Letter from the Director of Diversity

Matthew Hayes, Associate Professor of Political Science

The Department of Political Science has continued a number of initiatives to promote inclusion in our teaching and research. 

In Summer 2024, the Department hosted six undergraduate students from across the country as part of our continuing Washington University Summer Training Experience in Political Science (WU-STEPS) program. These students came from a variety of backgrounds, but all shared a commitment to fostering a more inclusive discipline of political science. Two of our previous WU-STEPS alumni are now enrolled as graduate students in our PhD program. 

The department also participated in the Ralph Bunche Summer Institute's (RBSI) annual undergraduate recruitment fair. Professors Matthew Hayes and Michael Strawbridge (an RBSI alumnus) attended the event and are hopeful that it can expand on the success of our WU-STEPS pipeline to help us build a more diverse and inclusive Ph.D. program at WashU.