Chase Mulvaney ’21, double major in political science and philosophy

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After graduation, Chase Mulvaney ’21 is returning to Salve Regina to complete the second year of his master’s program in international relations. He is then hoping to pursue a career in public policy and law by taking the LSAT and Foreign Service Exam. In the future, he is interested in trying the federal Pathways Programs to enter the world of civil service.

Mulvaney gives credit to four people for helping him succeed at Salve Regina as a student double majoring in political science and philosophy. One of them is Dr. Clark Merrill, associate professor of political science — who was not only Mulvaney’s political science advisor, but a friend. “He has been in my corner from day one at Salve,” said Mulvaney.

Another professor was Dr. Troy Catterson, associate professor of philosophy, whose classes were some of the most fun and interesting classes in Mulvaney’s career at Salve Regina.”I also have the privilege to have him as my philosophy major advisor, and his guidance has proven to be instrumental in my double majoring,” Mulvaney said.

The other two people that helped him succeed were Dr. Peter Colosi, associate professor of philosophy, and Dr. Sami Nassim, director of the Office of Multicultural Programs and Retention. “Dr. Colosi was also there to push me out of my comfort zone, share my writings and also take a human-first approach to solving the world’s most pressing issues,” Mulvaney continued. “And Sami Nassim in the multicultural office broke me out of my shell and showed me the importance of using my talents to further equity and inclusion.”

Salve Regina has also afforded Mulvaney the opportunity to pursue all of his different passions and bring them together in unique ways, which he feels like might not have happened had he gone somewhere else.

“I have been able to explore everything from forensic and earth science to the philosophy of Thomism and the politics of Latin America,” he said. “Political science a great major in itself, but it is even better when it is combined with other programs of study. Salve overlaps its curriculum which enables one to double major easily.”

For Mulvaney, being a senior during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a unique and at times challenging experience. “It really demonstrated the tight-knit nature of our Salve community,” he said. “Despite being physically apart, we found that we are even more emotionally together.”

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