Public Intellectuals, Engaged Scholars, Committed Students and Practical Politics
Our department is committed to a kind of political science that evokes such phrases. We believe the study and teaching of political science should:
- be relevant to real-world concerns
- help students gain practical experience in testing ideas and building knowledge through community engagement
- feature instructors with a history of social engagement
- and, above all, foster engaged citizenship in students
Fostering Community Engagement
Over the last few decades, our Department has built several innovative community engagement programs to advance such principles, and many department faculty have won substantial grants to expand their community engagement offerings. We have become nationally known for our programs in indigenous politics, international human rights and inner-city community development, to name a few.
Our formal classroom curriculum builds on and benefits greatly from the community engagement work of many of our professors and instructors. Students of our program will find ample opportunity to explore the innovative community engagement programs these professors have created, even while receiving real-world experience in a variety of professional and community settings.
Professors With Broad Community Experience
We are proud to feature faculty trained at the very best of America's universities, and who also bring a deep personal history of community engagement into their classes. Professors do not expect students to share their politics or to participate in similar community projects, but students do benefit from the practical political knowledge gained by our faculty in their community work. Our full-time, rostered faculty, and some of their experiences, include:
Jana Everett
In graduate school in the early 1970s involved in the beginnings of Women's Studies and in what we called "the women's liberation movement." Field work in India on women and politics and social movements, most recently on a Fulbright to India in 2005.
Christoph H. Stefes
His research focuses on the political and economic transitions in post-Soviet Central Eurasia. He worked on civil society building projects in Georgia (1998-99) and Uzbekistan (2000). In addition, Dr. Stefes is interested in European politics and regularly takes students to Europe to gain firsthand experiences. He is an active member of the American Council on Germany.
Mike Cummings
Personal experience living within and conducting intensive participant-observation research in a variety of international communes and other "intentional communities." Recent experience as an activist in the politics surrounding midwifery, La Leche League and children's rights.
Joel Edelstein
Host and producer of local community radio program covering political affairs. Active in the politics surrounding public radio. Close knowledge of (and participation in) in the political affairs of Mexico, Latin and South America, with extensive travel through Cuba and Mexico.
Glenn Morris
One of America's leading Native American scholars and activists. Internationally active in indigenous people's politics. Active member of the American Indian Movement and founding member of Denver's All Nations Alliance.
Steve Thomas
An active member of the pacifist American Friends Service Committee. A local activist in the nuclear disarmament movement, and a leader in the campaign to terminate nuclear weapons production work at Rocky Flats.
Tony Robinson
Active in low-income inner-city community development work throughout Denver, with a history of activism in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood. Consultant to and co-founder of Denver's Save Our Section 8 Housing Coalition and the Centro Humanitario para los Trabajadores, an organizing center for Denver's immigrant day laborers.
Michael Berry
An active member of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Faculty Council, he teaches courses on American government, Congress, the presidency and research methodology. Research interests concern American political institutions, congressional oversight and federal policy making. His dissertation examined macropolitical conflicts between the legislative and executive branches of government.