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Politics and Government Annual Awards Ceremony

 

The Department of Politics and Government held its annual awards ceremony at the Bone Student Center, on April 14, 2009.  Nineteen students received awards in 17 categories. The awards were for outstanding seniors, interns, minority student, legal studies students, graduate students, and various subfields within the political science.  Twenty-five students who provide leadership in registered student organizations were also recognized.  New members of the Pi Sigma Alpha, the national Political Science honor society, were inducted at the ceremony. Hibbert R Roberts Outstanding Senior Award, named after the former Chair of the Department, given to a graduating Senior student went to Tyler Clark. Jamie Boban received the Alice Ebel Outstanding Graduating Senior Award. The Award is named after the founder Department Chair Dr. Alice Ebel. Four other students also received the Alice Ebel Award.  Andrea Silva and Kara Bavery, received the outstanding graduate student award and the graduate student service award, respectively. Awards for the best papers presented at the 17th Annual Illinois State University Conference for Students of Political Science were handed to the winners. The conference was held last month.  

The 2009 Award Ceremony also recognized faculty teaching excellence.  The Pi Sigma Alpha award for teaching excellence went to Mr. Erik Rankin and the Hibbert R. Roberts Teaching Excellence was awarded to Dr. Robert Bradley.

Department Chair Ali Riaz, in his welcome remarks, thanked the donors, particularly Emeritus Professors, for their generous contributions in establishing a number of the awards.  Dr. Jim Payne, Dean of College of Arts and Sciences congratulated the award recipients for their outstanding achievements and said that other students would be inspired by their examples.

About 90 political science students, their parents and families, and faculty members attended the ceremony.  The ceremony was also attended by Ms. Rita Kohn, Emeritus Professor George Gordon, Emeritus Professor Tom Wilson and Mrs. Kay Wilson, Executive Associate Dean Dr. Sam Catanzaro, Associate Dean Dr. Sally E. Parry and Dr. Kim Pereira, Director of Honors Program.

Students, parents and faculty gathered at the Circus Room	Dean Jim Payne congratulated the award recipients for their outstanding achievements	Dr. Ali Riaz presented an award to Rachel Darling	Dr. Michaelene Cox introduced the award recipient

Dr. Julie Webber introduced the award recipient	Dr. Ali Riaz presented an award to Kara Bavery	Dr. Lori Riverstone-Newell introduced the award recipient	Dr. Ali Riaz presented the Pi Sigma Alpha award for teaching excellence went to Mr. Erik Rankin

Pi Sigma Alpha Inductee Jason Hochstatter accepted his certificate from Erik Rankin and Jennifer Nosaka, president of Pi Sigma Alpha	Students and Faculty at the 2009 Awards Ceremony	Jamie Boban received the Alice Ebel Outstanding Graduating Senior Award presented by Dr. Ali Riaz	Dr. Ali Riaz presents the Alice Ebel Award to Danica Taylor

Dr. Ali Riaz presents the Alice Ebel Award to Alexandra Hundley	Dr. Ali Riaz presents the Alice Ebel Award to Alana McGinty	Dr. Ali Riaz presents the Alice Ebel Award to Amanda Conley	Gina Tucci is the recipient of the Tom Wilson Internship Award

Jennifer Nosaka is awarded the Political Science Minority Student Scholarship	Dr. Riaz presented the Thomas More Scholarship in Political Theory to Jennifer Dodson	The Frank M. and Hermina R. Giordano Scholarship is presented to Justin Thompson by Dr. Ali Riaz	Dr. Ali Riaz presented The Hibbert R. Roberts Teaching Excellence Recognition Award to Dr. Robert Bradley

Andrea Silva, the recipient of the Outstanding Graduate Student Award, is pictured with Dr. Carlos Parodi	Lauren Foerster, the Walter S.G. Kohn Award recipient, is pictured with Rita Kohn	Alexandra Hochhauser, the first recipient of the George J. Gordon Scholarship in U.S. Public Affairs, is pictured with Professor Emeritus George J. Gordon