Chuck Noble, Katie Kruger, Lewis Ringel
As a means of honoring the esteemed faculty members of the College of Liberal Arts, a new section of the newsletter has been developed to recognize the talented group of educators that work within the College. The premiere “Faculty Highlight” is dedicated to Charles Noble, Chair and Professor in the Department of Political Science (http://www.csulb.edu/colleges/cla/departments/polisci/).
Dr. Noble grew up in New York City and received his Bachelor’s degree at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Once he completed his undergraduate degree, he finished his Master’s degree at UCLA and earned his Ph.D. at UC Berkeley. Dr. Noble came to California State University, Long Beach in 1987 after completing eight years of teaching at Rutgers University. Currently, his professional interests reside in American politics and policy; social and political movements; and lastly, welfare state. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling abroad, studying foreign languages and listening to music.Two important activities within the Department of Political Science are the Model United Nations Intercollegiate Team (www.csulb.edu/org/mun/mun.html) (MUN) and the Moot Court (www.csulb.edu/colleges/cla/departments/polisci/mootcourt/). MUN is a synthesis of research and debate that explores and ultimately discovers solutions to the issues presented in front of the United Nations and its associated bodies. MUN furthers the in-classroom educational experience by blending textbook knowledge with real world problem solving. MUN is an interdisciplinary activity that utilizes the realities of politics while also incorporating the skills associated with economics, geography, health science and urban planning to name a few. On Oct. 25, 2007, MUN hosted a lecture that discussed the perspectives on power in the Middle East focusing on Iran. The featured lecture panelists were Nathan Gonzalez, author Engaging Iran: The Rise of a Middle East Powerhouse and America’s Strategic Choice; Gilad Millo, Consul for Media and Public Affairs, Israeli Consulate, Los Angeles; Professor Fariba Taghavi, Department of Political Science, CSULB; and lastly, the moderator, Professor Houri Berberian, Department of History, CSULB, currently Keddie-Balzan Fellow, UCLA.Moot Court is the simulation of appellate argument. Moot Court allows two-person student legal teams to compete in front of a panel of judges where they argue a hypothetical legal case known as “the competition case.” The student teams must extensively research the cases and laws cited in “the competition case” in order to prepare for the questions the Moot Court judges will ask. The student teams are graded based upon their knowledge of the case, response to questioning, forensic skills and demeanor.
On Dec. 12, 2007, Dr. Noble and the Department of the Political Science will host a Political Science Alumni Reception at the law offices of Morrison & Foerster, LLP in downtown Los Angeles. If you would like further details on this event or to reserve a seat, please contact Valerie Christian, Development Events Coordinator, at 562/985-8785 or vchristi@csulb.edu.
