UW-Superior Social Inquiry Department's News and Events

New political science and philosophy faculty seek to engage students

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:04:08 +0000

By Elizabeth Reichert
University Relations student writer

Some people find talking politics or waxing philosophical an interesting pastime, but for three new faculty members in the Social Inquiry Department at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, it's an occupation and joy. Dr. Sarah LaChance Adams, Dr. Daniela Mansbach, and Dr. Alisa Von Hagel are bringing with them courses, goals, and hopes to continue strengthening the department's academic programs and the student body.

Dr. Sarah LaChance Adams

Dr. Sarah LaChance Adams is an associate professor of philosophy. She holds a doctorate degree from the University of Oregon and previously taught there. She teaches classes in philosophy and women's studies, including Contemporary Moral Problems; Enlightenment, Freedom; and Introduction to Women's/Gender Studies.

"I'm very excited to be coming here," LaChance Adams said. "I like in smaller institutions there's a chance to really get to know students."

Seeing opportunities for expansion and increased involvement, LaChance Adams' hopes for her department to offer additional philosophy courses and to broaden its group of philosophy students.

"To offer philosophy classes that are relevant to people's majors in other areas, to really relate to people's actual lives - philosophy has the potential to reach people in that way," LaChance Adams said.

She has already seen her hope of expanded course offerings begin to come true through some of the classes that she has brought to UW-Superior, including "Teaching of Social Justice" and "Philosophy of Children." However, she would like to see more.

She also wants students to view the department as a "place where they feel intellectually challenged, respected for their own thoughts, and stimulated to see the world in a new light," she said. "I would like to develop a robust group of philosophically engaged students, whatever form that takes."

Dr. Daniela Mansbach

Dr. Daniela Mansbach is an assistant professor of political science who teaches courses in political science and women's studies, including Feminist Theory and Action and Theories of Human Rights. She holds a doctorate degree in political science from The New School for Social Research and taught in New York before coming to UW-Superior.

Mansbach wants her students to be successful in their coursework and personal development. This desire matches well with UW-Superior, which attracted her to the university.

"I liked how the teacher-oriented situation focuses a lot on students' openness to critical thinking," she said. "I like seeing the students feel more comfortable with material and not only understanding material but having the ability to say something and write [about it]."

Mansbach's passion for her interests within her field of study carries into her teaching.

"I want to develop political theory concretely, to make people less afraid of the word 'theory,' and to have students understand theory as a basic practice," she said.

Because Mansbach cares about her students' personal development, she especially wants to develop their political selves.

"Students think they don't know enough, so they feel they can't have opinion," she said. "I want them to not just get knowledge but feel they can have an opinion without all the books and to understand political commitment."

Dr. Alisa Von Hagel

Dr. Alisa Von Hagel is an associate professor of political science and teaches both political science and women's studies courses. These include Women and Politics, Contemporary Issues: American Politics, and Congress and the Presidency. She holds a doctorate degree from Northern Illinois University and previously taught at the university level.

Von Hagel found appeal in UW-Superior's stress on diversity.

"I think the position was perfectly suited to my interests. They emphasized inclusivity and diversity which really attracted me," Von Hagel said. "It definitely lived up to those expectations of a diverse classroom."

She has enjoyed her students' involvement in the class and in the coursework. "They're very engaged, bringing in local and current events. It's great that students are so informed," she said. "The fact that they're willing to bring that into the classroom is wonderful."

Von Hagel wants to see student involvement increase. "I think it's important, even if people aren't political science majors, to get involved, to volunteer for political campaigns, to volunteer in local organizations - to build a culture that is involved," she said.

Along with increased involvement, Von Hagel wants students to know that she and her colleagues are open and accessible.

"I want to work with students to work around aspects of their lives in a meaningful way, to get them involved in lots of different efforts as much as possible," she said. "I want students to view me and our program as a group of faculty members that you can talk to about career plans or look to for courses or planning for grad school; as sources of information they can come to for advice."

Dr. Alisa Von Hagel joins UW-Superior's political science faculty

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 20:44:17 +0000

Dr. Alisa Carolyn Von Hagel
Assistant Professor of Political Science

Education: Doctorate degree in 2011 from Northern Illinois University. Areas of study include American government, women and politics, biomedical policy, and international relations.

Experience: Teaching at the university level

Interesting Fact: Received the Graduate Teacher of the Year Award in 2010 from NIU's Department of Political Science.

Q. What are you anticipating most about your job at UW-Superior?

A. "I am most looking forward to working at a university that embodies the true liberal arts experience. The facilities, resources, and programs available to teachers and students reflect the university's commitment to engaged and experiential learning, and I am eager to work with the many programs on campus to facilitate this component of a liberal arts education at UW-Superior."

Q. What's your favorite topic to teach?

A. "My favorite topic to teach is women in politics, and specifically the impact of gender on governmental processes and institutions. Exposing students to the realities of political power and the impact of identity provides real-world application of the theoretical approaches that often seem irrelevant to their political experiences."

