CAS CONNECT 2018

And what they do is key for society because of their subject matter. “We are the department that studies policy, policy-making and political institutions,” Jalalzai said. “That’s huge. We can train the next generation of policy leaders. We are good at providing students first-hand experiences that link theoretical knowledge with real- world application. The discipline of political science is really important because politics has so many implications.” As an example, look no further than Jalalzai’s research focus: gender politics worldwide, and especially women becoming top executives such as prime ministers and presidents. “My area of expertise is, to what extent have women been able to get and maintain these positions worldwide?” Jalalzai said. “What led to them getting into those positions, and what were the outcomes of their leadership? In a lot of cases, the first woman to become a country’s president or prime minister had been the wife, widow or daughter of a former leader.” Despite what the polls said and what her gut was telling her, Jalalzai’s expertise indicated that Hillary Clinton would lose the 2016 presidential election. One aspect of that race that resonated with Jalalzai personally was Donald Trump’s comments about immigrants andMuslims. She is one of six children born to a Muslim couple who immigrated fromPakistan, settling in northern New York in the early 1970s. Her father, a physician, was recruited to America, where his career thrived. Jalalzai is also thriving, professionally and personally. Her husband, Chad Hankinson, is also a Department of Political Science faculty member. They have two boys —Elam, 9, and Idris, 2. Along with becoming an administrator at a second university, she has written two books and edited a third about women’s political empowerment. Jalalzai earned all three of her political science degrees in the State University of New York system – a 1996 bachelor’s degree fromThe College at Brockport, and both a 2000 master’s and 2004 doctorate at the University of Buffalo. She taught at Pennsylvania’s Allegheny College in 2004-05 before moving on to St. Louis. She was there for a decade until she sawOSU had an opening for the Hannah Atkins Endowed Chair. As the chairholder, Jalalzai receives resources to promote diversity in research, teaching and service. “I thought, ‘Wow, that sounds like what I’m already doing, but now I will have funding to do things like bring in guest lecturers and help students trying to become leaders,’” Jalalzai said. “Obviously I got the job, and this endowment helps me do even more of something so important to me.” Atkins (1923-2010) was the first African-American woman elected to the Oklahoma State Legislature. She later served simultaneously as Oklahoma’s secretary of state and secretary of social services. She advocated for civil and women’s rights, education and improvements in health care, including mental health. She also taught at OSU, the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma City University. The Department of Political Science honored Atkins in 1992 by creating an endowed professorship, later boosted to an endowed chair. The funding came frommany donors, including the Friends of the OSU Library. Jalalzai added the Hannah Atkins Memorial Lecture Series in September 2016. It features campus presentations from researchers improving understanding about political empowerment of minority groups and traditionally disadvantaged peoples. “I am proud to be affiliated with Hannah Atkins’ legacy,” Jalalzai said. “She was a political trailblazer.” FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT POLSCI.OKSTATE.EDU 18 CONNECT 201 8