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Each year the Department of Political Sciences hands out various prizes and awards to recognize the excellent teaching and research being doing within the Department by faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students.

Kathleen Burkholder Prize

The Kathleen Burkholder Prize is awarded each year in honor of Kathleen (Kathy) Burkholder. Kathy was a University of Illinois alumna and Political Science graduate student when she tragically passed away from a brain hemorrhage in 1981. Her parents and other donors established a fund in her memory, the Kathleen L. Burkholder Graduate Student Award. The Department of Political Science uses this fund to award a prize for the best dissertation defended in the previous two calendar years.

Kathleen Burkholder Prize Winners

Year Winner Dissertation Title Defense
2024 Sanghoon Kim

Voting for Nostalgia? Authoritarian Nostalgia, Social Identity, and Political Behavior in Post-Authoritarian Democracies

2022
2023 Miles Williams

International Aid and Strategic Interdependence: How Common and Conflicting Foreign Policy Goals Shape the Supply of Foreign Aid

2022
2022 Luke Plutowski Quid-Pro-Quo or No? Targeted Electoral Distribution in Brazil 2020
2021 Ekrem Baser Essays On the Political Economy of Conflict and Cooperation 2020
2020 Michael Uhall On the Political Uses of Creative Darkness: Freedom, Subjectivity, and Normativity 2019
2019 Matt Powers The Impact of Yesterday’s Territorial Shortages on Today’s Adapted Mind 2018
2018 Gina Reynolds Supranational Law and Compliance 2016
2017 Paul Testa The Politics of Race and the Criminal Justice System 2016
2016 Melinda Ritchie Backchannel Policymaking: Members of Congress Pursuing Policy Goals through the Bureaucracy 2015
2015 Bryce Dietrich It’s Not What You Say, But How You Say It: Anger, Audio, and the U.S. House of Representatives 2014
2014 Diego Correa The Effects of Conditional Cash Transfer Programs on Latin American Presidential Elections 2012
2013 Jason Coronel Memory and Voting: Neuropsychological and Electrophysiological Investigations of Voters Remembering Political Event 2012
2012 Carie Steele Disease Control and Donor Priorities: The Political Economy of Development Aid for Health 2011
2011 Daniel Pemstein Coordinating Compromise: Information Manipulation and Bicameral Bargaining in the European Union 2010
2010 Nathaniel Swigger Seeing is Believing: The Strategy Behind Campaign Imagery and its Impact on Voters 2009
2009 Michael Findley Spoiling the Peace or Seeking the Spoils? Civil War Outcomes and the Role of Spoilers 2007

 

William Bernhard Award

Named in honor of Dr. William Bernhard, former Head of the Department of Political Science, this award recognizes the best doctoral dissertation prospectus defended in the prior two calendar years. (The 2017 and 2018 awards were awarded for best prospectus from the prior calendar year.)

William Bernhard Award Winners

Year Winner Title
2024 Shuyuan Shen "Whatabout" Legitimacy: International News and Domestic Legitimation in China
2023 Sarah Leffingwell

New Democracies’ Participation in Multilateral Agreements Exploring the Effects of Democratic Legitimacy on International Behavior

2022 James Steur Political Sadness: Democratic Institutions and Citizens in a Depressing World
2021 Miles Williams Collective Action and Rivalry in International Development
2020 Ekrem Baser Essays on the Political Economy of Conflict and Cooperation
2019 Collin Paschall Legislative Commitment in Congress
2018 Chris Grady Outgroup Attitudes and Ingroup Influence: How People Form and Update their Attitudes About Outgroups
2017 Kelly Senters Leveraging Subnational Fragmentation to Assess Decentralization’s Effect on Political Participation and the Provision of Public Goods

 

Rita and Leonard Ogren Prizes for Academic Achievement

The Rita and Leonard Ogren Prizes recognize the best academic performance by PhD student(s).

Ogren Award for Best Conference Paper

Year Winners
2024 Allena Khan, Jair Moreira and James Steur
2023 Abdullah Kakaoglu and Shuyuan Shen

 

Rita and Leonard Ogren Prize Winners

Year First-Year Second-Year Third-Year
2022 Ruth Holloway Younghyun Lee Caleb Griffin
2021 Isaiah Raynal Seongjoon Ahn and Myung Jung Kim Seung-Uk Huh
2020 Shuyuan Shen Jair Moreira Josh Holmes
2019 Moonyoung Kim Lucie Lu Rebeca Agosto Rosa
2018 Miles Williams Sanghoon Kim Jaeseok Cho
2017 Sarah Leffingwell Yuan-Ning Chu Nuole Chen
2016 Gustavo Diaz Alice Iannantuoni Betsy Rajala
2015 Ekrem Baser Kelly Senters Charla Waeiss
2014 Collin Paschall Benjamin Kantack Matthew Cawvey
2013 Christopher Grady David Bowden Ashlea Rundlett
2012 Tyler Pack Paul Testa Tarah Williams
2011 Kaye Usry Matthew Powers Cristina Alvarez Mingote
2010 Katherine Graham Cristina Alvarez Mingote Jamie Scalera
Year First Two Years
2009 Matthew Hibbing
2008 Munro Richardson
2007 Aya Kachi
2006 Michael Findley
2005  
2004 Seden Akcinaroglu
2003 Brian D. Roberts

