Section awards are presented during the APSA annual meeting awards ceremony. To learn more about any award listed, contact the award committee chair for the award.

All section 29. Political Science Education awards to-date »
 

Craig L. Brians Award for Excellence In Undergraduate Research and Mentorship

Established in 2014 in memory of Dr. Craig L. Brians, this award is given annually to a faculty member who demonstrates commitment to and excellence in encouraging and developing scholarship among undergraduate students, and in mentoring undergraduate students in preparation for graduate school or public-affairs related careers. Any person may nominate a candidate, or self-nominations will be accepted. The winner(s) shall be selected by the CLB Award Committee. Beginning in 2026 through December 2029, Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society, has generously offered to support this award at the amount of $250 per year. Deadline for nominations: April 1, 2026

Award Committee

Name	Affiliation	Email
Elizabeth Dorssom (Co-Chair)	Lincoln University	dorssomE@lincolnu.edu
Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan (Co-Chair)	University of South Florida St. Petersburg	jsm2@usf.edu

---

Best APSA Conference Paper Award

This award is given annually at the section meeting held in conjunction with the APSA annual meeting to the author(s) who present at the previous year’s annual APSA annual meeting, either in an oral session or poster session. The winner(s) will be selected by the Best APSA Conference Paper Award. Deadline for nominations: April 1, 2026

Award Committee

Name	Affiliation	Email
Justin Lance (Co-Chair)	Presbyterian College	jelance@presby.edu
Najja K. Baptist (Co-Chair)	University of Arkansas	nbaptist@uark.edu

---

Lifetime Achievement Award

This award may be given at the annual section meeting held at the APSA annual meeting. The awardee must have a strong record of long-standing, exceptional, and extensive contributions to the goals of the section, including the promotion of the teaching and learning in the discipline and the scholarship of teaching. Any section member may submit a nomination letter to the Executive Committee. Nominations are due by April 1. The Executive Committee will determine if a nominee is eligible and will decide by June 1 if the award will be given. This award doe not have to be given every year. Deadline for nominations: April 1, 2026

Award Committee

Name	Affiliation	Email
Maureen Feeley (Chair)	University of California, San Diego	mfeeley@ucsd.edu
Charles C. Turner	Chico State University	ccturner@csuchico.edu
Young Im Lee	California State University, Sacramento	young-im.lee@csus.edu
Cherie Strachan	University of Akron	jcw39@uakron.edu
Tavishi Bhasin	Kennesaw State University	tbhasin@kennesaw.edu
Diana Owen	Georgetown University	owend@georgetown.edu
Daniel Mallinson	Penn State Harrisburg	djm466@psu.edu
Elizabeth Dorssom	Lincoln University	dorssome@lincolnu.edu
Josue Franco	Cuyamaca Community College	josue.franco@gcccd.edu
Shamira Gelbman	Wabash College	gelbmans@wabash.edu

---

Distinguished Service Award

This award may be given at the section meeting held at the APSA meeting. The awardee must have a strong record of exceptional and extensive contributions to the goals of the section, including the promotion of teaching and learning in the discipline and the scholarship of teaching. Any section member may submit a nomination letter to the Executive Committee. Nominations are due by April 1. The Executive Committee will determine if a nominee is eligible and will decide by June 1 if the award will be given. This award does not have to be given every year. Deadline for nominations: April 1, 2026

Award Committee

Name	Affiliation	Email
Maureen Feeley (Chair)	University of California, San Diego	mfeeley@ucsd.edu
Colin Brown	Northeastern University	colin.brown@northeastern.edu
Matt Evans	Northwest Arkansas Community College	mevans8@nwacc.edu
Jyl Josephson	Rutgers University-Newark	jylj@rutgers.edu
Diana Owen	Georgetown University	owend@georgetown.edu
Charles C. Turner	Chico State University	ccturner@csuchico.edu
Young Im Lee	California State University, Sacramento	young-im.lee@csus.edu
Megan Becker	University of Southern California	meganbec@usc.edu
Joseph Roberts	Roger Williams University	jroberts@rwu.edu

Best New Undergraduate Textbook Award

This award may be given for any single authored, co-authored, or co-edited undergraduate textbook published within the last three years in any subfield of Political Science. Nominated textbooks should be distinguished by innovative pedagogy, inclusivity, and affordability. Any section member may submit a nomination. Nominations are due by January 1. The Award Committee will decide by June 1 if the award will be given, and awards will be presented at the annual APSA section business meeting. Deadline for nominations: January 1, 2026

Eligibility:

• Nominators must be members of Political Science Education (PSE) Section. Self-nominations are accepted.
• Nominees do not need to be affiliated with an institution of higher education in the United States or be a US citizen to be considered.
• Submissions must be single authored, co-authored, or co-edited textbooks published within the last three years for an undergraduate audience in any subfield of Political Science.
• New editions may be considered if substantive revisions have been introduced, and are well documented in the nomination letter, and if they have not previously won this award
• Authors may submit nominations for the same book during multiple years, as long as the book (any edition) has not previously won this award.
• Textbook affordability is a consideration for this award.

Submissions should include:

• A nomination letter explaining how the textbook meets eligibility criteria, specifically detailing how the book engages undergraduate students, the teaching innovations introduced, and how these promote active and inclusive classrooms.
• Physical or digital copies of the textbook for the Award Committee’s consideration
• Any additional supporting documents of the nominator’s choosing.

Award Committee

Name	Affiliation	Email
Charity Butcher (Chair)	Kennesaw State University	cbutche2@kennesaw.edu
Kevin G. Lorenz II	Saginaw Valley State University	kglorent@SVSU.edu
Austin Trantham	Saint Leo University	austin.trantham@saintleo.edu
Tavishi Bhasin	Kennesaw State University	tbhasin@kennesaw.edu

Best New SoTL Book Award

Nominated books should be distinguished by significant contributions (theoretical, methodological, and/or empirical) to the literature on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) in Political Science. Any section member may submit a nomination. Nominations are due by January 1. The Award Committee will decide by June 1 if the award will be given, and awards will be presented at the annual APSA section business meeting. Deadline for nominations: January 1, 2026

Eligibility:

• Nominators must be members of Political Science Education (PSE) Section. Self-nominations are accepted.
• Nominees do not need to be affiliated with an institution of higher education in the United States or be a US citizen to be considered.
• Books may be written using qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods. 
• Submissions must be single authored, co-authored, or co-edited SoTL book published within the last three years.
• Authors may submit nominations for the same book during multiple years, as long as the book has not previously won this award.

Submissions should include:

• A nomination letter detailing the goals and audience of the book, how it engages this audience and its contributions (theoretical, methodological and/or empirical) to the broader SoTL literature in Political Science.
• Physical or digital copies of the book for the Award Committee’s consideration

Any additional supporting documents of the nominator’s choosing.

Award Committee

Name	Affiliation	Email
Petra Hendrickson (Chair)	Northern Michigan University	pehendri@nmu.edu
Tavishi Bhasin	Kennesaw State University	tbhasin@kennesaw.edu
Devon Cantwell-Chavez	University of Copenhagen	devon.cantwell@gmail.com
Dale Mineshima-Lowe	Parami University	d.mineshima-lowe@parami.edu.mm