New Leadership, New Opportunities
October 08, 2026 Written by Chiu-Yin Mak | Courtesy of Matthew Weinert and Kyong-Min Son
The Department of Political Science and International Relations (POSCIR) has begun the new academic year with new leadership, with Professor Matthew Weinert now serving as department chair and Associate Professor Kyong-Min Son the new director of undergraduate studies.
There are also new opportunities for students, with the launch of an international relations minor and new pathways connecting undergraduate study with graduate programs in international business and business administration.
Weinert joined the department in 2006. He teaches in the areas of international law, human rights and international organizations. He received UD’s Excellence in Teaching Award in 2012 and the Honors College Excellence in Teaching Award in 2023. He served as the department’s director of graduate studies and director of undergraduate studies, which allowed him to work directly with students and create opportunities to connect their academic studies with experiences beyond the classroom.
That work included accompanying students on trips to Washington, D.C., and New York City, as well as meeting prospective students and their families during UD’s Blue and Golden Days. Whether introducing students to political and international institutions or helping prospective students learn more about POSCIR, Weinert has seen firsthand, and helped cultivate, the many ways students engage with the department.
Now, as chair, Weinert brings that student-focused perspective to leading the department. He approaches the position with enthusiasm, while also recognizing the broader challenges facing higher education.
“Now is the time to lean into and champion the dedication of POSCIR faculty to their students’ learning, and to the great work the department does to cultivate an ethos of public engagement,” said Weinert.
A Focus on Undergraduate Students
Working alongside Weinert on the department’s new leadership team is Son, who is serving as director of undergraduate studies.
Son joined UD in 2012 and specializes in democratic theory and twentieth-century political thought. He teaches introductory courses on political theory as well as more specialized courses on political ideologies, democratic theory, and capitalism. He is also a keen supporter of undergraduate writing and research. He regularly teaches writing-intensive upper-level seminars, advises undergraduate student research, mentors McNair scholars, and supervises senior and honors theses.
In his new role, Son will work with undergraduate students and faculty across POSCIR’s academic programs, supporting the undergraduate curriculum and helping students navigate their academic opportunities in the department and UD more broadly.
“I want to ensure that our students experience an expansion of the mind and the palpable sense of possibility that can only come from learning, while connecting them to resources and opportunities that best support their academic and career goals. I also want to cultivate a sense of community; I want our students to feel connected and cared for,” said Son.
That sense of community comes at a time when POSCIR is creating new ways for students to shape their academic experience. In addition to the international relations minor, the department has launched two new 4+1 degree programs with the Lerner College of Business and Economics, one focusing on international business, the other on business administration.
Together, these developments give students more ways to shape their academic experience, explore connections across fields and connect what they learn in political science and international relations with opportunities beyond the classroom.
