Board of Visitors | Department of Political Science

Students in the Political Science Department have a resource in the department's Board of Visitors (BOV), an advisory alumni board that helps advance the goals of the department. Among the activities that alumni board members support is a mentoring program established for students and recent graduates which includes personal advice and discussion about career paths and pertinent issues for Political Science students. Last fall, in conjunction with the board's fall meeting, a panel of BOV members talked to students about their experiences in different careers they had pursued such as law, business, advanced statistics and analytics after earning their Political Science degrees.

The BOV is also expanding its geographic reach by adding board members from areas of both coasts that have large numbers of political science graduates. New board members could help connect recent graduates to the department through networking, mentoring, gatherings and social media. Board members also could help recruit prospective students for the department.

The BOV is currently accepting nomination for the inaugural Alumni of the Year award and other alumni awards. To nominate someone for an alumni award visit https://go.illinois.edu/PSAlumniAwards.

For more information or if you have questions, contact BOV President John Beck at beck3520@comcast.net, or Vice President Bill Billeaud at bill@lombardglobal.com.

Board of Visitors Featured Members

Morgan Limo

As I was based in Washington, DC for the last few years many of my fondest engagements with the Department of Political Science since departing Champaign-Urbana have been with mentees from the Illinois in Washington Program. In exchange for coaching them on pursuing careers in international affairs, I was pleased to received a standing invite to the annual pizza party (which I plan to take them up on the next time I'm in the United States). I look forward to continued engagement with the Department and other PS alumni.

Wendy Epstein

I so thoroughly enjoyed my experience as a political science major at the University of Illinois, and my professors taught such terrific classes, that I decided in my senior year to change my life plan and forego medical school to instead focus on my legal and policy interests. I ended up attending Harvard Law School and after a successful law career am now a professor myself. I am immensely thankful for having had such a positive, path-altering experience at U of I.