Professor Sharon Crouse.

Professor Gallya Lahav.

GABE LIPSHUTZ Professor Douglas Foyle.

Government Department Welcomes New Professors

By Ethel Seno
Contributing Writer

Frosh are not the only new faces on campus this September; new faculty members are also learning the ropes at Wesleyan. As part of an effort to diversify and invigorate its teaching staff, Wesleyan has hired several new teachers for this school year.

The government department received three professors, the highest number received by any department, according to Babara Craig, chair of the Government department. The department has not received three staff members at a single time in her tenure.

The selection process for the three teaching positions was rigorous, opening with an applicant pool of more than 300 highly qualified individuals. Of these 300, 11 were invited for on-campus interviews last spring. Government majors and student volunteers in the field spent lunch times getting to know the prospective professors. In addition to enthusiasm, they also considered each professor’s ability to relate to students, a factor that the selection committee found valuable.

The new department members, Gallya Lahav, Douglas Foyle and Sharon Crouse, are united in their excellent educational backgrounds and extensive research undertakings.

It is their varied experiences and personalities, however, that distinguish them as teachers. Craig speaks assuredly of their ability to transmit enthusiasm both inside and out of the classroom, "a top attribute in a good teacher."

Lahav, originally from Israel, travelled extensively around Europe before moving to the United States and completing her PHD at the City University of New York. She named "international immigration" as a continuing interest and research focus; while in Europe, she spent two years working under the population division of the United Nations.

A Mellon SSCR grant enables Lahav to continue her research on immigration issues which will culminate with the publication of a book on immigration politics in the European Union that she is currently finalizing.

The First Year Initiative (FYI) course "The European Union" is one of the courses she teaches this semester. Lahav spent the last year as a visiting professor at Wellesley College, a "tremendous" teaching experience she hopes to renew.

From Kansas, Foyle has made his way across the US, completing his undergraduate studies at Stanford, earning his PHD at Duke, then continuing post doctorate research at the Mershon Center of Ohio State University.

His book, titled "Counting the Public In: Presidents, Public Opinion, Foreign Policy," a basis in his research, is due for publication in February. Foyle is "thrilled to death" with his new position; "Democracy and Foreign Policy", another popluar FYI, is one of the courses he teaches this fall.

Krause, who grew up in Iowa, completed her undergraduate education at Wellesley and received her PHD from Harvard University. She said that Wesleyan, being a strong liberal arts University in New England, feels like a "familiar" place.

Krause was awarded the Charles Somner Award at Harvard for outstanding work in political theory. Her articles have been printed in highly esteemed publications such as Polity, and her dissertation on the French political philosopher Montesquieu is being considered for publication. This semester Krause teaches "The Courage of Conviction", an FYI course that examines "the meaning of America in American political thought."

Krause mentioned the "high caliber of students" alongside an "environment committed to teaching and research" as some of the main reasons she was attracted to Wesleyan. Similarly, Foyle applauded students he described as "bright, intelligent, and enthusiastic."

Lahav commented that there is a real intellectual spirit about the campus. She observed, also, a togetherness in the realization of a "campus center" that is absent in more dispersed or less conventual college campuses.

With their fresh perspectives, open-mindedness, and clear dedication to their work, the three new government professors are ready to make a real contribution to the Wesleyan community.