News
News Archives
MSU PLS Associate Professor Corwin Smidt named IPPSR interim director
June 16, 2025 - Karessa Weir
Dr. Corwin Smidt, Associate Professor of Political Science and former interim chair of the Department, has been named interim director of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research in the College of Social Science.
PLS Associate Professor Erica Frantz named Kettering Research Fellow
June 11, 2025 - Karessa Weir
An MSU Political Science professor is among three new research fellows named to confront the challenges of democracy by the Charles F. Kettering Foundation. Dr. Erica Frantz, Associate Professor, has been selected to help the foundation “advance inclusive democracy by equipping the public, policymakers, and civic leaders with essential knowledge needed to understand the forces destabilizing democracy.”
New PLS Citizens Manual explores LGBTQ+ history in East Lansing
June 10, 2025 - Karessa Weir
This spring's PLS Civic Education and Local Democracy course, led by Dr. Sarah Reckhow, published a guide to civic engagement and history of the city of East Lansing, including a section on the historic civic milestones for LBGTQ+ rights in the city.
MSU PLS PhD students honored with Spring Graduate Awards
June 9, 2025 - Karessa Weir
This Spring, five Political Science doctoral students were recognized for their excellent work in writing, research, and teaching.
Incoming PLS student wins full scholarship as a Williams Scholar
June 6, 2025 - Melanie Brender
Among the inaugural Williams Scholar is Kaela Laurin of Dexter High School and Dexter, Mich. Laurin plans to major in political science through the College of Social Science.
Ramaphosa maintains calm amid Trump’s genocide allegations
June 4, 2025 - Kelechi Amakoh
MSU Political Science PhD student Kelechi Amakoh, a Good Authority Fellow, has published this article showing that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s response to Trump’s accusations is consistent with research on how politicians can be effective in handling public allegations.
MSU Political Science professor selected as Andrew Carnegie Fellow
June 4, 2025 - Karessa Weir
Dr. Matt Grossmann, professor of Political Science and director of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research, is one of 26 researchers to be chosen as the 2025 Class of Andrew Carnegie Fellows.
Dr. Ryan Black wins APSA book award
May 29, 2025
MSU Political Science Professor Dr. Ryan Black has been awarded the C. Herman Pritchett Book Award for his most recent publication “Cognitive Aging and the Federal Circuit Courts: How Senescence Influences the Law and Judges.”
MSU PLS grad recognized for democratic participation efforts on campus
May 28, 2025
Michigan State University has a longstanding commitment to promoting nonpartisan democratic engagement on campus, particularly through initiatives focused on voter registration and turnout. This dedication was recently recognized by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, which honored MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz and student Lucas Gravatt. ALL IN is a national initiative of Civic Nation, an organization dedicated to building a more inclusive and equitable country by collectively addressing social challenges.
Longtime Political Science administrator Rhonda Burns retires amid cheers and tears
May 28, 2025 - Karessa Weir
Administrative Assistant Rhonda Burns was with the department for 41 years. Her retirement this spring was met with gratitude, celebrations and sadness from her longtime colleagues.
Cultivating obedience: Using the Justice Department to attack former officials consolidates power and deters dissent
May 21, 2025 - Erica Frantz and Joe Wright (Penn State)
MSU Political Science Professor Erica Frantz writes in The Conversation that the Trump administration practice follow the actions of other authoritarian regimes to ensure loyalty and gain more power.
Good to Know: Why do we need government?
May 20, 2025 - Dr. Eric Gonzalez Juenke
MSU Political Science Professor Eric Gonzalez Juenke has written this article for Good Authority: "The Constitutional framers believed that weak governments could be just as dangerous to individual freedom as powerful ones."
Jack Katosh PLS Scholarship Awards announced for four political science students
May 19, 2025 - Logan Fusciardi and Karessa Weir
Four MSU Department of Political Science students are the first recipients of the newly created Jack Katosh Scholarships to assist MSU students in research, education, study abroad, and ROTC programs.
PhD student Sofia Rosales presents keynote speech at this year’s Hispanic/Latino Commission of Michigan’s statewide graduation ceremony
May 14, 2025 - Karessa Weir
With an elegant mixture of Spanish and English, MSU PLS PhD student Sofia Rosales inspired graduates to take pride in their accomplishments, value their education and hold on tightly to their hope for better futures at this year’s Hispanic/Latino Commission of Michigan’s statewide post-secondary graduation ceremony.
