D I A N A . E V A N S

The following feature story appeared in the campus publication Mosaic in March, 1996.

Diana Evans

Introducing students to the complexities of political life

While civic textbooks sometimes offer an idealized view of the American political system and the media tend to focus their cynical eyes on the seamier side of politics, a much more complex reality lies somewhere in between. For Diana Evans, professor of political science, a fundamental teaching challenge is prompting students to both understand all of the less attractive aspects of the system and retain enough idealism to envision ways of making change. She says, "I want to help them learn what they need to know to be active citizens."

Evans, who has been teaching at Trinity since 1979, is chairperson of her department, director of its honors program, and director of the College's Legislative Internship Program, one of the largest, longest-running and most successful internship programs. She teaches courses on such subjects as the American political parties, Congress and interest groups, and public policy. She seeks not only to impart the substance of the matter but also to cultivate in her students the skills of a social scientist. How do we gather the information we need? What are the analytical tools we use to critically evaluate information? Learning is swift under Evans' dexterous direction. Professor Clyde McKee, a colleague in the political science department says, "I am impressed by the ease with which she presents very complex material."

An expert on pork barrel
Evans' teaching is informed and enhanced by her years of research on political action committees and their effect on the decisions of legislators and by her more recent study of the politics of "pork barrel" projects. In sharing with students the particulars of her work, she can effectively illustrate theoretical concepts in action. She also directs students' attention to current events and has students apply their academic knowledge to something they've read about in the newspaper or seen on television. Evans says, "It's easy to find examples that really ignite people."

In political science, some topics can be controversial and elicit strong emotions, and Evans works very hard to "create an atmosphere where all views are treated with respect." She acknowledges that she has strong political views of her own but considers it a "misuse of authority" to interject those views in class. Angela Donatelli '96, who took Evans' class on American political parties during the most recent Connecticut gubernatorial race, says, "We tried really hard to get her to tell, but we couldn't figure out whom she was voting for."

Although discreet about her own political views, Evans is "extremely available" to students, according to Donatelli, who once telephoned her professor from the London School of Economics. Even that far away, Donatelli turned to the teacher who she knew would help her to evaluate which courses would be most relevant to her interests and her degree and would most help her gain perspective.

Through the Legislative Internship Program, Evans helps students "apply the theoretical groundwork learned in class to reality," according to Dan Pullium, an Individualized Degree Program (IDP) student and former intern. Student interns work full-time for a state legislator and attend a weekly seminar taught by Evans, who helps them interpret their experiences at the Capitol. Pullium says he would describe to Evans something that he had conveyed to the media by press release or by phone. She would then look to see what actually appeared in the newspaper on the subject, and they would discuss how and why one was different from the other. "She brings a certain breadth and depth of knowledge to how issues develop and what the public sees."

Pullium says Evans is both an extraordinary role model, who encourages students "to look under every rock" when they are researching a subject, and an incredible resource who always knows exactly where to look. He remembers calling Evans to ask her about a particular problem he was struggling with and she told him matter-of-factly, "Those are public documents. You need to go to the Federal Election Commission for that information." Not only that, says Pullium; "Then she pulled out her address book and gave me the phone number!"

A good citizen
On campus, Evans is respected for her commitment to making Trinity a better place, according to colleague Professor Noreen Channels of the sociology department. Evans has been on the Educational Policy Committee and the Individualized Degree Program Council, and is among the faculty working with Diane Martell of the Women's Center to develop an informal mentoring program for junior women on the faculty. Next year, Evans will participate in another program that is in the early stages of development, the Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Assault.

A resident of Hartford, Evans has been on city boards and committees and has been active in state initiatives such as the Connecticut Women's Educational and Legal Fund. "I think it's very important to try to do something for the community," says Evans, adding that although she views such involvement as a responsibility, she also enjoys it. Noreen Channels says, "She's just a very good citizen."

- Leslie Virostek

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