 

Clarence A. Berdahl Award

The Clarence A. Berdhal Award recognizes excellence in undergraduate teaching by a faculty member. The award is chosen each year by the members of Pi Sigma Alpha.

Clarence A. Berdahl Award Winners

Year Winner
2024 Benjamin Miller
2023 Avital Livny
2022 Robert J. Carroll
2021 Kostas Kourtikakis
2020 Carol Leff
2019 Benjamin Miller
2018 Alicia Uribe-McGuire
2017 Kostas Kourtikakis
2016 Gisela Sin
2015 Sarah J. Hummel
2014 Cara Wong
2013 Milan W. Svolik
2012 John A. Vasquez
2011 Tracy Sulkin
2010 Paul F. Diehl
2009 Kris Miler
2008 Jonathan Allen
2007 Robert Pahre
2006 Ira H. Carmen
2005 Tracy Sulkin
2004 Michael A. Krassa
2003 Paul Quirk
2002 Todd Shaw
2001 Paul F. Diehl
2000 A. Belden Fields
1999 Dianne Pinderhughes
1998 Melissa A. Orlie
1997 Stephen A. Douglas
1996 Paul F. Diehl
1995 A. Belden Fields
1994 Carol S. Leff
1993 Carol L. Mock
1992 Marvin G. Weinbaum
1991 Paul F. Diehl
1990 Ira H. Carmen
1989 Stephen A. Douglas
1988 George T. Yu
1987 Ira H. Carmen
1986 Marvin G. Weinbaum
1985 Edward A. Kolodziej
1984 Roger E. Kanet
1983 Peggy Heilig
1982 A. Belden Fields
1981 Marvin G. Weinbaum
1980 Ira H. Carmen

 

Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching by a Graduate Student

Since 1986, Political Science has acknowledged a graduate student for excellence in undergraduate instruction. Starting in 1998, the department has recognized excellent teaching of undergraduates by a graduate student acting as an Independent Instructor with the Marvin G. Weinbaum Award, and excellence by a graduate Teaching Assistant with the A. Belden Fields Award, in alternating years.

Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching by a Graduate Student

Year   Marvin G. Weinbaum A. Belden Fields
2024   Joshua Holmes  
2023     Søren Warland
2022   Kristin Bail  
2021     Kristin Bail
2020   Alice Iannantuoni  
2019     Sanghoon Kim
2018   Tyler Pack  
2017     Jason Renn
2016   Jillian Evans  
2015     Bernard Brennan
2014   Melinda Ritchie  
2013     Bryce W. Reeder
2012   Andrew J. Bloeser  
2011     Jamie E. Scalera
2010   Adam C. Irish  
2009     Adam C. Irish
2008   Nathaniel Swigger  
2007     Peter Rudloff
2006   Bryan S. Mcquide  
2005     Jennifer Romine
2004   Heather L. Tafel  
2003     Rebecca Harris
2002   Srinivasan Sitaraman  
2001     Srinivasan Sitaraman
2000   Jeffrey A. Bosworth  
1999     Jennifer Oats-Sargent
1998   David J. Longenecker  
1995 Jeffrey A. Bosworth    
1994 Jeffrey A. Bosworth    
1993 Amit Gupta    
1992 Terry D. Clark    
1991 Mary B. Wong    
1990 Randy L. Hegarty
Kavita R. Khory
   
1989 Keith A. Boeckelman    
1988 Paul J. Folger    
1987 Randy L. Hagerty    
1986 Daniel R. Kempton    

 

Excellence in Graduate Education, Teaching, Mentoring, and Service

An award for Excellence in Graduate Education, Teaching, Mentoring and Service is given each year to a faculty member within the Department of Political Science. Starting in 2019, the department has recognized excellent teaching of graduates by a faculty member with the Dina Zinnes Graduate Teaching Award, and excellent mentoring of graduates by a faculty member with the Jim Kuklinski Graduate Mentoring Award, in alternating years. The awards are chosen by the PhD students. 

