Darin WippermanDarin Wipperman earned both his BA and MA in Political Science from UNI in 1993 and 1995, respectively. He is now Senior Inspector, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Wipperman started his career with the federal government in 1995 with the agency that administers Medicare. In 2005, he joined the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General. Looking back, he points to UNI professors teaching critical thinking and speaking skills as “vital preparation for the jobs [he has] had.” The UNI Career Center’s “material on the Presidential Management Intern Program (now called Presidential Management Fellows) was vital to opening the doors to the federal government.” His office works to identify problems and inefficiencies in the Department’s operations. Their reports, which provide recommendations to DHS leadership, can be viewed by following this link to the DHS website. About his job, Wipperman says, “The impact I can have on DHS policies is what I find most rewarding. My latest project dealt with Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s detention management policies. Some of the report’s recommendations were immediately implemented.” The job requires independent thinking and teamwork and allows him to work on a range of projects. Wipperman grew up in Urbandale, IA. Currently he lives “away from the city!” His roundtrip commute is 3 hours a day. Although the commute is long, Wipperman and his wife really like the wooded area where they live. Their “child,” a stray cat that appeared 4 years ago, “rules the household.” Before graduation, Wipperman expected work to be a bigger part of his life. Although he enjoys his career, he wants to make sure his job doesn’t consume him, which can be especially difficult in Washington, D.C. Historical research, focusing on the Antebellum and Civil War periods, is Wipperman’s hobby, which he finds easy to do in a region with so many major Civil War battlefields. He completed his first manuscript, Extremism Triumphant: The Politics of Slavery and Abortion, in 2003. He is nearly finished with his second manuscript. Outdoor activities such as splitting firewood, tennis, and hiking occupy Wipperman’s leisure time.
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