Political science professor displays his passion for education

By: Joel Oyuo

Staff Writer

To find what you love, you must pursue it with passion. This is a core philosophy of political science professor, Robert Whitaker.

Whitaker has experienced the same hardships as many college students—changing schools. Initially enrolling at the University of Maine as a freshman, he quickly realized that he would much rather be in a more metropolitan setting.

“It wasn’t a bad school, but at that time it wasn’t the right fit for me,” Whitaker said. “It’s [in] a small town and I really felt like I wanted to be in a big city.”
Because his father worked at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Whitaker often frequented college campuses. 

According to Whitaker, the opportunity to go to both private and public schools in the Troy area allowed him to attain good experiences and good friendships. 

Whitaker was also drawn to Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts.
“I really wanted to [attend Northfield Mount Hermon School] because it gave me more of an opportunity to play hockey which I really wanted to do,” Whitaker said.

However, after transferring to Boston University as a sophomore instead, he quickly found the change to be beneficial to his academics.
“I was starting to get interested in some academic programs that [University of Maine] didn’t have,” Whitaker said.

He became a broadcast journalism major and decided to pursue a career in radio.

While at Boston University, Whitaker ended up developing a connection with a professor who was also a radio talk show host. This connection ended up being something that influenced him professionally for years to come.
According to Whitaker, that professor had faced a lot of personal troubles and listening to that professor talk about navigating life challenges helped him with his own skills. 

“Also, he talked about following your passion and listening to yourself, so I never forgot that,” Whitaker said.

Upon graduating, Whitaker ended up working in radio and television for several years before going to graduate school at the University of Maine. 

He ultimately finished his Ph.D. at the State University at Albany while working at Hudson Valley Community College.
“I’ve been in and out of college and grad school for a good chunk of my adult life, but it’s been worth it.” Whitaker said. “I’ve really enjoyed it.”
As a devout family man, Whitaker said he likes to spend time with his family and often draws inspiration from them. He enjoys visiting his sister who lives in Texas and cherishes everything from going out to eat with his children to playing board games.

“I’m blessed to have some really great family relationships; I don’t take that for granted,” Whitaker said.

According to Whitaker, he has no regrets about where he is in life and wouldn’t do too many things differently given the chance.

He said he looks forward to teaching everyday, talking to students, talking politics and talking to colleagues. 

“I really like what I do and I want to keep doing it for a long time,” Whitaker said. “I don’t really think I would change anything,” he continued. “No regrets, [I] just feel really lucky, I’m glad to be here, and we’ll wait to see what the future brings.”