The annual spring Political Science annual awards banquet offers a chance for the department to honor our outstanding alumni and students, for graduating seniors to say goodbye to their favorite faculty and their friends, and for alumni and students heading off to various careers to network. On April 25, 2024, the banquet was held in the Graduate, following the department Career Workshop where 26 alumni joined us to mentor the next generation of Penn State students about how to pursue careers in various fields.
Greg Glod (2010 BA Political Science and Journalism) currently senior criminal justice policy fellow at Americans for Prosperity received the Outstanding Young Alumni award. Greg received his juris doctorate degree from the University of Maryland School of Law in 2013, and in 2017 was named to Forbes “30 Under 30” list for law and policy. He is the co-host of the War on Drugs podcast, which examines our nation’s approach to drug policy. The podcast recently received an Anthem Award for best influencer collaboration in the human and civil rights category.
Matt Levendusky (2001 BA Political Science) received the Outstanding Alumni Award. Matt, who received his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 2006, is currently professor of political science and the Stephen and Mary Baran Chair in the Institutions of Democracy at the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. He has authored/co-authored several impactful works that have been honored with prestigious awards. These include the 2011 Jewell Lowenberg Award, the 2013 best paper award from The Journal of Politics, the 2022 Rebecca Morton Best Article Award from the Journal of Experimental Political Science, the 2014 Goldsmith Book Prize from Harvard University’s Shorenstein Center, and the 2016 Erik Erikson Early Career Award from the International Society of Political Psychology.
Arlene Marshall-Hockensmith (1998 BA Political Science) the Director of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) at the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) received the Outstanding Public Service Award. Arlene earned her juris doctorate degree from Widener University Commonwealth Law School in 2006, and previously served as the first director of DEIB at the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, Inc. (PLAN, Inc.), where she was the first woman of color to hold a senior leadership role. In her current role she works to advance DCNR’s mission, vision, and goals to increase and advance DEIB programs and services. Arlene is a proud Jamaican-American and first-generation college student.
Many of our exceptional students were also highlighted at the banquet. Among those mentioned were two of the student marshals for Spring Graduation. Amita Diarra represented Political Science at the Spring 2024 graduation. She is a Schreyer Scholar, a Paterno Fellow and a Provost scholar, graduating with a BA in Political Science and minors in French and Francophone Studies and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She participated in the Ralph Bunche Summer Institue at Duke University where she developed her own research on why some political self-determination movements last while others disappear. She presented her research artt the American Political Science Association’s annual meeting in 2023. Amita has also served as president, vice president, and general manager of The Lion FM, Penn States radio station, and produced two radio shows. Next year she will be pursuing her Ph.D. in Political Science at Columbia University.
The Social Data Analytics student marshall, Yeji Park, also received recognition at the banquet. Yeji served as a technology monitoring intern with Mercedes Benz Korea. During her internship she presented research on how innovative technologies were being adapted in Korea to an international R&D team including engineers from Germany, Japan, India, and China. She also collaborated on proof of concept projects for Startup Autobahn Korea, an open innovation platform with corporate partners that include LG and Hanwa Systems. She is an active member of the Google Developer Club and Nittany Data Labs. After graduation, Yeji plans to work as a data scientist.
Olivia Bratton received Pi Sigma Alpha’s Gilotti Best Thesis Award; she also served as the student marshall for Global and International Studies at the Spring graduation.
Giselle Concepcion received the Political Science Public Service Award. Giselle will graduate with a degree in PS and minors in Civic and Community Engagement and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Her honors thesis in Civic and Community Engagement, for example, offers an Analysis of Gendered Notions of Civic Engagement and their Effect on Political Engagement. As a participant in the Ralph Bunche Summer Institute at Duke University, Giselle prepared a research presentation for the APSA national conference with the excellent title Girl Scout to Girl Boss. And as a Social Justice Fellow in Washington D.C., she examined housing segregation on university campuses and its effect on community and belonging. Giselle has been a force on campus as well; she co-authored a report from the department of Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies on the racial climate at Penn State; was a VP at the undergraduate association and was a founder of the Penn State Chapter of the League of Women Voters, where she has diligently encouraged all students to participate in the political process. Giselle will be pursuing a Ph.D. in Political Science at New York University next year.
We also celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Political Science Board of Visitors, one of the first of its kind within the College of the Liberal Arts. The Political Science Board of Visitors is composed of sixteen alumni who provide valuable feedback on programs and strategic plans to the department head; mentor our students and advise in their professional development; help create opportunities for our students through internships and professional school advising; and advance the goals of the department through support of faculty chairs, graduate fellowships, undergraduate internships, support for study abroad, and scholarships.
