Education

College of the Holy Cross (BA), Loyola University Chicago (MA '95, PhD '02)

---

Hometown

Chicago, Illinois

What attracted you to Arrupe College?

I was drawn to Arrupe College because of its innovative mission to provide underserved students with a rigorous, affordable liberal arts education in the Jesuit tradition so that they can achieve academic and professional success and become leaders who inspire us to work for a more just, peaceful world. I was also inspired by Arrupe’s core operational principle of cura personalis—the consideration of the holistic needs of each individual student.

Talk a little about the classes you teach.

As a political scientist with a specialty in International Relations and Comparative Politics, I have taught a broad range of courses including Introduction to Politics, American Federal Government, American Foreign Policy, Politics of Developing Nations, European Politics, Politics of the Middle East, and International Relations.

How did you get involved in teaching political science?

I became interested in political science because of a professor I had as an undergraduate at the College of the Holy Cross, Dr. Maurizio Vannicelli (of happy memory). He was an engaging professor who inspired me to have an insatiable curiosity about politics and a desire to teach.

What’s your favorite part about teaching? And the biggest challenge?

My favorite part about teaching is seeing students get excited about learning and taking ownership of their own education. My hope is to inspire a life-long interest in politics and civic engagement in my students. I also really, really enjoy learning. The biggest challenge is grading!