On Tuesday, April 23rd, Pi Sigma Alpha hosted Dr. R.J. Pestritto, the Dean of the Graduate School and Charles & Lucia Shipley Chair in the American Constitution at Hillsdale College. Entitled “Presidential Politics & American Progressivism,” Dr. Pestritto discussed the influence of the early progressive movement on American political thought and institutions. He particularly noted that our understanding of the presidency is shaped by progressive leaders such as Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson.
Francisco Valdovinos, the current president of Pi Sigma Alpha, noted that “it was a great event. Students were very interested and asked excellent questions during the question-and-answer portion of the presentation.”
Founded in 1920, Pi Sigma Alpha is the national honors society for political science. Today, Pi Sigma Alpha hosts chapters on nearly 850 campuses and has inducted more than 300,000 members. Its rolls feature national, state, and local political leaders including one president, three Supreme Court justices, and dozens of members of Congress. The Texas State Chapter, Rho Eta, was established in 1988 and over the last thirty years has hosted a variety of lectures and community-service projects.” Pi Sigma Alpha’s goal is to connect those interested in politics and policy with a wide variety of professionals from across the state and help its members get jobs, internships, and experience before and after college. If you are interested in learning more about the Rho Eta chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, check out the chapter’s page on the department website.
