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2025 Graduates & Award Recipients

 

 

 

POLITICAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT

AWARDS & Recognitions

Kenneth F. Janda Prize for Distinguished Honors Thesis in Political Science
This prize is in honor of Kenneth Janda, who taught in the Department of Political Science for 41 years. The Janda Prize is awarded for the best undergraduate honors thesis. The winner is selected by the Honors Committee and is based on the nominations and feedback received from the honors thesis readers.
Julian Fefer

"We are the Union": A Case Study of UNITE HERE Local 1's Internal Structure

Advised by Professor Chloe Thurston, Associate Professor of Political Science; Faculty Fellow, Institue for Policy Research

 

Ben Hempker

Manipulated Maps, Mainpulated Participation: How Partisan Gerrymandering Influences Conventional and Unconventional Political Engagement 

Advised by Professor Laurel Harbridge-Yong, Professor of Political Science

 

William M. McGovern Award for Academic Excellence, Leadership, and Citizenship

The McGovern Prize is in honor of William M. McGovern, who taught comparative politics and political theory in political science at Northwestern from 1929 until his death in 1964. In recognition for his devotion to his students and for making significant strides to enhance academic life in the Political Science Department, the McGovern Prize is awarded to an outstanding graduating political science major who has demonstrated excellence in scholarship, leadership, and University citizenship.

Grace Kathryn Coolidge

Grace graduates with a double major in Political Science and International Studies with a minor in Legal Studies. While at Northwestern, Coolidge was inducted into Pi Sigma Alpha and Phi Beta Kappa honors societies. Coolidge was a Farrell Fellow research assistant under the supervision of Prof. Chloe N. Thurston. Coolidge served as President of NU Swing Left, mobilizing voters in swing states, as the Journal Editor for the Northwestern Undergraduate Law Journal, and as a leader with Dance Marathon, raising funds for Little Heroes League. Coolidge interned at the Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts, volunteered weekly at Evanston’s YWCA, and, through Books and Breakfast, supported efforts to strengthen literacy and math skills at Dewey Elementary School.  

 

Kurtis Nelson

Kurtis graduates with a double major in Political Science and Data Science. While at Northwestern, Nelson was inducted into Pi Sigma Alpha, Phi Beta Kappa, and the Mortar Board honors societies Nelson was a Farrell Fellow research assistant and IPR Summer research assistant under the supervision of Prof. Brian Libgober. Nelson was the Chair of External Research for the Policy Research Committee and Chair of Academics for Northwestern’s Associated Student Government (ASG), as well as Chair of Public Relations for UNICEF Northwestern. Beyond Northwestern, Nelson worked as a research intern at the Brookings Institution, where he co-authored two articles.  

R. Barry Farrell Prize for Academic Achievement in Political Science
Named for his outstanding commitment to undergraduate students both within and beyond the classroom, the R. Barry Farrell Prize for Academic Achievement in Political Science, a committee of faculty recognizes student(s) for the best-written undergraduate research seminar paper.
Jessica Zeng

Jessica Zeng, Framing the Fires Across Time:  Racial Capitalism in Political Responses to the 1965 Watts Uprising and the 1992 Los Angeles Uprising 

Submitted to Professor Reuel Rogers for Winter 2025’s Racial Politics in American Cities 

 

Aby James

Aby James, ¡Speak English! Examining the factors that affect bilingual education policy in the United States

Submitted to Professor Danielle Gilbert for Spring 2024’s Nationalism and Ethnicity 

 

 

Senior Marshal

The Department of Political Science chooses one graduating senior to carry the Department’s banner at the Weinberg College Convocation. Nominations are submitted by graduating students and Political Science professors and chosen by the Undergraduate Program Committee.

Shanthan T. Benjamin-Webb

For his academic achievement and contributions to the Department, Weinberg College, and Northwestern community as a whole

 


Distinguished Accomplishments

 

\   Farrell Fellows  \
Nancy Barrera Carmine Cultrona Aidan Klinges Amaya Mikolic-Berrios
Paz Baum Keira Embler Sara Kurniawan Noraan Mohamed
Jiah Choe Addie Fleming Ashley Yeonwoo Lee Kurtis Nelson
Kenyan Cole-Suggs Ann Gaither Douglas Yi De Lee Johanna Tam
Grace Kathryn Coolidge Hamza Haq Vanessa Ma Daniel Wright
Regan Cornelius Ben Hempker Isabel Salwa Machlab Jessica S. Zeng
 
\    Departmental Honors  \ 

Learn more about each of the honors theses here.

 

Paz Baum Ava Earl Dylan Meretsky
Shanthan T. Benjamin-Webb Catherine Erickson Kurtis Nelson
Regan Cornelius Julian Fefer Suejin Clara Oh
Loretta Osarumwense David Ben Hempker Tess Wagner
 
 
\    Phi Beta Kappa  \
Nancy Barrera Ava Earl Jovana Lakic Alexander W. Suddmann
Paz Baum Julian Fefer Nicole Medina Alessandra Valladres
Bryan Anthony Carcamo Addie Fleming Kurtis Nelson Daniel Wolf*
Grace Katheryn Coolidge Ben Hempker Erin Healy Poe Daniel Wright
Regan Cornelius Aby James Jennifer Andrea Salvador Santos Jessica S. Zeng*

*inducted as a Junior

 
 
