In the Department of Political Science, together we discover, protect, advocate, and understand. From learning abroad to advocating at home, from environmental justice to state politics, our students and faculty expand their boundaries to better understand the challenges and opportunities for cultures and countries.
Together, we advance the human experience.
Discover
The Department of Political Science faculty bring their curriculum to life for their students by traveling with their classes to study comparative public policy and law in London, global environmental politics in the Brazilian Amazon, and food, culture, and the environment in the Mediterranean. Students and faculty travel together for anywhere from one week to one month depending on the program.
Read more about education abroad opportunities with the Department of Political Science.
Understand
In the Colorado Legislative Internship program, students work with legislators at the state Capitol researching, communicating with constituents, attending committee hearings, and reviewing pending legislation. Many interns have gone on to hold leadership positions with local, state, and federal government agencies/organizations.
Advocate
Political Science alumna (’20), Raven Pinto, served as a Native American Congressional Intern for the office of U.S. Senator, Tom Udall, and represented the Native American Cultural Center in student government. Pinto hopes to combine her education and experience at CSU with her love for the Navajo Nation by working in tribal policy.
Read more about Raven Pinto, who was the College of Liberal Arts Outstanding Grad in Spring 2020.
Protect
Colorado State University has a long history of commitment to environmental initiatives and sustainability. With the creation of the Center for Environmental Justice in March 2020, CSU expanded their environmental expertise to include social justice. Environmental justice movements and scholars have examined issues of inequality ranging from water usage concerns to the infrastructure in the built environment. The Center engages with the CSU community by hosting symposiums and summits, organizing events, and teaching environmental justice courses.
Read more about how liberal arts are a key voice in this new interdisciplinary research center.
2018 and 2019 Jenzerá Interethnic School for Conflict Resolution cohorts. Photos courtesy of Jenzerá Work Collective.
Collaborate
Marcela Velasco, associate professor of political science at Colorado State University, led a research study in 2018 and 2019 to better understand the complex relationships evolving among Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities along Colombia’s Pacific coast that have endured decades of violent conflict. The goal was to educate and equip community members with research skills to help them understand and preserve the sustainability of some of Colombia’s most marginalized peoples and the biodiverse ecosystems on which their cultures, economies and livelihoods depend.
Read more about the research and how the values of conservation and sustainability are impacted in the face of perpetual conflict.