GV PS

Outstanding Graduates in Political Science and International Relations

Alena Hontarava is the recipient of the Outstanding Graduate Award for the International Relations Major for the 2011-2012 academic year. She graduated in December with a 3.9 GPA.  

Andrea Schedlbauer is the recipient of the Outstanding Graduate Award for the Political Science Major for 2012. She graduated in December with a 3.9 GPA. 

Hontarava and Schedlbauer will be recognized at GVSU's Annual Awards Celebration next month. Congratulations!

 

Alumnus Working in Peace Corps

Alumnus Lyndia McMullen has been working in the Peace Corps since June. She wrote this note to share her experience:

 

Dear Grand Valley,

I have been invited to go into the Peace Corps!  My assignment is Burkina Faso, to teach Information Technology.  I will be in Philadelphia on June 6th and in Burkina Faso on June 9th.  I will be gone for 27 months at least (three months training, two years working). 

Burkina Faso is a country slightly bigger than Colorado.  It is located in West Africa, above Ghana, Togo and Benin.  So take a map of Africa, go to Algeria, go south to Mali, and south again.  If you reach Ghana, you’ve gone too far.  Its capital is called Ouagadougou!  Isn’t that amazing?  I will spend my 11 weeks of training in a city a few hours north of the capital.  Its annual temperature ranges from 50 degrees to 104 degrees on average.  Northern Burkina Faso touches the Sahara; while the south has a greener environment.  There are a few mountains, but mostly it is flat. 

Burkina is a Francophone country; so I will be speaking French for the most part and an African language.  My toolkit online contains lessons for Moore, which is very different and amazing so far.  I will be teaching in French and if some students don’t understand, I will have to translate in the native language. 

I am nervous about being a teacher, especially Information Technology.  However, the Peace Corps will train me well, both in language and in technological stuff.  Don’t worry.  I won’t be screaming at my computer screen in frustration!   I don’t know if I will have access to many computers or what grades I will be teaching other than Secondary Education.  I will be trained in how to make lesson plans and tests.  During the school year, I will be teaching and during vacations, I will be working with various community programs and camps. 

As to safety, the country has to request Peace Corps Volunteers.  They want the volunteers to be there.  Then the PC evaluates the need to determine if the country, region, and village are safe for an American.  They aren’t going to put me in a position where the people don’t need or want me.  Added to that, I won’t be going into dangerous parts of towns.  I know not to travel by myself at night and they provide a list of trustworthy cabs if I need to get somewhere at night.  The Peace Corps also provides self defense lessons during Training.  There will be several other Volunteers within an hour’s journey and the Head Quarters is in a day’s journey.  I won’t behave in a way that makes me a target for thieves and worst.  Just like in Michigan, I have to know where I can go and how to remain safe.  My neighbors will help me to adjust to the village, languages, and culture.

The Peace Corps provides Trainees and Volunteers with Health Services in case I become ill.  I will take Malaria pills, purify my water, and make sure my rice/millet/grain doesn’t have bugs in it before I eat it.   

I am going to miss a lot of things when I leave, like cold water for drinking, hot water for baths, chocolate, cars, fast food and going to the movies.  I have no intention of missing snow or the Arctic wind that blows in your face no matter if you turn in another direction.    I am excited, scared, happy, nervous, and several other emotions at the thought of going to Africa.  But I know I want to go.  It will be challenging and far different from anything I have experienced in the United States, which is a big draw.  I also get to help people that need me.  Graduate school is still on the plan.  It was always there, and the Peace Corps will help me in grad school.  I still want to go to George Washington University.  Only now, I will have more experience and have traveled before I earn a Masters. 

Some sites if you want to know more about Burkina Faso:

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uv.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1032616.stm

http://www.monburkina.com/ (It is in French, but it is a Burkina Faso website with pretty pictures.) 

Love,

Lyndia McMullen

Class of 2010

 

 

Political Science and International Relations Newsletter

We are very pleased to bring you the first edition of the PLS & IR Newsletter! It contains alumni profiles, news on the latest accomplishments of our students and faculty, and information on various events and scholarships. 

Alum Lewis to Host Spike TV Show "Repo Games"

Here is some additional evidence that Political Science is an incredibly versatile major. Political science alumnus Josh Lewis ('08) has been named the co-host of a new show on Spike TV called "Repo Games." Josh's bio and information on the show can be found here. The show premieres April 26th at 8 pm Eastern.

Alum VanKuiken Finds Success as Campaign Manager

GVSU political science alumnus Peter VanKuiken successfully managed Brandon Dillon's campaign for state representative and was recently hired as Dillon's legislative assistant. His story is featured in the Lanthorn.

Distinguished Alumnus-in-residence Dr. James Meernik

The political science department and international relations program are pleased to welcome Dr. James Meernik for the CLAS distinguished alumni-in-residence program on Friday, October 8, 2010. We are hosting two events which are open to students:

Meet and Greet
9:30-10:30 a.m.
1147 Au Sable Hall

Presentation: “Transitional Justice”
2:00 p.m.
Lake Ontario Hall, Room 174

Dr. James Meernik
Grand Valley State College - Class of 1985
B.A. in Political Science and Psychology

Dr. James Meerik is currently Professor of Political Science and Associate Dean for Administrative Affairs in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Texas. He was Chair of the Department of Political Science from 2002-2008, and Chair of the UNT Chairs Council from 2005-2008. Dr. Meernik specializes in research on post conflict peace building with an emphasis on the role of transitional justice and international law. From 2003-2008 he was Associate editor of the journal, International Studies Quarterly. He has published lots of articles and books on these topics. He co-lead (with his wife and fellow political science faculty member, Kimi King) a UNT Study Abroad Program to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia that won the 2007 American Political Science award for the most innovative course in the US. He has conducted research in The Hague, Bosnia, Rwanda, and Arusha, Tanzania on traditional justice issues. Dr. Meernik was on a Fulbright to the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico (UAEM) in May, 2009 to teach a course on post-conflict peace building and further ties between UNT and UAEM. He was an American Council on Education Fellow in the 2009-2010 class and did his internship at Iowa State University.

Amanda Miralrio, GVSU IR 2008, interns at CRS

Amanda Miralrio has been conducting research on Latin America in the Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade division of the Congressional Research Service. This fall, Amanda is starting her Master's degree in Latin American Studies at George Washington University. She is interning at the CRS Office of Strategic Initiatives (OSI). While at GVSU, Amanda was a McNair research fellow.

Shanna Stebbins Corner studies Human Rights in Jerusalem

Shanna Stebbins Corner, GVSU IR graduate in 2005, is working on her Masters in International Affairs at the Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver. Together with ten other students, Shanna was chosen to participate in a program at the Minerva Center for Human Rights at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. They were in Jerusalem for ten weeks, interning at different human rights organizations and studying the history of the conflict and international human rights law.

Political Science Alum Works for City of Grand Rapids

Graduate Selma Tucker ('09), who majored in political science and public administration, has landed a job with the City of Grand Rapids. See GVSU Success Stories for more information.  

IR Alum Becomes Press Secretary for New Detroit Mayor Dave Bing

Mayor of Detroit Dave Bing has chosen GVSU International Relations ('95) alumnus Ed Cardenas as his press secretary, according to GVNow.