Professor’s Pooches: Sandy and Steve

Continuing the new Clerk series on professors and their dogs on campus, lovingly dubbed “Professor’s Pooches,” this week we are showcasing Professor Steve McGovern and his dog, Sandy. The Clerk recently met up with Professor McGovern outside of his house bordering the cricket field.

Sandy

Professor McGovern and his family picked up Sandy, a full Golden Retriever, in a barn in New Hampshire when she was just 7 weeks old. Professor McGovern and his family spend their summers in NH, and after hearing that one of their family friends picked up a dog from a local breeder, they decided they wanted one, too.

Now three and a half years old, Sandy remains extremely active and mobile around campus. Professor McGovern mentioned that she gets an incredible four walks a day; one in the morning with his wife, one with him during lunchtime, and a couple in the evening, one of which is usually with his son.

Sandy is super playful, and loves running around with all the neighborhood dogs. Sandy also loves playing with the family, and has a special interest for tug of war. Her preferred places on campus are the nature trail and the area behind the sport fields. When she gets to go off campus, she loves exploring the exceptional park and small creek in Gladwyne, Rolling Hills Park.

Professor

Steve McGovern has been teaching at Haverford College in the Political Science Department since 1999. As written in his faculty profile bio, “His teaching and research interests focus on urban politics and public policy and the varied ways in which people become engaged in politics in order to effect change.” Some of the ways in which he effects change include participating in protest movements, public interest groups, and community-based organizations.

Although Professor McGovern is not teaching this semester, he is very present on campus and is currently helping several seniors with their respective theses. Not just a political scientist, he has also practiced law, and received his JD before pursuing academia.

Both the photographer and the writer, Ben Horwitz ’17 and Gabe Delabra ’17, respectively, have taken an introduction to American Politics course with Professor McGovern, and wholeheartedly recommend the course for all prospective Political Science students.