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

Christopher Hoff Spotlight

Christopher Hoff

Christopher Hoff

Emily Brown Spotlight

Emily Brown

Foreign Affairs Officer, State Department of Global Women's Issues

Amy Bush Spotlight

Amy Bush

Senior Program Assistant for the Committee on Human Rights

Courtney Johnston Spotlight

Courtney Johnston

Entrepreneur Founds Copywriting Business

Quinlyn Mork Spotlight

Quinlyn Mork

Grand Rapids Paralegal Volunteers with Iraqi Refugee Community

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

Nerina Cevra Spotlight

Nerina Cevra

Human Rights Lawyer

Alan Dunklow Spotlight

Alan Dunklow

Assistant Attorney General for Maryland

James Meernik Spotlight

James Meernik

Political Science Professor

Edward Cardenas Spotlight

Edward Cardenas

Media and Communications Expert

View More Distinguished Alumni

News

IR and PLS Alumni Starting Law School

IR and PLS Alumni Starting Law School

IR Alum Jessica Geisler is starting her JD studies this fall at Wayne Law.

Sep 18, 2024

McGhee wins 2024 Zeeb Scholarship for Study Abroad

McGhee wins 2024 Zeeb Scholarship for Study Abroad

Aaron McGhee is the winner of the 2024 Zeeb Scholarship for Study Abroad

Jul 3, 2024

Pullins Wins Outstanding Paper Award

Pullins Wins Outstanding Paper Award

Sarah D. Pullins is the winner of the Outstanding Paper Award for Political Science and International Relations.

May 3, 2024

GV IN DC SCHOLARSHIP WINNER: JACKSON TISDALE

GV IN DC SCHOLARSHIP WINNER: JACKSON TISDALE

Jackson Tisdale is the recipient of the Grand Valley in DC Scholarship for the 2023-24 academic year. The purpose of this alumni-funded scholarship is to assist students in pursuing internship opportunities in Washington, D.C.

Apr 5, 2024

Tafel Recognized for Excellence in Teaching

Tafel Recognized for Excellence in Teaching

Dr. Tafel wins Pew Teaching Excellence Award

Feb 19, 2024

View More News

Events

GVSU Votes! Coalition Meeting

October 3, 2024 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

These meetings will be used to update members of the Coalition on what is coming up next, sign up volunteers for events, inform people on their roles as volunteers, and answer any and all questions....

Rising Tide: Populism and the EU Elections

October 3, 2024 4:00 PM - 5:15 PM

Far right parties in France, Germany, and across Europe made impressive gains in European and national elections this year. Professor Bolgherini will discuss the significance of the elections and of...

Virtual Info Session: Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) - Arabic Info Session

October 8, 2024 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Interested in intensive language study abroad? Join CLS Program Officers and an alumni ambassador to learn about CLS Arabic offerings. The CLS Program provides opportunities for American college...

Virtual Info Session: Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) - Chinese Info Session

October 9, 2024 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Interested in intensive language study abroad? Join CLS Program Officers and an alumni ambassador to learn about CLS Chinese offerings. The CLS Program provides opportunities for American college...

Democracy 101: Your Voice Matters | Voter Education

October 9, 2024 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Democracy 101 is a series of civic engagement informational seminars. Our third event will educate students on how to vote, what a ballot looks like, how to get registered to vote, and other ways...

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Page last modified October 25, 2019