PI SIGMA ALPHA
Loras College is home to the Alpha Alpha Upsilon chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha.
As the national political science honor society, the organization’s purpose is “to promote worthwhile curricular and extracurricular activities related to political science,” and “to stimulate scholarship and intelligent interest in political science.” Induction into the organization is a sign of a student’s superior academic achievement in the study of politics. The Loras chapter, founded in 2003, is the 589th chapter nationwide.
LORAS POLITICS ALUMNI SUCCESS
Politics alumni have gone on to distinguished careers as lawyers, business executives, nonprofit directors, urban planners, congressional staff members, members of the U.S. military, teachers at the elementary and secondary levels, lobbyists, college professors, government administrators, policy analysts, and diplomats.
They include several state legislators, two former members of Congress, a state attorney general, and the owner of a private detective agency.
Here are just a few examples of graduates and their positions:
Candace Eudaley, Assistant Director, Iowa East Central Intergovernmental Association
Meghan Healy, Attorney, Di Renzo and Bomier
Susan Hess, Attorney, Hammer, Simon, and Jensen
Jeff Loftsgaarden, Healthcare Strategy Manager, DaVita HealthCare Partners
Michael Loebach, Treasury Investment Specialist, Heartland Financial USA
Steve Lukan, Director, State of Iowa Office of Drug Control Policy
Kelsey McElroy, Management Analyst at City of Thornton, Colorado
Jake Oeth, Staff Member, United States Congressman Bruce Braley
Neil Ruhland, TARP Fund Investigator, United States Department of Justice
STUDENT OUTCOMES GOALS
Unlike the study of politics at many other colleges, the Loras program examines the moral principles and ethical dilemmas underlying political matters across its courses.
- You will learn how to look at problems in different ways, how to untangle cause and effect relationships and how to develop creative solutions.
- You will learn about the underlying dynamics of human conflict and cooperation.
- You will learn how to gauge the influence of current events in the local, national and global arenas.
- You will learn how to effectively communicate with others in both written and oral forms, a critically important ability in today’s information-based society.
LORAS POLITICS STUDENT EXPERIENCES
An area for particularly active and competitive state and congressional races, Dubuque itself offers Politics majors unparalleled access to political campaigns and candidates. Large numbers of majors work often times through academic internships, in political campaigns at both the state and federal level or in local government lobbying efforts and organizations.
In addition to the myriad of professional experiences available locally, Loras is affiliated with the Washington Center, and regularly sends students to study and intern in Washington, D.C. This experience is invaluable and creates a program that combines a theoretically rigorous curriculum rooted in the liberal arts with professional experience. For those with interests beyond U.S. politics, the Washington Center has numerous internship opportunities with organizations and institutions that have a global focus.
Locally, Politics majors are frequently placed in internships with the Dubuque Chamber of Commerce, the East Central Intergovernmental Association or Dubuque City Government.
The Politics program houses the Loras College Moot Court program—an intercollegiate competition in which Loras is traditionally very successful. Loras is also the home to the annual Upper Midwest Regional Moot Court Tournament—one of six tournaments serving as qualifiers to the national championships.