Awards

The Department of Political Science is home to faculty that are committed to providing the highest quality research and instruction to students, the community, and the wider profession. Our faculty have received many awards for their research, teaching, and academic success.

View a list of these awards, organized by faculty member, below.

Bell, Mark

College of Liberal Arts Social Science Research Grant, 2026-2028
University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts MidCareer Faculty Research Award, 2023
Best Book Award (biennial) for Nuclear Reactions: How Nuclear-Armed States Behave, Foreign Policy Analysis section, International Studies Association, 2023
Center for Strategic and International Studies Project on Nuclear Issues Mid-Career Cadre, 2019-2022
Amos Perlmutter Prize for the Most Outstanding Essay Submitted for Publication by Junior Faculty for the Journal of Strategic Studies, 2018
Bridging the Gap Policy Engagement Fellowship, 2018
American Political Science Association Kenneth N. Waltz Award for the best dissertation in security studies, 2017

Bose, Anuja

Caraway, Teri

Collins, Kathleen

Distinguished McKnight University Professor, 2026
College of Liberal Arts Social Science Research Grant, 2025-2027
Fulbright Global Scholar Award, 2025-2026
College of Liberal Arts Red Motley Teaching Award, 2023
Central Eurasian Studies Society Award for Clan Politics and Regime Transition in Central Asia, 2008
McKnight Land-Grant Professor, 2007
Carnegie Scholar Award (national award given by the Carnegie Corporation of New York for excellent and policy-relevant research), 2003

Davari, Arash

Fazal, Tanisha

Distinguished McKnight University Professor, 2025
Institute on the Environment Fellow, 2024-2025
Melvin and Gertrude Waldfogel Scholar of the College 2022-2025
Distinguished Scholar in Global Security, Dartmouth University, 2022
Best Blog by a Senior Scholar, Online Media Caucus, International Studies Association, 2022
Andrew Carnegie Fellow, “Military Medicine and the Hidden Costs of War,” 2021-2023
Bridging the Gap Policy Engagement Fellowship, 2019-2020
Best Book Award for Wars of Law: Unintended Consequences in the Regulation of Armed Conflict, International Law Section, International Studies Association, 2019
Ignite Award for Online Achievement in International Studies, Online Media Caucus of the International Studies Association, 2018
Carnegie Council for International Ethics Fellow, "The Living Legacy of the First World War," 2018
Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation Grant for project on "Military Medicine and the Changing Costs of War" ($40,000), 2017-2018
Best Non-Student Paper Award, International Law Section, International Studies Association for "Rebels and Landmines: Why Do Armed Groups Commit to the Laws of War?" with Rita Konaev, 2017
Best Book Award for State Death: The Politics and Geography of Conquest, Occupation, and Annexation, Conflict Processes Section, American Political Science Association, 2008
Helen Dwight Reid Award of the American Political Science Association for the Best Dissertation in International Relations, Law, and Politics, 2002

Federico, Christopher

Award for Outstanding Contributions to Graduate and Professional Education, 2026
Beverly and Richard Fink Professor in the Liberal Arts, 2020-2023
International Society of Political Psychology David O. Sears Book Award for "Open Versus Closed: Personality, Identity, and the Politics of Redistribution" with Christopher Johnston and Howard Lavine, 2018
International Society for Justice Research Morton Deutsch Award, 2009
International Society of Political Psychology Roberta Sigel Junior Scholar Paper Award, 2007
International Society of Political Psychology Erik Erikson Award for Early Career Achievements, 2007

Goren, Paul

Hilbink, Lisa

Lasting Contribution Award, Law and Courts section of the American Political Science Association, for Judges beyond Politics in Democracy and Dictatorship, 2024
Fulbright Specialist Roster, U.S. Department of State, 2020-present
Herbert Jacob Book Prize, Law and Society Association, for Judges beyond Politics in Democracy and Dictatorship, 2008
Fulbright Senior Research Grant for project, “Judging for Democracy? Spain in Comparative Perspective,“ (Madrid, Spain) January-May 2007

Hollyer, James

Johnson, Timothy

Lasting Contribution Award, American Political Science Association, 2025
Silver Gavel Award for Multimedia, American Bar Association, 2025
Webby Award, International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, 2025
Vickie R. Courtney Award for Outstanding Service to University Senate Governance, 2025
Thank a Teacher Note, Center for Educational Innovation, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2025
Outstanding Service Award, University Senate, 2023
American Political Science Association Distinguished Teaching Award, 2018
Institute for Humane Studies Grant, ($8,000), 2018
College of Liberal Arts Career Readiness Faculty Fellow, 2017-2018
National Science Foundation Grant, ($199,992), 2016
Tate Award for Undergraduate Advising, 2012
President’s Distinguished Faculty Mentor Program, University of Minnesota, 2010-2013
Pi Sigma Alpha Award for the best paper presented at the Southern Political Science Association, 2009
Horace T. Morse-Minnesota Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education, University of Minnesota, 2008
College of Liberal Arts Red Motley Teaching Award, 2007
National Science Foundation Grant, ($53,922), 2006
National Science Foundation Grant, ($226,181), 2003
The American Judicature Society Award for the best paper on law and courts presented at the American, Midwest, Southern, Southwestern, or Western Political Sciences Associations, 2002

Karch, Andrew

Kinsella, Helen M.

