Dr. Maria J. Falco has had a long and distinguished career as a political scientist and academic administrator. She began her journey by earning a Bachelor of Arts from Immaculata College in 1954, a Master of Arts from Fordham University in 1958, and a PhD in political science from Bryn Mawr College in 1963. She was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Florence in Italy from 1954 to 1955, and a postdoctoral research fellow at Yale University from 1965 to 1966. Additionally, she attended the student management program at Carnegie-Mellon University in 1993.
During her career, Dr. Falco has served in numerous prestigious positions. She is presently holds the distinguished title of professor emerita at DePauw University, where she was previously a professor of political science and the academic vice president. From 1985 to 1986, she served as a professor of political science at Loyola University in New Orleans. In 1979, Dr. Falco had the distinction of being the first and only female dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Loyola University. She also acquired experience in the departments of political science at the University of Tulsa, Stockton State College, Le Moyne College, Washington College and Immaculata College.
Dr. Falco has been involved in community and professional organizations most of her life. She continues to maintain affiliation with the American Political Science Association, the Women’s Caucus for Political Science, the Northeastern Political Science Association, and the Southwest Political Science Association to this day. She also holds memberships in the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, the East Jefferson Italian-American Society, the American Italian Federation Southeast, Women for a Better Louisiana, Women’s Opera Guild, and the New Orleans Opera Association.
With her extensive knowledge in the field of political science, Dr. Falco has authored “Truth and Meaning in Political Science: An Introduction to Political Inquiry,” “Bigotry: Ethnic, Machine and Sexual Politics in a Senatorial Election,” “Feminist Interpretations of Mary Wollstonecraft,” and “Feminist Interpretations of Niccolo Machiavelli.” She was co-editor of the anthology “Through the Looking Glass: Epistemology and the Conduct of Political Inquiry,” and “Feminism and Epistemology: Approaches to Research in Women and Politics.” Dr. Falco contributes articles to “The Italian-American Digest,” and to a variety of professional journals.
In recognition of her achievements and accomplishments in her field, Dr. Falco has received numerous awards. Among them are the Louisiana American Italian Woman of the Year Award in 2016 and the Panzeca Scholarship Presentation from Loyola University in 2015. She was named Mentor of Distinction by the Women’s Caucus for Political Science, received a summer research grant from the National Science Foundation, and was awarded a faculty Fellowship in State and Local Politics by the National Center for Education in Politics. Dr. Falco also received the Who’s Who Lifetime Achievement Award, and was listed in numerous editions of Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in the South and Southwest, and Who’s Who of American Women.