Political Science Newsletter

Fall/Winter 2024

Table of Contents

Letter from the Chair

As I enter into my second year as chair, the theme that has emerged is: building.

As you walk around the second floor of Seigle Hall, you’ll notice that we have completed a renovation project to radically transform our space. With nine new faculty offices, four new staff offices, a new classroom, a new mailroom, and a community space for us to meet, we are thrilled with our new space and quickly growing into it.

We are building our faculty. Last year we hired five new faculty: Christy Boyd (judicial politics), Lee Epstein (judicial politics), Jaclyn Kaslovsky (congressional politics), Michael Strawbridge (racial & ethnic politics), and Peng Peng (Chinese politics). So far this fall we have hired two additional faculty – Hannah Simpson (judicial politics) and Carlo Horz (comparative politics) – who will start in January. We are currently searching for five faculty lines. We are busy filling those new offices! 

We are also building our curriculum. We have expanded our undergraduate opportunities for experiential learning in Environmental Politics. We now offer graduate workshops where faculty and students come together to develop research in all of our fields.

We continue to build bridges to connect with our community. This August we held our first training session for women who are interested in running for public office, EmpowHER, which connected campaign professionals with political science professors to provide two days of education around campaign and representation science. Over the course of the session, we had 52 women attend to hear 18 different speakers from WashU and the community. Many of the attendees are now running or planning to run for everything from school boards to mayoral offices. Photos of the event can be found here.

This year we are celebrating 100 years of our department awarding PhDs in political science. If you earned a PhD from our department, we want to hear from you – where are you now and what are some of your fondest memories from your time at WashU? Write to us at polisci@wustl.edu (photos especially are welcomed!).

Every time I go to the City Museum, I see their motto - “always building” - and I tell myself that the political science department is doing the same.

Onwards!

Betsy Sinclair
Chair of Political Science
Professor of Political Science

Welcome New Faculty

We are elated to have welcomed five new faculty members this year along with the courtesy appointment of the Nickerson Dean of WashU Law, Stefanie Lindquist. We asked our newest faculty members to tell us about how they're adjusting to WashU and the city of St. Louis, and what some of their favorite parts of the city are so far. Click the dots at bottom right to see each story.

Michael Strawbridge, Assistant Professor of Political Science

As a St. Louis native, I’m grateful to be back home. I’m relearning the city, and overall, it’s great to be back around my family and many friends still living here. I enjoy hanging out in the Central West End and Forest Park in my free time. I’m also a big sports fan. I’ve already been to several Cardinals and St. Louis City games and look forward to going to Blues games later this year. Lastly, what I love the most about WASHU is how pretty our campus is. I appreciate being able to take scenic walks across campus during the day to clear my mind and get fresh air.

Christy Boyd, Professor of Law & Political Science

I lived in St. Louis from 2004-2009 for graduate school, but moving back in 2024, St. Louis feels like a brand new and wonderful place to me. It is wonderful getting to know this city with fresh eyes, with its amazing parks, sports, music, events, and festivals. My dog Peppermint loves her daily walks in Forest Park and the Central West End, and my cat Sweetlips enjoys watching the park and sunsets from her big windows. The food scene is great here. Favorites so far include Little Fox for dinner, Urban Loafers for lunch, and far too many brunch options to list. And, of course, WashU is a magical place. I'm teaching an undergraduate course this semester on Law, Politics, and Society, and my students are fantastic--smart, engaged, funny, and lovely human beings. Go Bears!

Lee Epstein, Ethan A.H. Shepley Distinguished University Professor

Peng Peng, Post-Doctoral Scholar in Political Science

The transition to WashU is still a work in progress, but after a month, I’m starting to feel more settled! Some of my favorite spots in the city are Forest Park (because I love running there), and Art Hill—it’s so beautiful, I could stare at the sky for an hour. Plus, the art museum being so close is a bonus! I also recently found a coffee shop I like a lot called Gelateria near Tower Grove Park—it has this cozy outdoor garden, perfect for a relaxing coffee break. I’m always on the lookout for more coffee shops where I can work with a nice atmosphere, so if you know any, definitely let me know! What I like about Wash U? The people! It has such a friendly and collegial environment!

Jaclyn Kaslovsky, Assistant Professor of Political Science and Weidenbaum Center Resident Fellow

I joined the Department of Political Science as an assistant professor, and my research focuses on Congress, representation, and women in politics. Prior to joining WashU, I was an assistant professor at Rice University. My favorite parts about St. Louis so far are all of the green spaces and community events. In addition to enjoying visiting the art museum, I love getting Ted Drewes and going on walks in the park.

Awards and Notables

Our faculty and students have produced research, books and articles that have been published in every major political science and noteworthy journal in the country. On top of that, they continue to win grants and awards on top of their everyday teaching and learning. Click the link below to see the work our faculty has produced over the last few months.

Read more

Letters from Department Leadership

Associate Chair

Frank Lovett, Professor of Political Science

Read the Story

Director of Undergraduate Studies

Dan Butler, Professor of Political Science

Read the Story

Director of Graduate Studies

Keith Schnakenberg, Professor of Political Science

Read the Story

Director of Diversity

Matthew Hayes, Associate Professor of Political Science

Read the Story

Director of the Environmental Policy Major

Dino P. Christenson, Professor of Political Science

Read the Story

Summer Programs Update

Keith Schnakenberg, Professor of Political Science & Christopher Lucas, Associate Professor of Political Science

Read the Story

Support Political Science at WashU

Looking to the future of the department we are committed to enriching undergraduate and graduate experiences through student research, scholarly networking, and extracurricular events, including election-related programming, speakers, and other community-building events. These varied learning opportunities are invaluable to our students, and you can help enhance our efforts by making a gift to the Department of Political Science today.

Donate Today!