Awards & Recognition

Dr. Erica Frantz awarded the College's Outstanding Teaching Award for 2020

 Dr. Erica Frantz, Assistant Professor of Political Science, was named by Social Science College Dean Rachel Croson as the College's Outstanding Teacher for 2020. 

This award recognizes a current faculty member in the MSU College of Social Science who takes pride in and is committed to quality teaching and who demonstrates substantial continuing involvement in undergraduate education.

Dr. Frantz will receive her award at the Spring Commencement.

Dr. Frantz (Ph.D., UCLA, 2008) was an assistant professor in Political Science at Bridgewater State University, and from 2008 to 2011 she worked as an analyst at the Institute for Physical Sciences. Her research and teaching interests include authoritarian politics, democratization, conflict, and development. She is particularly interested in the security and policy implications of autocratic rule. 

Dr. Ryan Black awarded the 2019 President's Distinguished Teaching Award

Ryan C. Black is a scholar and teacher as well as an informed consumer of research and scholarship on teaching. As a new faculty member, he pursued a Lilly Teaching Fellowship, then “a year-long exploration of scholarship on effective practices in university teaching,” because he wanted to develop his skills in the classroom. He embraced everything the fellowship offered with zeal, and then implemented what he learned, almost immediately raising his teaching to a level of excellence noted by both his students and mentor. He continues to use his research and evaluation skills to improve the content and delivery of his courses every semester and has become one of the most highly decorated teacher–scholars at MSU. Read the full article here.

Elizabeth Lane awarded best Graduate Student Paper

 Ph.D. candidate Elizabeth Lane has been recognized by the American Political Science Association’s Law and Courts Section as the Co-winner of the section’s Best Graduate Student Paper. She will be formally recognized at a reception at the annual APSA meeting fall 2019.

Professor Melinda Gann Hall receives Career Achievement Award

Professor Melinda Gann Hall has been selected to receive the Career Achievement Award from the State Politics and Policy Section of the APSA this year.  The award was given to Professor Hall at this year’s American Political Science Association Meeting in Philadelphia.

A description of the award is posted on the APSA webpage: http://www.apsanet.org/section-22-Career-Achievement-Award

The Career Achievement Award given every biennium to a political scientist who has made a significant lifetime contribution to the study of politics and public policies in the American states.

Political Theory Professor Arthur Melzer to be honored for All-University Faculty Award

Professor Arthur Melzer will be honored on Tuesday, February 6 at the All-University Awards Convocation.  Professor Melzer is being recognized with the William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty Award for outstanding total service to the University.  He was nominated based on his teaching, research, and publications.  He regularly teaches Introduction to Political Philosophy and Classical Political Philosophy.  His most recent book, published in 2016, is titled The Natural Goodness of Man: On the System of Rousseau’s Thought.  

Associate Professor Sarah Reckhow 2018-2019 Radcliffe Fellow

The Department of Political Science is proud to announce Associate Professor Sarah Reckhow has been selected to be a Radcliffe Institute fellow for the 2018-2019 academic year.  Her research focuses on urban politics and policy, and the role of nonprofits and philanthropy in the political process.

The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study is at Harvard University. 

Dr. Josh Sapotichne Presented a 2017 Service-Learning & Civic Engagement Award