Paula O'Loughlin combines her naturally entertaining, caring, exuberant personality with content and techniques that challenge and expand students' experiences.
She took advantage of the unusual Minnesota governor's race in 1998 by having students design their own research on Jesse Ventura's campaign success and eventual victory. Students have critically assessed the problem of low voter turnout, especially among young voters. They have used that information to implement ways to "get out the vote" using voter education and registration drives—an important service-learning activity. O'Loughlin works tirelessly as an adviser and in searching for the "right" quality internship experiences for students at local, state, and federal government levels. In addition, O'Loughlin's teaching activities include research with individual students through directed studies, Morris Academic Partners, and the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program.
Roland Guyotte, professor of history, states: "Paula has revitalized the political science offerings by introducing timely and important courses on media and politics, political participation and voting behavior, American political culture, the cross-national study of women and politics, and the cross-disciplinary political psychology course. Paula is certainly leaving her imprint on the academic offerings at Morris."
Paula earned a bachelor of science from Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, and a doctorate from the University of Minnesota.
(From the 2001 news story)
