text: NYC Professor Lands in C-Town – The Elm
  -Photo courtesy of Ji Kim
  A new professor is in town and the Washington College community wholly welcomes assistant professor of political science Jennifer Hopper.
  Professor Hopper hails from New York City, where she was born and raised. She received her bachelor's degree from Hunter College and has received her doctorate from City University of New York Graduate Center this year.
  This professor, however, is anything but a newbie in the teaching field; she comes with seven years of past teaching experience at Hunter College. Additionally, Professor Hopper is exceptionally well suited for teaching media and politics, having completed her dissertation on the presidency and media.
  "In particular, I looked at how the presidency uses the media in crisis situations…my research spans from the 19th century all the way up to the Clinton administration," she said.
  Although Professor Hopper initially planned on majoring in English, her passion for political science soon became clear.
  "Throughout classes, as we discussed and analyzed literature, I realized that I always took a political spin on things," she said.
  Regarding the city life versus the countryside, Professor Hopper considers WC and the Chestertown environment particularly refreshing and charming.
  She said there is a "definite appeal to a smaller school," where there are more chances to become close with colleagues and students.
  Professor Hopper expresses the big contrast between having 50 to 60 students in classes when she was a student versus the small 20 student classes she teaches now at WC.
  Moreover, she is delighted to find that the faculty around her own office in Daly are from a mix of different disciplines, allowing her to get to know professors from other fields.
  At the moment, Professor Hopper is looking forward to becoming much more familiar with Chestertown and the waterfront, which she has not had much experience with. After just finishing defending her dissertation, she said she will enjoy the little break as she revises her dissertation in preparation for publication.
  She also said she looks forward to gradually filling up her now-empty office space with her books and personal items.
  When she's not focused on political science, Professor Hopper is preoccupied with sports, everything from fantasy football and baseball to real sports. She also loves to bake.