Alumni Advisory Board
Arthur Goldiner
Master of Public Policy, 2010
Chair, Alumni Advisory Board
It is my pleasure to once again take a moment to discuss the good efforts of the Political Science Alumni Advisory Board. This has been a year of expansion and growth for the board. We added additional seats and brought in some new faces to fill seats that opened up. We have continued our efforts to mentor students by making ourselves available and by producing events of interest to students as they move through their educational trajectory. For example, under the “How Does It Really Work” series, board members produced a “Campaign Experience” panel and fair where candidates and representatives from state and local races from both major parties talked with students about their experiences and opportunities to get involved with campaigns, as well as an event about finding fulfilling careers in Washington, D.C. In addition, the board continues to lend support to the excellent student-produced political science journal Paideia. Now in its third edition, it continues to gain recognition and prestige. The board also continues to encourage donations to the Political Science Department and the new Master of Public Policy fund. As you know, in this age of shrinking educational budgets, this support makes a variety of important things possible for our students — everything from having the funds that allow Mock Trial students to attend conferences to helping with the printing costs of Paideia. So, if you haven’t made a donation to the department recently, please do. It is a great time to be a Cal Poly Political Science Department alumna/us. The department is vibrant with both new and seasoned faculty doing interesting and meaningful work. They share a strong sense of purpose in their own work — in the way they put the students’ educational experiences first and by enjoying supportive collegial relationships. We can take pride in the experience we had and the experience of students today.
Mary A. Harris
B.A., Political Science, 1980
Vice Chair, Alumni Advisory Board
The Political Science Alumni Advisory Board’s purpose is to collaborate with and support the department in providing opportunities for mentorships, internships, career advice, and fellowship/networking among students and alumni. The board represents a wide range of alumni in terms of geographic location, background and career, which makes it a very enjoyable group to be a part of. This year we are working on creating events and activities to bring alumni and students together and seeking out more of our graduates to increase our talent and resource bank. If you have any ideas for social gatherings (cultural and sports events, book signings, company tours, presentations, interesting speakers, etc.) in your area that you think fellow alumni would be drawn to, please send your suggestions to: politicalscience@calpoly.edu.