Mellon University Fellowship in Leadership, 2024-2026
Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Award, University of Minnesota, 2024
Fulbright Fellowship, Distinguished Scholar, 2023
Human Rights Initiative, University of Minnesota, 2022
University of Minnesota Institute for Advanced Study Resident Fellow, 2021
Bridging the Gap Project, Policy Engagement Fellow, 2020
Center on Human Rights and Global Justice Fellow, New York University Law School, 2018-2019
Vilas Associate Award, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2016-2017
Feminist Scholars' Fellowship, Department of Gender and Women's Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2016
Sussex International Theory Prize, The Centre for Advanced International Theory, University of Sussex for "The Image Before the Weapon," 2012
Mellon Sawyer Seminar Grant: "Biopolitics: Life in Past and Present," 2011-2012
Helen Dwight Reid Award for best dissertation in international relations, law, and politics, American Political Science Association, 2004

Krebs, Ron

Distinguished McKnight Professor, 2024
Scholar of the College, College of Liberal Arts, 2017-2020
Beverly and Richard Fink Professor in the Liberal Arts, 2015-2021
Awards for "Narrative and the Making of U.S. National Security" (Cambridge UP, 2015)
- Robert L. Jervis and Paul W. Schroeder Best Book Award in International History and Politics, American Political Science Association, 2016
- Giovanni Sartori Book Award, for the best book developing or applying qualitative methods, Qualitative and Multi-Method Research Section, American Political Science Association, 2016
- Honorable Mention, Joseph S. Lepgold Book Prize, for an exceptional contribution to the study of international relations, Mortara Center for International Studies, Georgetown University, 2016
- Honorable Mention, Foreign Policy Section Best Book Award, American Political Science Association, 2017
Fulbright Senior Scholar Award (Israel), 2012
McKnight Land-Grant Professor, 2006-2008

Lavine, Howard

David O. Sears Book Award (Sponsored by the International Society of Political Psychology) for Open Versus Closed: Personality, Identity and the Politics of Redistribution (Cambridge University Press, 2017), 2018.
Joseph L. Bernd Best Paper Award (Southern Political Science Association), Journal of Politics, "Racial Diversity and the Dynamics of Authoritarianism," with Yamil Velez, 2018
Human Rights Initiative Award, University of Minnesota, $40,000, 2017
Robert E. Lane Book Award (Sponsored by the Political Psychology Section, for Open Versus Closed: Personality, Identity and the Politics of Redistribution, with Christopher Johnston and Christopher Parker
University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts, Pilot "Pipeline" Program ($10,000), with Ron Aminzade and William Jones, 2017
Grant-in-Aid, University of Minnesota ($45,000), On the Psychological Underpinnings of Electoral Choice in Real Time: The 2016 Minnesota Multi-Investigator Panel Study, 2016
David O. Sears Book Award (Sponsored by the International Society of Political Psychology) for The Ambivalent Partisan: How Critical Loyalty Promotes Democracy (Oxford University Press, 2012), 2013
Robert E. Lane Book Award (Sponsored by the Political Psychology Section of the American Political Science Association for The Ambivalent Partisan: How Critical Loyalty Promotes Democracy (Oxford University Press, 2012), 2013
Arleen C. Carlson Chair, 2011-2024
Erik H. Erikson Early Career Award for Research Achievement (International Society of Political Psychology), 2004
Joan Aldous Grant Diversity and Public Engagement Grant, ($5,000)

Luo, Kevin

Luxon, Nancy

Senior Fellow, Institute for Advanced Studies - Leuphana University of Luneburg, 2025
Talle Faculty Research Award for "Staging the Political: Colonial Encounters in North Africa and France, 2017-2019
Mellon Sawyer Seminar Grant with Robert Nichols and Jean O'Brien: "The Politics of Land," 2017-2018
University of Minnesota Imagine Fund Award: "Négritude and Radical Politics," 2017
National Endowment for the Humanities- Enduring Questions Grant with Robert Nichols, 2016-2018
University of Minnesota Imagine Fund Award: "Archives of Infamy," 2016
University of Minnesota Imagine Fund Award, "Authorship and Representation," University of Minnesota, 2014
University of MinnesotaImagine Fund Award, "Staging the Political," University of Minnesota, 2013
Institute for Advanced Study Residential Fellowship, University of Minnesota, 2009

Minta, Michael

Myers, Dan

Nimtz, August

Olsen, Tricia

Best Book Award for Seeking Justice: Access to Remedy for Corporate Human Rights Abuse, Human Rights section, American Political Science Association, 2024.
Social Issues in Management Best Business Ethics Paper Award for Institutional Strengthening as Ethical Obligation: An Agnostic Approach to Business Ethics, Academy of Management, 2020.
Best Paper Award for Business and Human Rights: Means-Ends Decoupling in the Oil and Gas Industry, International Association for Business and Society, 2018.
Best Article Award for Does Reform Prevent Rebellion? Evidence from Russia's Emancipation of the Serfs, European Politics and Society section, American Political Science Association, 2016.
Editorial Board Best Paper Award for Does Reform Prevent Rebellion? Evidence from Russia's Emancipation of the Serfs, Comparative Political Studies, 2016.
Best Article Award for Imperfect Institutional Change: Peasant Disturbances Before and After Russia's Emancipation Reform of 1861, European Politics and Society section, American Political Science Association, 2015.
Editorial Board Best Paper Award for Imperfect Institutional Change: Peasant Disturbances Before and After Russia's Emancipation Reform of 1861, Comparative Political Studies, 2015.

Pearson, Kathryn

Samuels, David

Soper, Paul

Sumner, Jane