Each spring the Political Science Department holds an Undergraduate Spring Reception to honor the political science majors' outstanding achievements. The guest speaker for the 2013 event was Mrs. Alison Storsve, a State Department Foreign Service Officer. She was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award. In addition, the Department gave out the Faculty Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching to Professor Janet Box-Steffensmeier. As for the students, the following awards were handed out.

The Lawrence J.R. Herson Award for Academic Excellence recognizes two juniors and two seniors for their all-around academic excellence. The award that these students will receive is named in honor of one of our most distinguished emeritus professors, Lawrence J.R. Herson. Larry Herson was a long-time professor in our department, he served as department chair, and then he went on to be dean of the college. The juniors for this award were Mr. Zachary F. Karabatak and Ms. Amanda R. Merritt. The seniors were Mr. Cameron G. DeHart and Ms. Marie C. Rehg.

The Francis R. Aumann Award for Distinguished Senior Achievement is presented to the best all-around student in political science. This award was established by alumni, friends, and associates of Dr. Aumann, professor emeritus, as a way of rewarding scholarstic excellence and promoting the academic goals of the Department. This year's receipent was Mr. Alexander Chaitoff.

The William Jennings Bryan Prize for best paper in American Politics / Political Theoy was given to Mr. Jeffery DeSalu.

The Jacobina Aman Award for best paper in Comparative Politics / International Relations was established in 1959 with a bequest from Katherine A. Seibert in memory of her mother, Jacobina Aman. This year's winners were Mr. Paul Filippelli and Mr. Andrew Iammarino.

The final student award of the night was for the Henry R. Spencer Award for Oustanding Senior Honors Thesis in Political Science which was awarded to Mr. Cameron G. DeHart.

After the individual awards the Department inducted the new members into the Pi Sigma Alpha Fraternity. The next Undergraduate Student Spring Reception will be on May 3, 2014.