\    Pi Sigma Alpha   \

Pavan Manish Acharya* Addie Fleming Nicole Markus MJ Sasse*
Paz Baum* Dylan Friedland Serena Bela Mehta* Erica Schmitt*
Shanthan T. Benjamin-Webb Ann Gaither* Dylan Meretsky Alianna Taitano*
Jessica Bradford* Amey Haridhas Benjamin Meyer Johanna Tam*
Paloma Bushofksy Ben Hempker* Rand Meyer* Nicole Tan*
Alexa Camilleri Kevin Kim* Amaya Mikolic-Berrios* Shannon Tyler
Bryan Anthony Carcamo Aidan Klinges  Jocelyn Mintz* Luke Vredenburg*
Jiah Choe* Sara Kurniawan Kurtis Nelson* Jacob Wendler*
Grace Kathryn Coolidge* Jovana Lakic* Suejin Clara Oh Jeremy White*
Keira Embler* Ashley Yeonwoo Lee* Catherine Osborne* Daniel Wolf*
Catherine Erickson Douglas Yi De Lee* Katherine Payne* Erin Eunjin Yong
Julian Fefer* Christine Mao* Erin Healy Poe* Jessica S. Zeng*
 
 
\    Certificates of Achievement \
Catherine Erickson, Quantitative Methods Chelsea Nelson, Quantitative Methods Gwen Lakshmi Setia, Quantitative Methods
Ben Hempker, Quantitative Methods Kurtis Nelson, Quantitative Methods Tess Wagner, Quantitative Methods
Aidan Lichamer, Quantitative Methods  Suejin Clara Oh, Quantitative Methods & Foreign Language Erin Eunjin Yong, Quantitative Method
 
 
\    Department Majors   \
Pavan Manish Archarya* Genevieve Francios Christine Mao* Katherine Sandhu
Bridgette Adu-Wadier* Sadie Frankel* Pel Marks-Bienen Charlotte Sandler
Blessing Agyare* Dylan Friedland* Rowan McCloskey MJ Sasse
Nancy Barrera Ann Gaither* Cindy Meco* Logan Schiciano*
Paz Baum Talia Hope Ginsberg Nicole Medina Erica Schmitt*
Bryden Behrens Stephen Greenberg* Serena Bela Mehta Joseph Scott
Kaitlin Bender-Thomas* Biego Guerrero Dylan Meretsky Sofia Serna*
Shanthan T. Benjamin-Webb Nate Hanrahan Benjamin Meyer Gwen Lakshmi Setia*
Aidan Boleyn-Fitzgerald Hamza Haq Rand Meyer* Emmie Slachowitz
Jessica Bradford* Isabel Harkins Amaya Mikolic-Berrios Junho Son*
Samuel Bull* Ben Hempker Jocelyn Mintz* Srinija Srinivasan*
Bryan Anthony Carcamo* Adam Herman Dominic Miranda* Parker Stava*
Oscar Cardenas Breanna Hibbert* Noraan Mohamed* Rohan Subramaniam
Dylan Carey Sophia Jackson* Ryan Moorhead Alexander W. Sudmann
Benjamin Carris Aby James* Chelsea Nelson Alianna Taitano
Connor Caserio Lauren Jao* Kurtis Nelson* Johanna Tam*
Omer Celik* Rafaela Jinich Kassin* Innocent Nkubito Edison Tan
Katya Chadha Andrew Khanin Aniekan Odong Samuel Torno
Leo Chen* Hasan Khokhar Suekin Clara Oh Shannon Tyler*
Jiah Choe* Kevin Kim Lynne Park* Fuma Ueda*
Angie Chung Amy Kim Leonard Pasquier* Alessandra Valladares
Kenyan Cole-Suggs Aidan Klinges* Katherine Payne Luke Vredenburg*
Alexander Converse Sara Kurniawan Tolani Pecko Bademosi* Tess Wagner
Grace Katheryn Coolidge Jovana Lakic Erin Healy Poe Kate Walter*
Regan Cornelius  Ashley Yeonwoo Lee* Leah Pothel Leigh Wang
Carmine Cultrona Doulgas Yi De Lee* Coby Potischman* Jacob Wendler*
Loretta Osarumwense David Peter Chengru Li* Tharin Potuhera* Jeremy White*
Ralph Destin Aidan Lichamer* Ava Kavoosi Prezant Daniel Wolf*
Jay Dugar Aidan Lichamer* Claire Quan Daniel Wright
Ava Earl Zachary Lori Maya Resnick* Matthew Wylie
Joshua Eichbaum Chelsea Lu Reis Revai Erin Eunjin Yong
Jonah Elkwoitz* Victor Lujan* Jonathan Rodriguez Gina Yoo
Keira Embler Jessica Ma* Christian Rodriguez Tibi Zabasajja
Catherine Erickson Vanessa Ma  Amelia Rolighed* Jessica S. Zeng
Julian Fefer Isabel Salwa Machlab Jennifer Andrea Salvador Angela Zhang*
Addie Fleming Nikos Madianos
 
\   Department Minors  \

Paloma Bushofsky

Michael Fuma 

Megija Medne 

Abe Rubin 

Alexa Camilleri 

David Gold 

Patrick O'Hara 

Alexis Schwartz

 

Connor Capoot 

Oliver Goldman 

Catherine Osborne 

Simone Spalding 

Oliva Case 

Amey Haridhas 

Anna Patten 

Nicole Tan 

Janell Contreras 

Hayden Jones 

Kayla Payvar 

Max Weldon 

Maggie Farina 

Samir Khatri 

Mahima Ramesh 

Jenna Wiseltier 

Dylan Fox 

Nicole Markus 

Fiona Roach