For one of Iowa State’s newest political science professors, coming to Iowa was like being dropped in the middle of Kyrgyzstan.

Then again, Kyrgyzstan is familiar territory to Eric McGlinchey, assistant professor of political science department. But then, so is Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

To the widely traveled and highly educated 29-year-old, Iowa is somewhat foreign.

McGlinchey, who just finished his post-doctoral fellowship at Stanford University with an emphasis in central Asia, said Iowa has been shocking — but in a good way.

“What’s different to me, coming from the East Coast, is the courtesy people have,” McGlinchey said. “Just going to the grocery store, people will actually talk to you in the check-out line.”

Even more shocking to McGlinchey was when students showed up to his class 10 minutes early.

“I was definitely nervous [about my first class],” McGlinchey said. “All the students were there at 10 till [noon].”

McGlinchey brings a string of accomplishments to his new job, including an undergraduate degree in political science from Vassar College, a masters degree and doctorate from Princeton University and a post-doctoral fellowship at Stanford University.

James Hutter, associate professor of political science, said he is thrilled to have McGlinchey join the department.

“He has an excellent background, is a delightful colleague and will be a great asset to the university and his students,” Hutter said.

James McCormick, political science professor and department chair, said McGlinchey has a great set of credentials.

“There aren’t very many people with his kind of background,” McCormick said.

McCormick said McGlinchey’s area of study, central Asia, would be a great addition to the department’s research because the region is of particular interest.

McGlinchey said he has two passions: teaching and research. “I want to become a great teacher,” he said.

McGlinchey said one way to reach that goal is to make the classroom interactive.

“To be able to take a class of 100 [students] and make it interactive is a challenge,” he said. “I would be lying if I said I knew how to do that right now, so that is a goal.”

McGlinchey said he was drawn to Iowa State because of the university’s land grant heritage. “You have a broader range of cultural experience at a public school,” he said. “It just seems like there’s a ton of stuff going on, and that is new to me.”

Along with an interest in academics, McGlinchey said he is an avid mountaineer. He said part of the reason he chose to focus on central Asia was because of the “fantastic climbing” found in the region. He said he became interested in mountain climbing after being worn out from playing rugby in college.

McGlinchey said he thinks his youth will work to his advantage.

“I hope it makes me somewhat more accessible to students,” he said. “[Although] it’s kind of nice to still get carded when you buy a bottle of wine.”