Another chair letter, another farewell!
First, we bid farewell to our long-time colleague, Distinguished Professor Kathy Dolan, who retired in June after an impactful career. Farewell, and a hearty congratulations!
Professor Dolan served nearly 25 years at UWM and had just completed her second term as University Committee Chair. She had also just finished her second term as co-editor-in-chief of one of the field’s foremost journals, the American Journal of Political Science. In her tenure at UWM, she served as department chair and director of graduate studies, and held a number of positions in departmental and university governance.
Her prolific scholarship included two books and many peer-reviewed articles on gender and politics, including the best article published in 2009 in Political Research Quarterly. She won a National Science Foundation grant for her research on voting for women candidates and was frequently called upon by local, state, and national media for her astute political commentary. Her work has been cited nearly 6,000 times and she still has research in progress. She’s taught thousands of students about American government, hopefully making a dent in the knowledge deficits she often studies in her research. Our department will not be the same without her!
Second, I bid farewell as the Chair, leaving the department’s leadership in the capable hands of my colleague, Associate Professor Hong Min Park, after serving for six years. I began my term in fall of 2019, touting engagement as my theme only to be stymied by a worldwide virus. That’ll teach me to dream big! I have learned and grown a lot and have enjoyed being my colleagues’ biggest fan through some difficult times for UWM and for higher education more generally. I continue to believe strongly in the dual research and teaching missions of this great university and I’m confident that our people, which are obviously our greatest strength, will come through these difficult times with strength and creativity to make UWM even more remarkable. I hope our friends will stand beside us, speak up for us, and support us in every way in which they are able.
Enjoy this Fall 2025 newsletter, highlighting what our POL SCI students do that makes an impact while they’re here with us, and once they move on. I know we’ll continue to hear about all the big things they do to make a difference in our world. Kathy would tease me for saying it, but the future remains bright!
– Professor Sara Benesh