Department has high hopes for new poli-sci professor

The School of Arts and Humanities will add another coffee enthusiast to its list of faculty.

Terilyn Johnston Huntington will join the team this fall to replace Dr. Christopher Devine.

Huntington is “the owner of a Goldendoodle named Roosevelt, an avid Minnesota sports fan ... and a self-proclaimed coffee enthusiast,” she explains on her online portfolio.

Huntington graduated from Bethel University with a bachelor’s degree in political science in 2004. She continued on to Bethel Theological Seminary to gain a master’s degree in theological studies.

This is not the extent of her education. Huntington also has completed a master’s degree in international studies from the University of Denver and a master’s in political science from the University of Kansas.

Huntington has experience teaching in many subjects across the political science spectrum such as Comparative Politics and International Relations.

A student she instructed said she “is hilarious, very engaging and entertaining. She turned boring material into interesting talks.”

Huntington also is pursuing her doctorate in political science from the University of Kansas. She is expected to complete the requirements this spring.

She will bring a large body of knowledge to MVNU and “comes to us with a number of years of teaching experience that will allow her to make an easy transition to our classroom expectations,” said Dr. William Wantland, chair of the history and political science department.

The department has high hopes for Huntington and her ability to connect with students.

“Terilyn brings a bubbly and engaging personality to MVNU that I am certain will soon make her a student favorite,” Wantland said.