It is not every day that you have the opportunity to sit down with one of Iona’s more esteemed faculty, and so when we at the Ionian were given the opportunity, we jumped on it. What follows is the transcript of an interview we conducted with one of Iona’s finest, Jeanne Zaino, Associate Professor of Political Science and International Studies as well as the Director of Iona College’s Honors Program.

How long have you been teaching at Iona? When did you first come here? How was teaching then compared to now?

I have been teaching at Iona for about 10 years now. I started as an adjunct when I was still in graduate school and then came on full time eight years ago. A lot has changed in that time , especially the technology we had available in the classroom. When I started, for instance, only some rooms had technology. In fact, at the time I was still using transparencies and an overhead projector  in the classroom (do you even know what those are?). Very few students brought lap tops to class to take notes and we didn’t use things like the electronic Blackboard or Peoplesoft. At that time grades were not submitted electronically and students were still registering for classes in person! Beyond that, the one thing that I recall vividly is that I was an adjunct here when both the 2000 election and 9/11 occurred. Both of those events, 9/11 in particular of course, had an enormous impact on students and each in their own way encouraged more young people to study politics. Similarly, the 2008 election of President Obama really electrified young people on this and other campuses. I was Chair of the Political Science Department at the time and recall how many students participated in our get- out-the-vote drive, the Presidential debates, and our inauguration celebration. In fact the End Zone was so packed that day, many of us ended up sitting on the floor! So from that perspective it has been an exciting time to teach government and politics.

What other professional background did you have prior to your experience with Iona? How has Iona helped you attain / maintain professional goals?

Prior to coming to Iona I spent most of my time in graduate school getting my Masters and Ph.D. I got Masters in Survey Research/Public Policy, and Political Science and then my Ph.D. in Political Science. During that time, I also worked a variety of jobs. I worked as a reporter, a researcher, a teaching assistant, an adjunct instructor, and a pollster (probably other things I cant even remember!). For instance, I spent some time as a newspaper reporter which was actually an incredibly eye-opening experience when it comes to seeing politics in action at the local and regional level. I also worked as a researcher and pollster, which is what I was really trained to do before I got my doctorate. Iona has really been a terrific place in terms of allowing me to continue to pursue these interests. One of the main reasons I was initially attracted to Iona is because it is so close to New York City. This has allowed me to continue to work as both a pollster and in the media. I have been lucky enough, for instance, to work as a polling analyst with CBS for several years and through many election cycles. This has given me access to key data and people – including the New York Times/CBS poll and the exit polls. Just last November, for instance, I did some work for CBS  during the midterm election which allowed me to be at headquarters and watch as the exit poll data came in, real time.  Of course nothing is more exciting for a pollster than to get a first look at that data! And while the exit poll data was fairly accurate during the 2010 midterm, I also worked on it when it wasn’t quite so accurate  – for instance 2000, 2002, 2004. Those were tougher times, but nevertheless incredibly fascinating. Similarly, I have worked a good deal with Fox News, both local and National, the New York Post, NPR, and even some of the more local media outlets (News12, WVOX, Regional News Network, etc…). This has given me the opportunity to get to know people I may otherwise not have access to. In this way I feel very fortunate because Iona has afforded me the opportunity to not only work in the classroom but have access to all the things and people NYC and the surrounding area have to offer.

How did you become involved with Iona’s Honor’s Program? Would you say that this has enriched your experience at Iona?

I first served in the Honors Program when I arrived at Iona as a thesis advisor and an honors faculty member. My first year I actually taught with one of our former Honors Directors, Dr. James Carroll – now Chair of History – and the equally wonderful Dr. Hugh Short. At that time I never thought I would become Director of Honors myself. Although I knew it would be a terrific position because like so many faculty, as an undergraduate student I was a member of the Honors Program (not here of course, but at my alma mater). I continued to serve as a thesis advisor periodically to senior honor students and was thrilled last year when I was asked to assume the position of Honors Director. I have to say that every former Director – not only our own terrific former Directors such as the previously mentioned Dr. Carroll, Dr. Alex Eodice, Dr. Fran Bailie, and Dr. Deborah Williams – but even Directors from other programs all contacted me and said the same thing – “congratulations on getting the best job on campus”. And of course they were right. What makes it the best job is that we are given the opportunity, privilege, to work with the best students. So it has certainly enriched my experience at Iona in that way. It has also given me the opportunity to work more closely with faculty from other disciplines and fields who serve as Honors Faculty, members of the Honors Council, and Honors Advisors. As Chair of Political Science, I didn’t have this opportunity and it has proven to be a wonderful chance for me to get to know colleagues I wasn’t able to work as closely with prior to that time. In particular, I should note the incredible faculty who make up the heart of the program – I wont list them all for fear I will forget some, but these include: Dr. Amy Stackhouse, Dr. Dan Thiery, Dr. Michael Hughes, Br. Durning, Dr. Mike Jordan, Dr. Scott Cleary, Dr. Kim Paffenroth and so many others.

What is your favorite part about being involved with the Honors Program?

Well I probably said this already so apologies for being repetitive, but working with the students, faculty from a variety of disciplines, and staff/administrators – particularly those I hadn’t had a chance to work with in my prior position as Department Chair. This includes, by the way, not only members of the School of Arts and Science, but our colleagues in the Hagan School of Business as well. I also like being able to hopefully build on and add to the rich heritage of the program. The Honors Program is a critical  part of Iona’s academic, social and cultural life and it has a rich history. I am excited to be able to try to make sure that we maintain, celebrate and honor this legacy, while at the same time being able to introduce new and exciting programming, curriculum, and other elements that are in keeping with changes in society, new students coming to campus every year, and the needs, interests and desires of our current students.

What is it, in general, that you like best about being at Iona? What is it that attracted you to your position at the College, and what is it that has attracted you to stay?

The best part about being at Iona is without question the people (students, staff, faculty and administrators). The second best part is the mission. The mission of the College (and by extension the Honors Program) is one that I really believe in and it is one that I am excited to help insure remains an important part of the work we do in the Honors Program. I have, for instance, really enjoyed being able to go on short mission-related trips with the honor students to places like Abraham House and to NYC to feed the homeless as we did with Midnight Run. The Brothers and Campus Ministries have been enormously helpful in this regard, particularly Br. Devlin who brings such light and energy to everything he does. I am hopeful we can continue to incorporate these types of mission-service related elements into the work we do because I do believe it is a key part of what makes this College and the ICHP special and unique. Third, of course, is the location. I feel incredibly blessed to be teaching on a beautiful campus which is just a few minutes away – a short train ride – from everything NYC has to offer. You really dont get much better (or luckier) than that!