Political Science

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to a new academic year. I hope everyone had a restful and productive summer and is returning with renewed energy for the year ahead.

We begin 2026–27 from a position of strength. Over the past year, our department continued to distinguish itself through outstanding research, curricular innovation, strong student engagement, and an impressive range of intellectual and public activities. Our faculty published books and articles with leading presses and journals, secured important external funding, developed new courses and programs, and continued to build areas of research excellence that enhance the visibility and reputation of our department. While we had to navigate a hard transition period in our grad program due to budgetary restrictions, our doctoral program remains strong. In terms of undergraduate enrollment, we continue to display a very healthy trajectory: the first-year undergraduate class grew significantly this year, reflecting the relevance of our discipline and the reputation of our program within UIC. Most importantly, we remained deeply committed to serving and mentoring our undergraduate and graduate students in accordance with our mission as the only R1 public university in Chicago.

We enter this year amid profound transformations. We face vertiginous technological change, an increasingly complex and challenging political environment, and significant transformations in higher education itself. These developments will require adaptability, creativity, and a willingness to rethink some of the ways we teach, conduct research, and serve our students. Yet they also underscore the importance of what we do as political scientists.

As we navigate these changes, our fundamental commitments remain unchanged: to provide our undergraduate and graduate students with an excellent education; to produce research of the highest scholarly standards; and to fulfill UIC’s mission as a great public institution by expanding opportunity, promoting social mobility, and producing knowledge that serves Chicago, Illinois, and the broader world.

I am fortunate to undertake this work alongside an outstanding leadership team, which will undergo a few changes this year. After a fruitful tenure as DGS, Stephen Engelmann is stepping down, as is Norma Moruzzi, who has kindly served as Associate Head even though she is only 50% in our unit. The department owes an enormous debt of gratitude to both Norma and Stephen for their commitment and professionalism. EJ Fagen will assume the role of Director of Graduate Studies, while Stephen will move into the position of Associate Head for this academic year. Petia Kostadinova will continue to serve as our Director of Undergraduate Studies. I am also grateful to Deanndra Petraitis, our Business Administrative Associate and Graduate Program Coordinator, for her extraordinary work and unwavering support of our faculty, students, and UIC. I look forward to working closely with Deanndra, EJ, Petia and Stephen, and the rest of our faculty toward growing, learning, adjusting to new societal conditions, and realizing our unit’s significant potential.

In closing, I am delighted to welcome Professor Kumar Ramanathan to our faculty. Kumar’s expertise in American political development, urban politics, public law, and Chicago politics will enrich our intellectual community and strengthen an area in which our department has long excelled.

We have much to be proud of and much work ahead. I look forward to facing the opportunities and challenges of the coming year together, with collegiality, creativity, and a shared commitment to making our department an even stronger intellectual and educational community.

Warmly,

Andreas E. Feldmann