Graduate Student Awards

Each spring, the Department of Political Science gathers for its annual Graduate Awards Banquet, a longstanding tradition honoring exemplary achievement among students in the MAIR and doctoral programs. The ceremony recognizes academic excellence, dedication to teaching, and personal character through the presentation of the following distinguished awards:

Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation

Presented to a doctoral student whose dissertation demonstrates exceptional scholarly rigor, originality, and contribution to the discipline.

Outstanding Doctoral Student

Awarded to a doctoral student who has distinguished themselves through superior academic performance and professional promise.

Outstanding Graduate Student Teacher in Political Science

Recognizes a graduate student whose teaching reflects excellence, commitment, and a meaningful impact on student learning.

Stormie Schott Outstanding Graduate in Political Science

The Stormie Lynn Schott Award honors the memory of former graduate student Stormie Lynn Schott, who passed away on March 11, 2001. Her life was marked by faith, compassion, and hope. Each year, the award is presented to a graduate student whose relationships with peers and faculty reflect these qualities of Christian character and love. It recognizes both academic excellence and a strong commitment to Christian values.