Excellence in Graduate Education, Teaching, Mentoring, and Service

Year   Dina Zinnes Jim Kuklinski
2024     Robert Carroll
2023   Matthew Winters  
2022     Nora Webb Williams
2021   Robert J. Carroll  
2020     Matthew S. Winters
2019   James H. Kuklinski  
2018 Aleks Ksiazkiewicz    
2017 James H. Kuklinski    
2016 James H. Kuklinski    
2015 Robert Pahre    
2014 Robert Pahre
Matthew S. Winters
   
2013 Matthew S. Winters    
2012 James H. Kuklinski    
2011 James H. Kuklinski    
2010 Jake Bowers
Robert Pahre
   
2009 Tracy Sulkin    
2008 James H. Kuklinski    
2007 Brian Gaines
Jude C. Hays
   
2006 Zachary Elkins    
2005 William T. Bernhard    
2004 James H. Kuklinski    
2003 Brian Gaines    
2002 Michael A. Krassa    

 

Undergraduate Thesis Awards

Each year a student in the Political Science Honors Program is selected for the best research poster and best thesis. A committee of faculty vote on these awards.

Undergraduate Thesis Awards: Best Poster Winner

Year Best Poster Winner Thesis Title Faculty Advisor
2024 Faith Dahman “You’re Cancelled:” Understanding Content Moderation Habits for Extreme Political Content on TikTok Aleks Ksiazkiewicz
2023 Emily Sallenback There's No "I" in Erdoğan: Predicting Power Personalization with Pronoun Usage in Turkey Avital Livny
2022 Kaylynn Kattiyaman The CCP's Greatest Hits: An Analysis of Personalism and Propaganda Music Yujeong Yang
2021 Jessica Angel Who Does the Rule of Law Rule Out? Examining the Access to Justice for Victims in Post-Conflict Colombia Alyssa Prorok
2020

Jonathan Bonaguro 

Casey Griffin

Making Friends and Influencing People: The Effects of Social Media Networks on Subjective Political Knowledge

A (Manly) Man's Game: Masculinity, Gender Threat, and Political Participation

Scott Althaus

Aleks Ksiazkiewicz

2019

Rebecca Laurent 

Valerie Peterson

Rising Temperatures and Inequality: Collective Action in a Changing World


The Ramifications of Social Media: Differentiating Truths from Falsities and Facts from Opinions

Robert Pahre, Daniel Miller

Thomas Rudolph

2018 Matthew Rice Personality's Role within the World's Greatest Deliberative Body: How the "Big Five" Factors Drive the Rise of United States Senators to Legislative Success Jeffery Mondak
2017 Amy Radlinski Understanding the Brexit Referendum: Direct Democracy and International Regimes Konstantinos Kourtikakis
2016 Mekenah Merrill Voting in Taiwan and China: A Comparative Analysis on the Impact of Educational Attainment on Voter Turnout in Taiwan and China Sarah Hummel
2015 Irem Karacal Political Violence, Ethnic Fractionalization, and the Ratification of the Rome Statute

Stephen Chaudoin

 

Undergraduate Thesis Awards: Best Thesis Winner

Year Best Thesis Winner Thesis Title Faculty Advisor
2023 Emily Sallenback There's No "I" in Erdoğan: Predicting Power Personalization with Pronoun Usage in Turkey Avital Livny 
2022

Thomas Ballard

Tyeese Braslavsky

Use of Force in the BLM Era: How High-Profile Citizen-Killings by Police Affect Use of Force Outcomes in Dallas, Texas

AmeriCAN I…?” : The Effect of the Strength of American Identity on Civic Participation in Second-Generation Americans

Scott Althaus

Cara Wong

2021 Jessica Angel Who Does the Rule of Law Rule Out? Examining the Access to Justice for Victims in Post-Conflict Colombia Alyssa Prorok
2020

Jonathan Bonaguro 

Casey Griffin

Making Friends and Influencing People: The Effects of Social Media Networks on Subjective Political Knowledge

A (Manly) Man's Game: Masculinity, Gender Threat, and Political Participation

Scott Althaus

Aleks Ksiazkiewicz

2019 Rebecca Laurent Rising Temperatures and Inequality: Collective Action in a Changing World Robert Pahre, Daniel Miller
2018 Matthew Rice Personality's Role within the World's Greatest Deliberative Body: How the "Big Five" Factors Drive the Rise of United States Senators to Legislative Success Jeffery Mondak
2017 Collin Schumock Intraparty Factions and Interparty Polarization Gisela Sin
2016 John Knoblett From the Washington to the Beijing Consensus: China's Economic Rise and the IMF Xinyuan Dai
2015 Jenine Saleh A Perpetuating Negative Cycle: The Effects of Economic Inequality on Voter Participation Thomas Rudolph