Michael Murdock (pictured right; photo courtesy of byuh.edu), the new chair of the Political Science Department in the School of Business, Computing, & Government, feels very strongly about the value his department adds to BYU–Hawaii. "It's the best major on campus," Murdock said in a recent interview.
Murdock succeeded Jon Jonasson (pictured left; photo by Monique Saenz) as department chair. Murdock came to BYU–Hawaii in 2007 to teach history and political science classes and to spearhead the creation of an Asian studies minor. Murdock is a historian who received a doctorate in Modern Chinese History from the University of Michigan.
He's been impressed with the department, stating that it's in spectacularly good health. "It has an excellent faculty, they teach excellent courses, they get excellent reviews from students and peers alike. They've got a lot of majors—about 80—[and] they have a very rigorous internship program that is highly successful," said Murdock. The internship program, coordinated by Christina Akanoa, has placed students in embassies, senator's offices, and other government agencies worldwide.
Describing the internship experience of a former student, he stated, "One of our students went to Washington, D.C. on an internship in the Mongolian Embassy. The Mongolian ambassador had to go back to his home country. This intern, a BYU–Hawaii student, ran the Mongolian embassy for two weeks while he was gone."
He feels that the mission of the Political Science Department contributes heavily to the vision President McKay had about leadership: " 'This school will train leaders'—that's us. President McKay said 'leaders' so we take that seriously. Our major prepares students to be effective leaders in government, foreign service, military, law, business, family and community. You understand how interactions with people have a political side to them. Political science equips you to operate very successfully on the next level."
Simply put, political science "isn't about government, it's about political science. Politics exists everywhere," said Murdock.