Through APSA’s Centennial Center for Political Science and Public Affairs, the Kenneth Sherrill Prize recognizes the best doctoral dissertation proposal for an empirical study of lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) topics in political science.  The purpose of this prize is to encourage and enable empirical work on LGBT topics by graduate students, and to broaden the recognition of this work within political science. The award is presented at the APSA Annual Meeting and carries a cash prize of $1,000

Visit the new Centennial Center website to learn more about the Kenneth Sherrill Prize

About the 2026 Winner:

Angela Elissa Kothe is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Government at Cornell University. Her research explores the persistence of gender inequality in the United States and the United Kingdom. In her dissertation, she examines variation in market risk across queer communities using comparative historical analysis and quasi-experimental methods. She illustrates that gender roles, rather than gender itself, has changed unevenly over time which produces an uneven distribution of rights and economic goods within and across communities. Her research has been published in Studies in American Political Development. Prior to Cornell, she earned a bachelor’s degree with honors from New College of Florida.

Prize Requirements

Applicants must have successfully defended the prospectus for their dissertation, or intend to defend their prospectus by July 31, 2026.  To qualify, an applicant’s dissertation prospectus must be an empirical study of LBGT topics; a prospectus in political theory is not eligible for the Kenneth Sherrill Prize. 

Each year after receiving the Prize, the Prize committee must receive a report from prior recipients stating if the dissertation has been completed and if so, receive an abstract of the completed dissertation, and if not, a timetable detailing expected trajectory to completion.

How to Apply

Applications for the program should include:

• A curriculum vitae.
• An abstract of the dissertation proposal.
• A copy of the applicant’s dissertation proposal.
• A letter of recommendation from the chair of the applicant’s dissertation committee.  The letter must attest that the prospectus will be defended by July 31, 2025.