Each year the Political Science Department holds an Undergraduate Student Spring Reception to honor outstanding achievements made by political science majors. The guest speaker for the event was  Mr. Richard Terapak. He was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award. In addition, the Department gave out the Faculty Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching to Professor Jack Wright. 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 Ms. Marie C. Rehg and Mr. Cameron G. DeHart. The seniors were Ms. Yana M. Mereminsky and Ms. Ellen A. Eichner.

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. Pranav Reddy.

The William Jennings Bryan Prize for best paper in American Politics / Political Theoy was given to Mr. David A. Bernstein and honorable mention went to Ms. Cara Haughey.

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 winner was Ms. Noelle L. Bruno and honorable mention went to Mr. Taylor Beale.

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 Ms. Yana M. Mereminsky.

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 4, 2012.