PLS Professor Emeritus honored with APSA Service Award
May 13, 2025
The American Political Science Association has announced that the recipient of this year's Service Award is MSU PLS Professor Emeritus Reginald "Reggie" Sheehan.
Three spring grads win outstanding awards
May 8, 2025
Three graduating PLS seniors won awards from the Department of Political Science during the 2025 spring reception, including Lucas Gravatt for Community Service, Sean Oehrlein for Undergraduate Learning Assistant and Jeannette Dompreh for Undergraduate Research.
MSU PLS graduate student wins College research award
May 8, 2025
MSU PLS graduate student So Yeon Park has been awarded the Graduate Student Research Award from the College of Social Science.
MSU PLS wins the 2025 University Outstanding Graduate Program Community Award
May 7, 2025 - Karessa Weir
The MSU PLS PhD program was selected by MSU's Graduate School as the winner of the 2025 Outstanding Graduate Program Community Award.
PLS student’s efforts to unite Jewish-Arab students wins him the Outstanding Student Leadership Award
May 2, 2025 - Karessa Weir
Tyler Pohl, a Political Science and Economics junior, has been awarded the 2025 Dean’s Student Advisory Council (DSAC)’s Outstanding Student Leadership Award.
Michigan Government Semester Program participants celebrate another successful spring
May 1, 2025 - Karessa Weir
Participants in the Michigan Government Semester Program (MGSP) were praised and celebrated for their hard work and dedication to the immersive Lansing internship program at this year’s MGSP Spring Reception.
Detroit’s lack of affordable housing pushes families to the edge - and children sometime pay the price
April 28, 2025 - Meghan Wilson and John Kuk
One important trend is that the number of homeless children in the city reached a record high in 2024. This is true even though the overall numbers of people experiencing homelessness in the city is declining overall.
Master of Public Policy students share their senior capstone research projects
April 23, 2025 - Karessa Weir
From “The Black Detroit Wealth Heist” to the “Brain Drain Dilemma in Ghana,” Master of Public Policy graduating students presented their capstone research projects at this year’s MPP Forum. The 14 students set to receive their MA degrees next month spent their final semesters on individualized research projects based on public policies that interested them. Under the direction of MPP Director Dr. Sarah Reckhow, they created research posters and explained their methods and findings into a packed room in the MSU Union April 17. Among the problems students sought to solve were access to mental health, disability assistance in Michigan, congestion pricing in Chicago, and the burden of administration of Medicare.
PLS students shine at Women's Leadership Institute Capstone
April 21, 2025 - Emily Jodway Patyna
The event featured student leadership testimony from two members of the WLI Student Cohort, second year cohort member and junior student Anjali Konkipudi, and fourth-year cohort member and senior student Katarina Parker. Konkipudi, a political science and pre-law major says that she originally was attracted to the cohort for the professional development opportunities and ended up finding a space to thrive with like-minded individuals harboring goals and aspirations similar to her own.
MSU PLS students win first place prizes in UURAF
April 18, 2025
MSU PLS students Lola Browne and Julia Park won first place awards at the University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum.
Jerome Hamilton Jr. is named MSU Political Science Outstanding Senior for 2025
April 2, 2025 - Karessa Weir
From his work as a ULA to his unique research projects, MSU Political Science senior Jerome Hamilton Jr. gave the department multiple reasons for naming him as the 2025 Outstanding Senior.
MSU PLS PhD student wins Julian Samora Endowed Scholarship award
March 26, 2025
Sofia Rosales, MSU Political Science PhD student, has been selected to receive the Julian Samora Endowed Scholarship award for the 2025-2026 school year.
Female central bankers face significant gender bias, finds research from two PLS faculty
March 25, 2025 - Karessa Weir
Using a novel experiment to access gender bias, Drs. Cristina Bodea and Andrew Kerner found that female central bankers face significant gender bias.
