WKU News

The Department of Political Science, the Department of Modern Languages, and Mahurin Honors College Alumni Ambassadors will be hosting an Alumni Showcase on Tuesday, October 19th from 5:00-6:00 PM in HCIC Room 3001. The event will be highlighting WKU alumni who have graduated with majors in both international affairs (IA) and a language. Participating alumni include Kelly Tursic (IA and Spanish), Lucas Knight (IA and Chinese), Noah Stevens (IA and Arabic), and Andi Dahmer (IA and Spanish). This is an opportunity for current students to hear about the value of combining the international affairs major with a language as well as ask the alumni questions. It will also be a great time for students to explore the possible routes they can take after graduating with these majors. Political Science Department Head Scott Lasley says, “the goal is to help highlight the symbiotic relationship between the international affairs major and languages and provide students with a sense of what professional options are available for graduates. All of these alumni now have a hard skill from their language major that has made them more attractive to employers as well as graduate programs in international affairs and related fields.” 

Kelly Tursic graduated from Western Kentucky University in 2017 with majors in international affairs, Asian religions and cultures, and Spanish. Following the successful completion of her capstone year in Nanjing, China, through the Chinese Flagship Program, Tursic worked as a bilingual material planner for Fuyao Glass America. Tursic then transitioned to a career in federal civil service, where she has worked as an analyst for the U.S. Air Force since 2019. Tursic is a 2021 graduate of Wright State University’s Master of Arts in International and Comparative Politics.

Lucas Knight graduated with a BA from WKU in 2021, studying Political Science, International Affairs, and Chinese. He is currently completing a master’s degree in International Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s La Follette School of Public Affairs.

Noah A. Stevens (‘19) currently serves as a graduate fellow in the Office of Policy and Strategic Planning at the National Nuclear Security Administration.  He is a recent graduate of the George H.W. Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University where he studied defense policy, international security, and nuclear policy and strategy.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs, Arabic, and Middle East Studies from WKU.   

Andi Dahmer is the Exchange Program Manager at the World Affairs Council of Kentucky. She is a 2018 Truman Scholar, a 2019 Rhodes Scholarship Finalist, and has co-authored 40 publications, including one chapter for the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics. Andi graduated summa cum laude from Western Kentucky University in 2019, quadruple majoring in Economics, International Affairs, Spanish, and Asian Religions and Cultures. While at WKU, Andi served as both student body president and student regent, and studied abroad in nine countries across six continents.