Francis R. Aumann Award for Distinguished Senior Achievement
The Francis R. Aumann Award is presented to the best all-around senior students in political science. This award was established by alumni, friends, and associates of Dr. Aumann, professor emeritus, as a way of rewarding scholastic excellence and promoting the academic goals of the department. The winner receives $500.
2024 Award Recipient:
Emma O’Keefe
Lawrence J.R. Herson Award for Academic Excellence
The Herson Award recognizes those seniors who have demonstrated outstanding academic excellence and are graduating with a perfect 4.0 GPA. The award is named in honor of one of our most distinguished emeritus faculty, Lawrence J.R. Herson, a long-time member of the department who served as Department Chair and went on to become Dean of the College. The winners receive $500.
2024 Award Recipients:
Nigel Becker
Jenine Elmosleh
Heba Latif
Aron Olegnowicz
Zachary Rodier
Ella Roxey
Andrew Wong
William Jennings Bryan Prize for Best Paper in American Politics and Political Theory
This award was established by Mr. Bryan in 1898 and is given for the best papers written for a course in the field of American Politics and Political Theory. The winners receive $500.
2024 Award Recipients:
American Politics: Emma Wozniak, “Predicting the Positions of Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Thomas and Sotomayor in Murray v. UBS Securities, LLC”
Political Theory: Emily Rice, “Beauvoir, Federici, and Butler on Womanhood”
Jacobina Aman Award for Best Paper in Comparative Politics and International Relations
This award was established in 1959 with a bequest from Katherine A. Siebert in memory of her mother, Jacobina Aman, and is given for the best paper written for a course in the field of International Relations or Comparative Politics. The winners receive $500.
2024 Award Recipients:
Comparative Politics: John Swartz, “Varieties of Democratic Backsliding and Why They Matter’’
International Relations: Lyrin McKibben, “Power from Two Perspectives”
Henry R. Spencer Award for Outstanding Senior Honors Thesis in Political Science
Henry R. Spencer was the founding chair of the Department of Political Science in 1909. Henry R. Spencer served 38 years until he stepped down in 1947. The winners receive $500 for their outstanding senior theses.
2024 Award Recipients:
Charles Costanzo, “Hot Topics in the House: The Formation and Importance of Congressional Speech Networks”
Madison Meixner, “Public Perception on the Recent Implication of Gender Quotas: A Case Study in Sierra Leone”