The Department of Political Science is pleased to showcase the March 2015 Alumni / Student Networking Lunch! This annual event is one of the most beneficial resources that the department offers for students who are eager to begin building networks within their respective fields of study. The alumni that attended represented over thirty years of graduate classes - from as early as 1976 to 2009. Former graduates return to the U to speak with current Political Science students about their academic and career-related experiences, as well as answer any additional questions they might have.
In a “pod-style” manner, a total of fifteen students and five alums were dispersed among multiple tables in the room. About every ten minutes, each alum would rotate to the sequential table, ensuring every student was given the appropriate amount of time and attention. A multitude of topics were discussed, everything from finding a work-life balance, to specific classes and additional degrees to look at, to finding the correct job in the future. The array of occupations that held by the alumni gave the students a great breadth of ideas as to what they could potentially do upon graduation.
Elizabeth Sukut, one of the student attendees, further conveyed what her experience was like at the networking lunch: “It was one of the best networking events I've attended, because the ratio of alumni to student was very low, and it was perfectly tailored to the interests of the students who attended…I managed to make a connection from the event as well, so overall, it was a fantastic event, and it seemed as though everyone there wanted to be there and were enjoying themselves.”
The list of attendees included: Alumni - Kathy Tunheim, 1979 BA. CEO of Tunheim Partners; Joel Wessman, 1999 BA. Political-Economic Relations Officer at Consulate General of Canada; Matthew Steele, 2009 BA. Research Associate, Amherst H. Wilder Foundation; Randolph Peterson, 1976 BA. Judge, Minnesota Court of Appeals; Michael Block, 2008 BA. Financial Advisor, UBS Financial Services. Current Undergraduate Students - Keegan Freiburger, Clara McGlynn, Geneva Cole, Laura Pratt, Clayton Carlson, Elizabeth Sukut, David Quinn, Taylor Krawczewski, Leah Enter, Amanda Feddema, Casey Casella, Ryan Olson, Jennifer Adrian, Rebecca Houske. Department Representatives - Joan Tronto (Dept. Chair), Alexis Cuttance (Asst. to the Chair), Rose Miskowiec (Undergraduate Advisor), and Eva Widder (CLA Office of Institutional Advancement).