Q. What message do you have for your students?

A. "The experiences from one's college years can be the greatest years of a persons' life, leading to more than just a degree and a job. To have the greatest experience possible, students should use all of the on- and off-campus resources available, enjoy campus events and activities, and make every effort to connect with their teachers and fellow students. A complete educational experience begins in the classroom, but requires engagement in experiential learning at the university-level as well as within the larger community."

Dr. Daniela Mansbach joins political science faculty

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 20:40:50 +0000

Dr. Daniela Mansbach
Assistant Professor of Political Science

Education: Doctorate degree in political science in 2011 from The New School for Social Research. Major field of political theory. Research and teaching interests: political theory, gender politics and feminist theory, theories of human rights, Israel and middle east, politics of resistance.

Experience: Teaching and research

Interesting Fact: Focused on the Checkpoint Watch movement in Israel in her master's thesis and her doctoral dissertation.

Q. What are you anticipating most about your job at UW-Superior?

A. "I am excited about developing the concentration in political theory at UW-Superior. This concentration is a great opportunity to teach courses that combine theory -- mainly critical, feminist and post-colonial theory -- with current political and social events. Combining theory with practice creates interesting courses, which provide students with theoretical background for analysis of complex phenomena, as well as better understanding of the world we currently live in."

Dr. Sarah LaChance Adams joins Social Inquiry Department

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 20:33:08 +0000

Dr. Sarah LaChance Adams
Assistant Professor of Philosophy

Education: Doctorate degree in 2011 from the University of Oregon. Specializations include 20th Century continental philosophy, ethics, feminist philosophy, philosophical psychology

Experience: Teaching and research.

Interesting Fact: Holds masters degrees in both philosophy and psychology

Q. What are you anticipating most about your job at UW-Superior?

A. "I am most anticipating having the opportunity to get to know my students well. I have been teaching at a university of 20,000+ students (University of Oregon), where I only rarely ran into a student again after having them in a class. However, my undergraduate education was at a small liberal arts college, and this is my preferred model as both teacher and student."

Q. What's your favorite topic to teach?

A. "My favorite topic to teach is introduction to philosophy. It is thrilling to open students' minds to something that, at first, appears so obscure. I like demonstrating to them they already ARE philosophers and that they can converse with the most ancient and obscure of texts."

Q. What message do you have for your students?

A. "Can't wait to meet you!"

Student working in senator's office this summmer

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 18:10:00 +0000

Tom Budziakowski, a student majoring in political science and legal studies at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, will spend six weeks this summer working as an intern in the Washington, D.C., office of Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin.

Budziakowski, who's from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, said he pursued the internship to apply and expand his knowledge of political science through a "once-in-a-lifetime experience."

As an intern, he will assist with a variety of work in the senator's office, including working at committee hearings, assisting with research and conducting tours for constituents. He also will have opportunities to attend the Summer Intern Lecture Series, which features presentations by various senators, representatives and agency directors.

Student Vote Under Attack: a Campus Conversation

Thu, 05 May 2011 13:32:00 +0000

What: A Student Led Campus Conversation
Why: YOUR Power to Vote is Under AttacK!

When: Wednesday, May 11 from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Where: Yellowjacket Union Great Room A

*This campus conversation is open to all students; this is a non-partisan event established to build political knowledge and understanding!

*This is an event created by a group of students, who are taking a political activism class; we created this event to increase political awareness around campus.
*This event is sponsored by the Student Government Association

*At our conversation there will be speakers discussing the proposed Voter ID Bills in Minnesota and Wisconsin and how they will affect you, the importance of your voter participation, how state and local politics affectsyou, and your significance in being involved in the political process.

*We will be serving a FREE LUNCH of pizza, cookies, and beverages to accompany of conversation!!!

Corporate personhood?

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Woman of Color Awards Reception

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 06:00:00 +0000

Women's History Month

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 06:00:00 +0000

Women's Gender Studies Essay Competition

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 06:00:00 +0000

The faculty of Women's and Gender Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Superior
is pleased to announce an essay competition for 2007-2008

A prize of $75 will be awarded to the top essay in each of two categories:

best scholarly essay, and
best expressive/creative essay

The competition is open to all undergraduate students at UW-Superior.

Papers should have a theme of experiences or issues affecting women. Papers may be papers written for any course offered at UW-Superior or may be papers specially written for the competition by any student officially enrolled in a UW-Superior course during Spring 2007, Fall 2007, or Spring 2008. Papers should be submitted to Deborah Schlacks in Sundquist 206, by May 12, 2008 (extended deadline). Please include name and contact information (including an e-mail address) on a cover sheet, and omit this information from all other pages of the entry.

The papers will be judged by a committee of Women's and Gender Studies faculty. Criteria for selection will include structure and style as well as treatment of theme.

Entrants grant permission to the Women's and Gender Studies Program to publish their entries.