Political Science Department
“Pizza and Politics” is the Department of Political Science’s lunchtime occasional speaker series. Three or four times per trimester, during the common lunch hour, pizza is served while faculty and students from the department and across campus gather to hear presentations on political topics of interest. Sometimes speakers come from outside of the Union community; other times, students and/or faculty members present. Lively discussion always follows the presentation.
Pizza and Politics events for the 2021-2022 academic year
Stay tuned for more information
Pizza and Politics events for the 2017-2018 academic year
January 9, 2018: What Can I do With a Degree in Political Science?
February 6, 2018: Our Trump Year
March 6, 2018: Chester Arthur — The Anti-Trump President
April 25, 2018: PSC 277/Capital Region Political Internships — A Round Table Discussion (co-sponsored by Pi Sigma Alpha)
May 7, 2018: U.S., China, & Technology: Cooperation or Rivalry? (co-sponsored by Pi Sigma Alpha)
May 18, 2018: The Age of Equity? How College Athletes Think About Title IX and Political Mobilization
May 29, 2018: Lunch with Union’s Returned Miverva Fellows
June 1, 2018: Special Counsel Robert Mueller III — You’re Fired!
Pizza and Politics events for the 2015-2016 academic year
Oct. 28, 2015: Bob Cohen, Policy Director, Citizen Action of New York, “The Affordable Health Care Act (Obamacare) at Five: Where Do We Go Next?”
Nov. 4, 2015: Saima Anjam, Environmental Health Director, Environmental Advocates of New York, “Toxics in Our Water: Legislation on Microbeads in New York.”
Nov. 16, 2015: Professor Emeritus Lawrence Wittner, History Dept., University at Albany, “The Corporatization of Higher Education.”
Jan. 11, 2016: Cheng Chen, Associate Prof., Poli-Sci Dept., University at Albany, “What is Behind Anti-Corruption? A Comparison of Russia and China.”
Jan. 13, 2016: Ausra Park, Assistant Prof., Poli-Sci Dept., Siena College, “Putin and Putinization in Europe.”
Feb. 10, 2016: New Hampshire Primary Mini-Term Students (Prof. Zoe Oxley): “The New Hampshire Primary: What Happened? Why? What Happens Next?”
March 2, 2016: Anthony Perez (’11), Bronx Democratic Party Executive Director, “Politics 101: Managing Local Political Campaigns.”
Pizza and Politics events for the 2014-2015 academic year
“Framing Ferguson & the Death of Michael Brown”
Prof. Deidre Hill-Butler
Dept. of Sociology
15 Oct
“The Syrian Refugee Disaster: Adding Fuel to the Middle East Fire”
Prof. Tom Lobe
Dept. of Political Science
29 Oct.
“Student Perspectives on the 2014 Midterm Elections”
Student Speakers:
Kenneth White — political science-economics ’16
Alex Degrasse — political science-classics ’16
Kyra DeTone — arts-women’s studies ’16
Hector Tejeda — political science-sociology ’16
3 Nov. Monday
“Marijuana: Facts and Fictions”
Prof. Mitch Earleywine
Dept. of Psychology
University at Albany
21 Jan.
“Immigration in New York’s Capital Region”
Michael Fondacaro — Editor of Noticias y/e Notas
(weekly email newsletter covering the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking communities of Upstate New York and New England outside of Boston)
Also Featuring:
Roman Vidal-Guzman (Union ’11) — The Legal Project, Albany, NY
4 March
“The Lonely War: One Woman’s Account of the Struggle for Modern Iran”
Nazila Fathi
Writer/Journalist
9 March
“Anti-Police Violence Movements in NYC and Beyond”
Nadia Alexis (’09) — Organizer with the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement/Co-Chair of the Cop Watch Alliance coordinated by the People’s Justice Coalition for Community Control and Police Accountability
25 May
“The Center for Community Justice”
Pam Brucker — Community Support Services Director, Schenectady
29 April