Alumni Spotlight: Domonique Clemons
March 24, 2025
Domonique Clemons is the Genesee County Clerk Register of Deeds. Previously, he served as director of government affairs for the Flint & Genesee Group. Clemons has also served as a Genesee County Commissioner, director of diversity and staff development, and legislative director at the Michigan House of Representatives. Clemons graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy from MSU in 2016 and earned a Master’s Degree in Political Management from George Washington University in 2019.
MSU PLS PhD candidate, faculty named Good Authority fellows
March 3, 2025
MSU PLS PhD candidate Kelechi Amakoh and MSU PLS Associate Professor Eric Gonzales Juenke are among the nine new Good Authority fellows.
Alumni Spotlight: Aaron Stephens
February 21, 2025
Aaron Stephens earned a Political Science degree in 2018. But even as a student, he was already making headlines when he ran for and won a seat on the East Lansing City Council in 2017.
Firing civil servants and dismantling government departments is how aspiring strongmen consolidate personal power – lessons from around the globe
February 20, 2025 - Erica Frantz
With the recent confirmations of Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – two of the most controversial of President Donald Trump’s high-level administration nominees – the president’s attempt to remake government as a home for political loyalists continues.
Dean's Research Associate Angie Torres-Beltran wins multiple awards for dissertation papers
February 19, 2025
The International Studies Association announced their 2024-2025 awards this week and included three awards for MSU PLS Dean's Research Associate Angie Torres-Beltran.
Alumni Spotlight: Charley Willison
January 31, 2025 - Emily Johnson
Alumna Charley Willison is an award-winning author, with her book, Ungoverned and Out of Sight: Public Health and the Political Crisis of Homelessness in the United States (Oxford University Press, 2021), evaluating supportive housing policies. She received the Dennis Judd Best Book Award in 2022 from the American Political Science Association's Urban and Local Politics Section.
PLS students shine in Diversity Research Showcase
January 29, 2025 - Emily Jodway
Hosted annually by the MSU Honors College, the Diversity Research Showcase features a broad range of work focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion from undergraduate students university-wide. This year’s showcase featured over 60 students across 12 of MSU’s degree-granting colleges.
Diversity Spotlight: Daniel Baum
January 23, 2025 - Emily Jodway
Holocaust Remembrance Day is on January 27, and throughout the month we honor and remember those who were impacted by the Holocaust and its aftermath. Our Access Spotlight this month is on Daniel Baum, an Attorney at the Jones Day law firm in Detroit, and a proud alumnus of the College of Social Science with degrees in Public Policy and Jewish Studies. His maternal grandparents both are survivors of the Holocaust. Baum has spent extensive time researching and documenting their experiences, and frequently works with the Zekelman Holocaust Center in Farmington Hills to pass on the story of their resilience and how we can continue to speak out and stand up for others in the face of injustice everywhere.
Afrobarometer celebrates 25 years at Michigan State University
January 17, 2025 - Karessa Weir
In 1999, MSU Political Science Professor Michael Bratton worked with Robert Mattes and E. Gyimah-Boadi to merge three independent survey research projects to form the Afrobarometer, a survey program designed to give a voice to “ordinary African citizens.”
Students get a glimpse at "real life" in Careers in PLS class
January 15, 2025 - Karessa Weir
A new course this Fall – Careers in PLS (PLS 392) – gave undergraduate students new opportunities to prepare to take on law school, graduate school, the business world, or just "real life" after college.
MSU College of Social Science remembers the wisdom, mentorship and generosity of alumnus Burton Gerber
January 9, 2025 - Karessa Weir
When Burton Gerber earned his international relations degree from Michigan State University in 1955, he signed up for a job that was cloaked in secrecy. But throughout a high profile and influential career with the Central Intelligence Agency, he never hid his love for being a Spartan.
Two Social Science students who "exemplify civility” awarded the Lynch Family Promoting Civility Scholarships
January 9, 2025 - Karessa Weir
MSU PLS senior Jerome Hamilton Jr. and Economics major Sumaiya Imad were recently named the 2024 recipients of the Jon & Tina Lynch Family Promoting Civility Scholarship.
A Spartan fan since childhood, MSU PLS alumnus Jack Katosh endows four new scholarships for Political Science undergraduate students
January 7, 2025 - Karessa Weir
Jack Katosh's experience with studying US politics, expertise in survey research, and participation in ROTC are reflected in the four awards he created for Political Science students.