Assistant Professor Michael McDevitt

Assistant Professor Michael McDevitt taught Reporting 1, Editorial and Opinion Writing, and Quantitative Research Methods.

He was married last summer in Santa Fe, N.M. McDevitt met his wife, Angela, in Albuquerque six years ago, soon after he began his first teaching job, at the University of New Mexico.

"Angela now works in television news production at the Univision station in Denver," he said.

"Both of us are happy in our new house in Broomfield; it's patrolled by Zia and Sage, our two cats. Zia and Sage miss New Mexico, but occasionally we add some green chili to their cat food."

McDevitt said he looks forward to warm weekends of exploring new mountain biking trails along the Front Range.

At the School, he has been developing research on political socialization. McDevitt is finishing the first phase of a three-year project funded by the Knight Foundation and the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. The study examines the political communication activities of high school students and their parents in Colorado, Arizona and Florida.

"In prior studies, I demonstrated how student-initiated conversations about an election campaign can motivate parents to pay more attention to political news," he said. "This then creates an upward cycle of family interaction in which children and parents encourage each other to become more active and knowledgeable as citizens.

"In terms of theory, I hope to challenge the way that political scientists think about the nature and direction of political influence in the family. As for practical implications, this line of inquiry suggests ways in which news media and schools can generate civic involvement among politically disengaged families."