Alumni

Welcome Alumni!

Welcome to all alumni! 

International relations majors are accomplishing incredible things in Michigan and all around the world. We love to hear from you! If you'd be interested in being featured in one of our spotlights, send an email to [email protected] with a picture and some or all of the following:

  • Name, major(s), minor(s) (optional), and year of graduation from GVSU:
  • Describe your accomplishment (education, work, voluntarism, etc.), and optionally, anything you did previously (just a couple of sentences or as much as a page):
  • Anything you’d like to mention about how your classes, professors or activities at GVSU prepared you for your current path (optional): 

If you are looking to make contact with fellow alumni, check out the GVSU PLS and IR alumni Facebook group.

If you need a letter of recommendation, you'll find our letter of recommendation guidelines here, and faculty contact information here

We look forward to hearing from you!

Spotlights

Jennifer Ventimiglia Spotlight

Jennifer Ventimiglia

Peace Corps Nicaragua, Fulbright Scholar Peru, now Ph.D. candidate in Education Policy, Organization and Leadership at University of Illinois

David Johnson Spotlight

David Johnson

Graduate of Georgetown Law School, General Counsel and Strategic Advisor at The Giving Block, Miami, FL

Mario Amaya-Velazquez Spotlight

Mario Amaya-Velazquez

Amaya Appointed to Development Analyst Position with the Obama Foundation

Joey Courtade Spotlight

Joey Courtade

GlobaLinks Learning Abroad Alumni of the Year

Dorothy Sewe Spotlight

Dorothy Sewe

International Refugee Work in Grand Rapids

View More Spotlights

Distinguished Alumni

Periodically, the Political Science Department is asked by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to invite a Political Science or International Relations alumnus to campus for the Distinguished Alumni-in-Residence program. The program provides a venue for departments to invite outstanding alumni back to campus to share their post-graduation experiences with the GVSU community.  Through the program, our distinguished alumni have the opportunity to share their insights about what constitutes strong academic preparation for students.

Political Science and International Relations Distinguished Alumni-in-Residence:
James Spaanstra 2005
Edward Cardenas 2006
Bob Monaghan 2007
James Meernik 2010
Nerina Cevra 2012
Richard Damstra 2015
Tim Zeeb 2017
Alan Dunklow 2019

Distinguished Alumni

James Spaanstra Spotlight

James Spaanstra

Energy and Natural Resources Attorney

Richard Damstra Spotlight

Richard Damstra

Foreign Service Office, U.S. Department of State

James Meernik Spotlight

James Meernik

Political Science Professor

Edward Cardenas Spotlight

Edward Cardenas

Media and Communications Expert

Nerina Cevra Spotlight

Nerina Cevra

Human Rights Lawyer

View More Distinguished Alumni

News

Robach attends the National Conference of the World Affairs Council as a Student Scholar

Robach attends the National Conference of the World Affairs Council as a Student Scholar

Olivia Robach (PLS and IR double major) earned a scholarship to join student scholars from around the US to attend the annual conference of the World Affairs Council in Washington, DC in November 2025.

Dec 3, 2025

Ozinga Starting Law School at Case Western

Ozinga Starting Law School at Case Western

IR alum Kyla Ozinga is starting law school at Case Western

Sep 16, 2025

IR and PLS Alumni Starting Law School

IR and PLS Alumni Starting Law School

PLS, IR and Human Rights alum Taylor Bessinger is attending the University of Illinois College of Law

Sep 12, 2025

Salam Attending Harvard Law

Salam Attending Harvard Law

IR alum Shireen Salam is attending Harvard Law School.

Sep 9, 2025

Diven Honored with Award

Diven Honored with Award

Professor Polly Diven received the 2025 Hillman-Orr Award from the World Affairs Council of West Michigan.

Jun 23, 2025

View More News

Events

Fulbright US Student Program - Virtual Information Session

January 15, 2026 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Are you interested in teaching English abroad? Are you curious about studying for a Master's degree abroad? The Fulbright program might be for you! Join me to learn more! For more Information...

Drop-In Days of Service

January 16, 2026 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Drop-in Days of Service are on-campus opportunities for students to "drop in" and complete service projects for service hours.  Click here for additional information

Philippine Culture Night

January 31, 2026 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Philippine Culture Night 2026: Tide by Tides

Reporting on Key Issues in China and Taiwan with Emily Feng

February 3, 2026 2:30 PM - 3:45 PM

Join NPR correspondent Emily Feng for an exploration of identity and belonging in China, highlighting the intersection of politics, ideology, and everyday life under Xi Jinping, based on her on-the-ground...

Real Talk: Social Sciences Edition

February 10, 2026 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Gain inside information on career paths, resumes, interviewing, networking, and other career-related concepts that you can start using TODAY as a student by rotating between stations led by GVSU alumni...

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Page last modified October 25, 2019