Susquehanna University Political Science Department

03/31/2026

Last Friday, two of our students (Grace Pennucci and Alice Polcrack) attended the Pennsylvania Political Science Association Annual Conference to present their senior research project.

Grace presented her senior research project “The LGBTQ+ Community and Humanitarian Support: A study of Ukraine/Russia War.

Alice presented her senior research project on “The effect of Behavioral Crisis Care on Emergency Department Utilization in Rural Communities.”

This was a great professional opportunity that allowed these two dedicated students to present on topics they care so much about.

03/19/2026

Yesterday, six of our students (Jonathan Ulicny, Kathryn Hucaluk, Grace Pennucci, Mackenzie (Mack) Moran, Lauren Bjelobrk, Hannah Foust) and Professor Clark had the incredible opportunity to attend Susquehanna’s Annual Leadership Symposium in Baltimore!

From connecting with inspiring alumni to gaining firsthand experience in building strong networking skills, this event provided valuable insight into careers in public service and law-driven paths. Opportunities like this help shape the next generation of leaders and prepare our students for what comes next. We will also like to say thank you to all of the SU alumni who took the time out of their day to come and participate in leadership discussions to help inspire future River Hawks to Achieve, Lead, and Serve!

We are truly grateful to Signe S. Gates and Dawn Mueller for making this experience possible. Your continued support empowers our River Hawks as they take the next steps in their journeys!

03/11/2026

Hello, if you are willing to support the department, please consider contributing as part of the OneSU campaign. The link is below. Your support has continued to support the growth of the department over the last few years. When donating, please make sure to check the donation to Political Science. Any amount helps.

Join me and make a OneSU gift in support of Susquehanna University!

02/10/2026

Interested in spending a semester in Washington, DC?

The Lutheran College Washington Semester Virtual Open House is coming up, and this is your chance to learn how YOU can live, study, and intern in the nations capital!

They are hosting two sessions this spring - open to all students, faculty and staff:

Session 1: Thursday, February 19 @ 5:00pm
Session 2: Wednesday, March 4 @ 5:00pm

Whether you’re curious about internships, classes, housing, or life in DC, we’ve got you covered. RSVP: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdxlCJf1ZmMncBR_OYyQGKwRey7BZTtq7SuX4O254TJyqWIPA/viewform

11/24/2025

Congratulations to all our seniors who presented their capstone research projects on November 17, 19, and 21st! The department commends all the dedication and passion they put into their work this fall semester.

We look forward to seeing how these amazing seniors begin their new journeys! First image, pictured left to right: Grace Pennucci, Claudia Lazzelle, Hannah Foust, Madeline Hopkins, Brayden Sanfelice, and Jamison Greiner
Second image, pictured left to right: Bryson Wood, Justin Weychert, Gabriella Howe, Reagan Heard, and Luz Peguero
Third image, pictured left to right: Julia Roth, Timothy Pherson, Gianni Matteo, Fernando Jose Dysico, and Lauren Dick

11/21/2025

On November 14-15, the SU delegation attended the 33rd Annual Mid-Atlantic European Union Simulation. With over 100 students from nine institutions, this simulation offered an exciting, real-world experience for SU students on topics such as EU institutions, Ukraine, and energy security. Susquehanna, along with Gettysburg College and Millersville University, created the Mid-Atlantic European Union Simulation Consortium (MEUSC) in 1993. Since then, Susquehanna has been the only university to have participated in the simulation every year.
Students pictured, starting left to right: Nickolas Gailey, Paxton Furr, Adrien Leriche, Charity Lapp, Sarah Bloom, Zachary Mitchell, Mindy Lua-Lua, Tianna Tirado, Ethan Broad, and Skyler McMillen.

10/21/2025

On October 9th, Susquehanna pre-law students attended the Bucknell Law and Health Sciences Fair. Hosted annually by Bucknell University, the fair aims to show students what opportunities are available to them and the next steps they can pursue concerning these disciplines. The event brings together admission officers, faculty, and representatives from a variety of institutions, both regional and national. Students can engage in discussions, learning about the institutions and how to pursue higher education in this area.

“I feel like I gained knowledge on what law school admission counselors are looking for. I got really good one-on-one experiences with several and got to pick their brains on what they are looking for in different applications, and what to do and what not to do. It was a really good experience.”-Justin Weychert

Picture 1, Left to Right: Dr. Peterson, Justin Weychert, Reagan Heard, Ella Shimp, Emma Campbell
Picture 4:Melissa Saintvil
Picture 3, Left to Right: Alyssa Straub and Hannah Canto
Picture 4: Gabby Seals

10/21/2025

10/01/2025

Join us for an exciting lecture on October 6th ⚖️‼️

Jessica Schoenherr from the University of Georgia will be discussing how membership changes affect strategies at the Supreme Court level. This event is FREE and open to the public (also a high chance some of our professors will make this an extra credit opportunity 😉). See you there!

09/19/2025

First picture starting left front: Dr. Clark, Dr. Todd Makse, Dr. Peterson, Dr, Jackson, Dr. Lopez, Dr. Merrill. Second picture: Dr. Peterson
From September 11-14, political science professors attended the American Political Science Association (APSA) Annual Conference in Vancouver, Canada. The theme tackled this year was Reimaging Politics, Powerhood, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times.

The APSA “promotes a lively, diverse community of scholars, teachers, students, and practitioners who bring wide-ranging interests, methodologies, and perspectives to the analysis and conduct of government and politics” aiming to “deepen our understanding of politics, democracy, and citizenship throughout the world.” The conference hosted panels, workshops, and presentations designed to enhance collective knowledge, networking, and professional development.

“I always view them [conferences] as an amazing way to connect with scholars in my field and I always come away energized in conversations I have. It gets me really motivated to bring that energy to my research and teaching. I think it helps a lot of our students to know that what we expect of you, we do as faculty. It can be rewarding if you keep pushing forward.” -Dr. Merrill

“For me, going to the conferences is an opportunity to get to see new research and how people are approaching questions that are similar to those that I am looking at. I get to learn about new data sets that I might use or pass along to students who are doing research, and so there are a lot of things I can bring back for senior seminars or for research methods, even though the topics I am doing are not necessarily directly transferable.”-Dr. Lopez

09/09/2025

We’re thrilled to have David Smolansky present “Defying a Dictatorship: Moving Venezuela Towards Freedom.” David is former Mayor of El Hatillo in Caracas, and Deputy Director of the ConVzla Presidential Campaign.
Thursday, Sept. 11 at 7:00 PM
Degenstein Campus Center Theater
Free and open to the public

09/05/2025

Join us on Sept 17th at 7pm for a Constitution Day lecture with Dr. Zorn from PSU! 💙⚖️