the Rice Thresher

Issue date: 2/27/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Ariel Shnitzer After a five-year tenure, Political Science chair Rick Wilson will step down June 30.

After five years as the Department of Political Science chair, Rick Wilson has announced he will step down on June 30. Though Wilson will retire from his leadership position, he will remain at Rice as a member of the political science faculty.

Wilson, who was appointed in 2004 by former Dean of Social Sciences Robert Stein, has served as department chair from 1991-94. The Department of Political Science rotates through chairs every three years, but Wilson's current term included a two-year extension beyond the standard three years because current Dean of Social Sciences Lyn Ragsdale asked him to stay.

As chair, Wilson said his broad duties include administrative tasks, representing the department to the university and beyond and being an advocate for the department and the School of Social Sciences. He also worked to further the department's reputation as a center of excellence, both on campus and around the country. On a smaller scale, chair duties include defining the curriculum, establishing budgetary priorities and hiring faculty.

"I talk about how great my faculty are and how wonderful our students are and constantly spend a lot of time touting the virtues of the place," he said. "We have a really fabulous group of colleagues and my task is to make sure everybody knows [that]."

He said one of the greatest rewards of being chair was watching colleagues become successful by getting grants, publishing books or getting promoted.

"They do [become successful] on their own, but you know that you've probably helped make the road a little smoother for them and not gotten in their way," he said. "People moving forward - that's the cool part."

Wilson also said he has enjoyed seeing the department rise in rank and continue its tradition of excellence. According to U.S. News and World Report, the political science graduate department ranks 29th in the nation.

Over the past few months, he said the most trying part of being chair has been deciding where to cut budgets.

"Every chair is in exactly the same boat right now," Wilson said. "We're all struggling with how to make ends meet without hurting people."

Wilson came to Rice 25 years ago after being recruited by Joseph Cooper, the Dean of Social Sciences at the time, and former Rice professor Political Science David Brady, who has been serving as a Sid Richardson College associate since 1984.

Wilson said he is looking forward to going back to doing research and teaching.

"Those are the two things I really love about this job," he said. "This is a really great environment for learning and teaching and doing your research."

Wilson said Ragsdale has been talking to people in the department and that the announcement of his successor will come soon. Ragsdale's final decision will then be ratified by Provost Eugene Levy, and the new chair will assume Wilson's position on July 1.

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