In the spring of each year, the Department selects two students (juniors or seniors) to serve as Student Departmental Advisers (SDAs) for the following year (we chose five for 2023-2024!) from among those students who express an interest and whose major GPAs are above 3.00 (a college requirement). These SDAs advise first-year students and others about course offerings, the major, and other matters.

For Fall Term 2023, our SDAs will have office hours M-F, 4pm-5pm, in Hasenstab Hall, Room 306.

Political Science Department SDAs for the 2023-2024 academic year are:

  • Quinn Buhman ’24
    • President, Carleton Student Association
    • Co-Founder and Treasurer, CarlsVote
    • Chair, Mental Health Working Group
    • Student Liaison, Workday Implementation and Transition Team
    • Student Ambassador, Alumni Admissions Representatives Program
      • “I decided to pursue Political Science as my major because I wanted to be part of a department that encompassed various disciplines within the humanities and social sciences. The beauty of this choice lies in the flexibility it offers, allowing me to explore a diverse range of subjects without being confined to a predetermined trajectory. This freedom empowered me to tailor my major to align with my unique interests and aspirations, enabling me to carve out a personalized academic journey. By embracing Political Science, I embraced a world of interdisciplinary opportunities and the chance to shape my educational experience according to my own vision.”
  • Nate Ellis ’25
    • Co-President, Men of Color (MOC)
    • Captain, Club Soccer
    • Marketing and Graphic Design, Student Activities Programming Board
      • “I view political science as a science of understanding. Studying politics and power at both domestic and international levels grants me with extensive knowledge of different ideologies, institutions and behaviors. I chose the major so I could come to more of an understanding of the world around us and learn what steps can be taken to positively impact it.”
  • Sadhana Mandala ’24
    • Vice President, Carleton Democrats
    • Peer Leader/Mentor, Office of Intercultural Life
    • Live & Organize, Wellstone House of Organizing and Activism
      • “I decided to pursue a major in Political Science/International Relations & Africana Studies because the department provides a dynamic blend of insightful coursework, research opportunities, and real-world engagement that align perfectly with my interests in public policy, international affairs, and foreign policy. The abundance of research opportunities within the department, coupled with the unwavering dedication of professors who provide invaluable support, presents an immensely appealing and exceptional opportunity for academic and research growth within this major.”
  • Sammie Ulicny ’25
    • Social & Ballroom Dance
    • Freier Karleton Klub (German Club)
    • Student Worker, Student Financial Services
    • Student Grader, German Department
    • Phi Theta Kappa
      • “As someone interested in a career in foreign policy and diplomacy, at Carleton I have had the opportunity to explore critical and exciting topics like geopolitics and international security, in addition to the role the intersection of ideas, place, and memory contribute to the way we imagine identity and the nation. In exploring the infinite social, economic, cultural, and environmental dimensions of living in a political community, we are all able to become more active and well-informed citizens. I am thrilled to call the Political Science/International Relations Department my academic home at Carleton and excited to welcome other majors–potential or declared–as well as any student interested in taking any number of the amazing courses in the Department.”
  • Andy Yang ’24
    • Chinese Music Ensemble
    • Intramural Basketball
    • Religion Department Assistant
      • “Politics inhabits a realm where individuals can freely converse with others, embrace diverse perspectives, and collaborate in collective endeavors—yet this public sphere, a supposed sanctuary of democratic exchange, remains vulnerable to the grip of coercive violence and ideological indoctrination. This is precisely why I major in political science. Through politics I can exercise my agency as a human to speak for the silenced, to act against coercion, to not let my conscience slip into apathy, and to always stay indebted to our world.”