Four PLS students named the newest Katosh Scholars
April 20, 2026 - Karessa Weir
Four MSU Department of Political Science students are recipients of the Jack Katosh Scholarships to assist MSU students in research, education, study abroad, and ROTC programs.
Katosh, a PLS alumnus and long-time public opinion researcher, announced the generous gift in the fall of 2024, creating the awards to give back to his MSU roots.
“The seeds to my career were embedded in me at Michigan State,” Katosh said. “Now I’m in a position where I’ve had a good career, invested well and at a point in my life where I’m able to ‘give back’ in a hopefully meaningful way. Each of the scholarships is geared to mirror some aspect of my career.”
This year, the awards were worth $6,500 each and were awarded to:
- Katosh American Government: Tomas Feldmann Tonelli
- Katosh Undergraduate Research and Experiential Learning: Liam Connor
- Katosh ROTC: Rory Brewer
- Katosh D.C. Study Away: Noelle Whorf
Tomas Feldmann Tonelli, originally from Brazil, is Political Science major and winner of the American Government scholarship.
“This award is very meaningful to me because it shows that my research in American government is recognized and appreciated. As someone who will be applying to Economics PhD programs, being recognized through research is especially encouraging. I also genuinely enjoyed working on this project and learning more about the presidential nomination process, so receiving this award makes the experience even more rewarding,” Tomas said.
Tomas was nominated by Dr. Ian Ostrander, PLS Graduate Program Director who has worked with Tomas for two years.
“He is one of the top- 5 coders that I have had while running teams of coders for over 15 years. Tomas has helped me on several projects in the past two years,” said Dr. Ostrander. “He follows coding instructions, understands issues related to reliability, and has worked to clean data. He even offers suggestions on coding improvements.”
Liam Connor, a Political Science Scholar is a Political Science Pre-Law with minors in Law, Justice & Public Policy and Environmental Social Science. He was nominated by Dr. Marty Jordan who said “Liam is always actively engaged, on-time, and present for our classes and guest speakers. He really is exceptional!”
“I've had the privilege of meeting Jack Katosh (and his partner Mary). Liam is EXACTLY the type of student he would like to fund -- bright, hardworking, tolerant, civil, thoughtful...and so many other positive adjectives,” Jordan said.
“It is truly an honor to be recognized by Mr. Katosh. I’m so grateful for his generosity and support of my education. I would also like to thank Professor Marty Jordan and Eric Juenke for nominating me. I also must thank my family and God for supporting me throughout my career I couldn’t do it without them. Go Green!” Connor said.
Rory Brewer earned an associate’s degree from Valley Forge Military College before joining MSU as a Political Science major. He was nominated for the award by Dr. Melissa O’Shea, who has worked with Rory for two years on legal writing and analysis.
“Rory is always willing to volunteer to answer questions, whether in a large lecture or small one, especially when no one else is willing to volunteer,” O’Shea said.
"It is an honor to receive the Katosh Award in recognition of my commitment to both ROTC and Political Science. This distinction further motivates me to pursue excellence in my academic career and future service in the Army," Rory said.
Noelle Whorf was selected for the 2026-27 Jack Katosh D.C. Study Away Award, which will support her internship with the U.S. Department of the Interior in Washington through the William A. Demmer Scholars Program. She was nominated by Dr. John Waller, director of the Social Science Scholars program.
“Noelle is a superb student - as a student in one of my classes at present, I can attest to her excellence. She writes clearly, with some flair, and with a strong grasp of the importance of high-quality evidence. She also has substantial research experience,” Waller said.
"Alumni like Jack Katosh represent the best of the Spartan community. Because of his support, I’m able to fully invest in the work that matters to me and make the most of this opportunity in D.C. I’m so grateful for the chance to carry what I’ve learned over the past three years into the federal policymaking space," Noelle said.