New face in Political Science department

by: sam bailey
Staff Writer

He has never even seen, let alone tasted a corn dog, and spiders are a new experience for him. Coming to St. Ambrose as an associate professor of political science has exposed 30-year-old Dr. Joseph Hebert to a great deal of new territory, both personally and professionally.

Born and raised in Bangor, Maine, Hebert grew up in the shadow of Stephen King, one of the Pine Tree State’s favorite sons. 

He stayed close to home for his college education, enrolling in the University of Maine as a philosophy major.  Although teaching had always held a special attraction, he was not yet sure what his career would be.  It was not until he was a sophomore that he began to see the path his life would take.

"All through high school I would be more influenced by what teacher I had, rather than what the course was.  This carried over into my time at Maine, and came to a head my sophomore year, when I had an incredible professor who really made me realize that I wanted to be the one to have that effect on students."

 Hebert took the advice of that same professor, applying for the graduate program at the University of Toronto in political science.  After earning his masters and doctorate degrees, he became a post-doctoral fellow at Brown University.   It was while at Brown University that Hebert picked up a copy of an educational journal and saw an ad for an open position at St. Ambrose University.  Hebert had never heard of the small Midwestern university, but he was immediately interested.

"At that point in my life, I was basically looking anywhere for a position.  My post-doctoral work was coming to an end at Brown, and I was really ready to move on.  The position at Ambrose caught my eye because of the size of the school and the pre-law advisor part of it. I’ve always been interested in the law, and the opportunity to work with pre-law students excited me." 

Hebert applied for the position vacated by Dr. Nathan Schlueter at the close of the 2004-2005 academic year.  He was one of two candidates for the job invited to come to St. Ambrose and meet with students and faculty.  The interview process was even more stressful for Hebert than it normally would have been.

"The week I was scheduled to visit the campus, our daughter, Sophie, was born, so needless to say life was pretty hectic!" said Hebert, "But that really cemented my interest in coming to St. Ambrose. The people here were so friendly and accommodating, allowing me to reschedule everything.  It really made it seem like a family atmosphere, which I was looking for."

In addition to his teaching duties, Dr. Hebert has taken on the responsibility for overseeing SAU’s Pre-Law program.  He also serves as the faculty advisor for the Mock Trial team, which is entering its third year of competition. The extra time and energy required by these activities has not gone unnoticed by political science students.

"Dr. Hebert’s doing a great job, but I feel so bad for him!" said Jennifer Hinz, a political science senior and co-captain of the Mock Trial team.  "What a lot to jump into for your first year!  But he’s really handling everything well, and it’s been great working with him." 

Hinz’s opinion is far from isolated; Hebert has drawn rave reviews from students and faculty for his performance.  Rand Wonio, attorney coach for the Mock Trial team, concurred.

"He’s a little reserved compared to Nathan," said Wonio, "but he’s going to be a great asset." 

In addition to growing accustomed to his new professional home, Dr. Hebert has also been settling into the rhythm of Davenport.

 "It feels like home.  My wife and I really love it so far.  It’s a great change from the east coast; where there’s always something to do, but it costs an arm and a leg!  Here, we’ve been able to visit museums, historical displays and other cultural highlights.  We love it!"

The area certainly represents a change for Hebert and his family, who have spent the last 10 years in such relatively foreign locales as Maine, Toronto and Rhode Island. 

Hebert says he has been steadily growing accustomed to the area, though he still occasionally expresses surprise at what many Midwestern students consider commonplace.

"You’ve never had a corn dog?"  An incredulous student recently asked the bemused Hebert, who could only shake his head.  Though he still feels he has a lot to learn about his new home and career, Hebert isn’t deterred.  He’s even looking forward to some of it, particularly those corn dogs he’s heard so much about.