We look forward to seeing you at this exciting upcoming lecture by Dr. Nayma Qayum. For more information please contact Dr. Aakriti Tandon at atandon@daemen.edu.

Catching Up With Our Alumni – Tori Newman Campbell

Colleges and Universities across the country, Daemen included, are in the midst of recruitment season.  Students are exploring what schools have to offer and considering what they want to study when they enroll.  One of the most frequent questions asked of faculty during recruitment events is, “what can I do with this degree?”  While there is no clear, singular career path our graduates follow, the versatility of this degree is one of its strengths.  A degree in History and/or Political Science prepares students for a variety of careers upon graduation.  We have graduates that have gone on to have successful careers in law, business, education, public service, community development, nonprofit organization, and government, just to name a few.  These graduates have taken their course content knowledge along with the transferable skills they developed in the major and had incredibly successful careers. 

That’s the great thing about these disciplines: they provide a wealth of knowledge of history and/or political science content, but they also equip students with critical thinking skills, the ability to develop and carry out a research project, clear verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to synthesize and meaningfully analyze information.  Our alumni regularly put these skills to use in their chosen career paths.  So, to help answer the questions of “what can I do with a degree in History?” or “what can I do with a degree in Political Science?” we want to highlight some of the interesting and important work our alumni have been up to since graduating. 

Tori Newman Campbell '19, Legislative Coordinator for New York 1199SEIU, a healthcare union

Our inaugural alumna is Tori Newman Campbell, class of 2019.  Tori was a Political Science major who minored in Political Communication and Literature and Composition.  She currently works as the Legislative Coordinator for New York 1199SEIU, a healthcare union.  Below is a discussion I recently had with Tori, highlighting what she has been up to since graduating. 

How have you put your degree to use since graduating?

Every job I have held since graduation was related to my degree. My first job was in an Assembly office in Brooklyn. Although I was there a short time, my background in political science was integral in understanding how the Assembly worked, how laws were written and passed and how the Assemblymember participated in the political process. My next job was at a lobby firm, Bolton St. John’s, and although I was no longer working in an elected office, lobbyists have an enormous effect on the political process as well. Minoring in political communication really helped me at the firm. We often pushed out stories and interacted with the media on behalf of clients and their political goals. Currently, I am at 1199SEIU and as the legislative coordinator, I help the union push for our legislative goals such as increasing the Medicaid reimbursement rate. Much like my first two jobs, my degree has aided me in understanding how we can push for these goals and participate in the political process. Also, my coursework that covered the differences between the local, state, and federal levels of governments has been very helpful since starting at 1199SEIU, because unlike my past two positions, we work with legislators at every level of government. That understanding of how each level works and what each level can do has been very useful when we are setting priorities by office.

What do you like most about your job?

My job allows me the ability to do what I love, while making a difference. Working as 1199SEIU’s legislative coordinator, I get to work with elected officials who believe in our goals of pushing for more resources for our hospitals, nursing homes, and other facilities and getting better pay for our members who are healthcare heroes. I love politics and getting to go to Albany to be a part of the political process. Getting to do this while also changing the lives of the healthcare workers we represent is amazing and I don’t know if I would ever be able to get that balance somewhere else.

Do you have a favorite memory from your time at Daemen that you'd like to share?

I have so many great memories from Daemen, from making lifelong friends to having professors who helped push me to be the best I could be both academically and professionally. I think some of my favorite memories were being on student government. I was always a part of student government before I got to Daemen, but being in college was a bit different and I never thought I would join again. My senior year I took a leap and ran for Secretary, and I won! That year, as a student government body, we brought the stories and concerns of students of color on campus to administration. We made sure our voices were heard and that will always be one of my core memories at Daemen.

Is there anything else you would like to share with our current students and fellow alumni?

I’ll close by just saying that Daemen is a great school and I don’t know if I would be where I am without the experiences and push from my professors I got during my time there.

Our department is incredibly thankful to Tori for taking the time to share her experiences with us and we hope you enjoyed learning a bit about what she has been up to, since graduating just four years ago!  If you would like to share your post-graduation experiences with the department, please reach out to the Department Chair, Dr. Jay Wendland at jwendlan@daemen.edu or drop your contact information in the comment section below.  

Women's History Month at Daemen!

March is Women’s History Month! Please join the Women's Studies Program at Daemen to celebrate and explore issues in women's history.

 

 

Suffragetto!  

Tuesday, March 21

11:30 am to 1:00 pm, Alumni Lounge

This recently rediscovered historic board game (from 1909) is based upon British suffragettes’ battle for women’s right to vote. Suffragetto is a strategy game played by two players; suffragettes try to break into Parliament’s House of Commons and confront police who are trying to disrupt a suffrage meeting in Albert Hall while protecting the House of Commons from the invading women. Learn about movements to secure the right to vote while playing this historic game. Co-sponsored by Daemen’s Women’s Studies Program and the Center for Diversity & Inclusion. Refreshments are included. 

  

 

“Hidden Figures”  

Thursday, March 23 

4:00 to 7:00 pm, RIC120

The 2016 film, headlined by Octavia Spencer, Taraji P. Henson, and Janelle Monae, traces the stories of three Black female mathematicians, human “computers” whose work for NASA was integral to the success of the US space program. After the film, Dr. Intisar Hibschweiller (Professor of Mathematics) and Dr. Diane Ramos (Chair of Natural Science Department) will discuss women’s role in STEM fields, including challenges and opportunities for women today. Co-sponsored by Daemen’s Women’s Studies Program and the Center for Diversity & Inclusion. Refreshments are included. 

 

“Gendered Norms and Women's Access to the Law in Rural Bangladesh” 

Wednesday, March 29

1:25-2:20pm, DS336 

Lecture by Dr. Nayma Qayum, the author of Village Ties: Women, NGOs, and Informal Institutions in Rural Bangladesh. Qayum will explain how rural Bangladeshi women seek to end practices such as child marriage, dowry abuse, and intimate partner violence, which persist although they have been outlawed. Qayum is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Global and International Studies at Manhattanville College. This event, part of the History & Politics Event Series, is also co-sponsored by Daemen’s Global Studies program, Women’s Studies program, and the Center for Diversity & Inclusion. 

 

 

“Gaslight” 

Friday, March 31

5:00-7:30 pm, RIC120

Are you curious about “gaslighting,” Merriam-Webster’s 2022 Word of the Year? In this classic 1944 thriller, Ingrid Bergman plays a newlywed whose husband manipulates her into distrusting her own experiences, perceptions, and memories (“gaslighting” her). Come for the film and stay for the discussion, with commentary and discussion led by Dr. Shirley Peterson, emeritus Professor of English. Co-sponsored by Daemen’s Women’s Studies Program and the Center for Diversity & Inclusion. Refreshments are included. 

 

 

 

**All events are free and open to the public. Please contact Dr. Penny Messinger, director of the Women's Studies Program, for more information**