Since their undergraduate studies at Colorado College, Schmidt has been convinced that Liberal Arts education is key to a meaningful as well as a productive life. Since their time in the Defense Department in D.C., Schmidt has known that international relations is central to our earthly future. Since they came to Regis, both views have been infused with the priorities of Jesuit education.
After getting their Ph.D. in International Studies, Schmidt's research and writing initially focused on national and international security problems. By the 1980s, they were convinced that elements of political economy were crucial to understanding both historical and contemporary developments. Since the mid-1990s, it has been increasingly evident that environmental problems impact politics, economics, and security in ways that must be acknowledged and addressed in public policy.
This evolution of professional focus and activity has been incorporated in the undergraduate courses Schmidt has taught at Regis. Their courses in international politics, political philosophy, political economy, comparative public and foreign policy, and environmental security have always emphasized critical thinking, competent communication, and reflection about the values underlying individual and public policy choices.
