World Politics major wins UURAF grand prize for his research on demographic diversity

July 15, 2026 - Karessa Weir

Lowell Monis at the 2026 UURAF — *Photo by Jackie Belden Hawthorne, College of Social Science*

Lowell Monis has been awarded the 2026 University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF) Grand Prize Award for the Social Science, Humanities and Arts division.

Monis, a Political Science Scholar, is dual majoring in World Politics in the Department of Political Science and Data Science and Computational and Applied Mathematics.

“Over 1,100 students presented research and creative arts projects at this year’s UURAF. First-place awards were given in each program category, but only two grand prizes were awarded—one in your division and the other in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics division,” said Dr. Brian Keas, Director of Undergraduate Research.

The prize comes with $500.

“I am absolutely thrilled and deeply grateful to receive this award. It has been incredibly rewarding to see this project, which has been developed over the entirety of my undergraduate career, recognized in this way,” Monis wrote.

“It was a privilege to present this work alongside so many fantastic projects this year, and I am highly appreciative of the university's support for and commitment to undergraduate research. This project would not have been possible without the initial support from the Honors College through the Professorial Assistantship program, as well as the continuous guidance from my mentor, Dr. (Matt) Grossmann, and the faculty and graduate students at IPPSR and the wider PLS department who were always ready to offer a perspective.”

The research project is titled “Policy and Political Impact of Demographic Diversity in U.S. Legislatures.”

“Many congratulations on this amazing award, which sounds very well deserved! This is quite an honor for you, as well as for PLS, IPPSR, and our entire college,” said PLS Chair Dr. Jeff Conroy-Krutz.

Monis also won second prize and $600 in the poster presentation category with this spring’s 9th Annual Diversity Research Showcase hosted by MSU Honors College.