Noelle Obermeyer, Stephen Osberg, Youness Rahoui, and Alyson Roach.

Dr. Bykerk presenting an Honors plaque to Youness Rahoui

Dr. Jody Neathery-Castro (R) receives the 2007 University Excellence in Teaching Award from
Dr. Sheri Rogers, Acting Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, April 12, 2007

Graduation Day, December 15, 2006.
Drs. Greg Petrow, Loree Bykerk, Randy Adkins and Meredith Bacon congratulate Pete Catalano, the first to receive a Master's degree under Political Science's reinstated graduate program.

On Thursday, November 16, 2006, the Political Science Department was recognized with a UNO Departmental Teaching Award at the first Fall University Awards Presentation.
L-R are Drs. Jody Neathery-Castro, Steve Bullock, Meredith Bacon, Jim Johnson, Elizabeth Dahl.

Pi Gamma Mu Fall Banquet and Initiation, November 9, 2006 at Lo Sole Mio Restaurant

Alyson Westby, winner of Menard Scholarship, with Darlene and Orville Menard, August 18, 2006

 

Dr. Chung begins partial retirement.

After 35 years of outstanding service to the Political Science Department and UNO, Dr. Joong-Gun Chung will begin partial retirement this academic year. He will teach 3 courses this fall and none in the spring. Dr. Chung will continue his half-time status the next few years. We’re sure he’ll enjoy the opportunity to play more golf!

Dr. Elizabeth Dahl joins faculty.

Dr. Elizabeth Dahl joins the Political Science faculty this fall and will be teaching many of the courses taught by Dr. Chung who is beginning partial retirement. Dr. Dahl received both her M.A. and Ph.D. from American University in Washington, D.C. Previously, Dr. Dahl received her M.A.R. in Ethics from Yale Divinity School and a B.A. in Religious Studies from Grinnell College. Outside of work, Dr. Dahl enjoys playing with her nephew as well as such activities as movies, photography, and horseback riding (when possible). She looks forward to getting to know students at UNO and visiting Asia next summer.

 

Dr. Holloway returns.

Dr. Carson Holloway is returning this fall after having spent last year as a research fellow at Princeton University. During the 2005-06 academic year Dr. Holloway was the William E. Simon Visiting Fellow in Religion and Public Life in Princeton's James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. He used his fellowship year to work on a book on modern political philosophy and the social thought of Pope John Paul II. His stay at Princeton also led to a new service commitment: Dr. Holloway has been made the Executive Director of the Association for the Study of Free Institutions and Free Societies. He is excited to be returning to the classroom, and this fall he will be teaching Introduction to American National Government, Constitutional Law: Civil Liberties, and Classical Political Thought.

 

 

The May 8-24, 2006, British Study Tour was both educational and fun!

2006 Honors Luncheon: Dr. Loree Bykerk and student Alyson Westby

Dr. Adkins' "The Presidency" class field trip to the Truman Library, April 2006

Pi Gamma Mu Induction, April 3, 2006

Dr. Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado with Fidel Castro, March 4, 2006

Dr. Loree Bykerk, Dr. Jody Neathery-Castro, the Mayor's Chief of Staff Paul Landrow, Mayor Mike Fahey at the Mayor's State of the City Address held at UNO, January 2006

Drs. Randy Adkins and Greg Petrow at Pizza & Politics, January 2006

Student, Edwin Schafer, and Dr. Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado, Pizza & Politics, January 2006

August 21, 2005
Dr. Petrow joins Faculty.

Dr. Greg Petrow joins the University of Nebraska at Omaha Political Science faculty this semester, taking on many of the courses previously taught by Dr. Johnson.  He is originally from California, where he attended high school in Sacramento and graduated from college at the University of California at Berkeley.  He is the product of a farm machinery salesman and a clinical psychologist.  When you mix the two you get a political scientist – who knew?!

He lived for a year in Washington DC, working for the polling firm Peter Hart Research and the economic consulting firm The Brattle Group.  The private sector was not for him, however, and he moved to the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, earning a doctorate in Political Science.

Dr. Petrow enjoys reading and exercising in his spare time.  He especially enjoys spending time with his family.  This includes his wife, as well as his four year old son and 3 month old daughter.  He is happy to be living in Omaha, which ends up combining affordable homes with occasional summer days in the 70s.  He looks forward to enjoying summer brunches at McFosters.

 

July 6, 2005
Political Science Graduate Program is accepting applications.

Sarah Labedz, winner of Menard Scholarship, with Darlene and Orville Menard

Student Sarah Labedz is the first recipient of the Darlene & Orville D. Menard Scholarship. The scholarship was established by the University of Nebraska Foundation in 1999 to honor retiring Professor Orville D. Menard.  Dr. Menard, the recipient of UNO’s Outstanding Teacher Award in 1971 and the Chancellor's Medal in 1988, agreed to lend his and his wife’s names to a scholarship to be awarded to a political science major entering the senior class.  The award is based on students’ achievements in the classroom and the community.

Ms. Labedz, seen here accepting the scholarship from the Menards, was chosen by the faculty of the Department of Political Science from among five nominees.   She entered UNO in with a major in Pre-Interior Design but changed her major to political science in  2002.  She has consistently been on the Chancellor's List and Dean's List.  Members of the department chose Ms. Labedz as a student who stood out in their classes.  She  recently completed an internship with U.S. Senator Ben Nelson.

PSCI Honors Luncheon, April 15, 2005