Congratulations to the Class of 2021
On behalf of the political science faculty, congratulations on reaching this milestone.
Graduating from college is a momentous occasion, representing the culmination of four years of had work, commitment, and discipline. For the Class of 2021, this occasion is all the more momentous because your college experience was characterized by tremendous upheaval. Achieving what those before you have achieved required greater determination, tenacity, and strength. For this reason, we hope that this is a moment of particular pride for you, your families, and all who supported you along the way. Congratulations!
Stay well, and stay in touch.
Dr. Margolis
Director of Undergraduate Studies
**************************************
Words cannot express how happy I am to have worked with you all at Penn. This was not the journey that any of us expected - but each of you leaves Penn with your own story of triumphing in adversity. You have so very much to be proud of.
And as you move forward, my hope for you is the Mahatma Gandhi quote that hangs in my office: Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.
Be well, all. Onward.
Dr. Doherty-Sil
Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies
Graduating from college is a momentous occasion, representing the culmination of four years of had work, commitment, and discipline. For the Class of 2021, this occasion is all the more momentous because your college experience was characterized by tremendous upheaval. Achieving what those before you have achieved required greater determination, tenacity, and strength. For this reason, we hope that this is a moment of particular pride for you, your families, and all who supported you along the way. Congratulations!
Stay well, and stay in touch.
Dr. Margolis
Director of Undergraduate Studies
**************************************
Words cannot express how happy I am to have worked with you all at Penn. This was not the journey that any of us expected - but each of you leaves Penn with your own story of triumphing in adversity. You have so very much to be proud of.
And as you move forward, my hope for you is the Mahatma Gandhi quote that hangs in my office: Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.
Be well, all. Onward.
Dr. Doherty-Sil
Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies
Additional congratulations to...
students graduating with distinction in political science
Benjamin Banker
The Effect of Public Opinion on the Legal Battle Between LGBTQ+ Rights and Religious Rights: Evolution of Judicial Thinking and Disparate Applications of Federal Law
Advisor: Rogers Smith
Kaiyla Banks
Residential Segregation and Inequality in the US: How Redlining, The Home Owners Loan Corporation, and Disinvestment in Black Communities Has Impacted Black Political Mobility
Advisor: Daniel Gillion
Sally Chen
The Man, The Myth, The Legend: Evaluating the Influence of Individual Leaders on Chinese Economic and Foreign Policy
Advisor: Avery Goldstein
Max Cohen
The Winning Formula: The Effect of Race, Age, and Ideology on Vote Choice Between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders in the 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary
Advisor: Matt Levendusky
Melissa Cortes
Food for Thought: An Evaluation of Food Insecurity Among First-Generation, Low-Income Students at Penn
Advisor: Mary Summers
Thomas Cosentino
Roosevelt and Reagan’s Reconstructive Rhetoric: An Oratory Model for the Biden Presidency
Advisor: David Eisenhower
Javier Cuadras
The Enforcement of the US-Mexico Border and Its Implications on Family Dynamics
Advisor: Beth Simmons
Gillian Diebold
Evaluating Evo Morales: The Conflicts and Convergences of Populism, Resource Nationalism, and Ethno-Environmentalism in Bolivia
Advisor: Deborah Harrold
Lillian Goldsmith
The War on Information: The Connection Between Social Network Sites and a Change in Political Opinion
Advisor: Mitchell Orenstein
Luisa Healey
The Tenants’ Right to Counsel Movement and the History of U.S. Urban Tenant Organizing
Advisor: Michael Jones-Correa
Sophia Landress
Rugged Individualism in American Political Thought
Advisor: Rogers Smith
Huilin (Kelly) Liang
A Friend of the Left? The use of Carl Schmitt in Chantal Mouffe’s Reformulation of Liberal Democracy
Advisor: Loren Goldman
Danielle Miles-Langaigne
Demands for “Sisterly” Love: Exploring the Hyperpenalization of Black Girls in the School District of Philadelphia
Advisor: Nancy Hirschmann
Trevor Núñez
From Taxpayers to Welfare Queens: American Welfare Discourse in the Mid to Late Twentieth Century
Advisor: Marc Meredith
Dennis Ronel
Russian Cyberwarfare in American Electoral Processes: The Kremlin’s Manipulation of Cyberspace in 2016 and 2020
Advisor: Mitchell Orenstein
Eleanor Stalick
Russian Cyberwarfare in American Electoral Processes: The Kremlin’s Manipulation of Cyberspace in 2016 and 2020
Advisor: Dawn Teele
Rachel Steinig
Investigating Bilateral and Regional Agreements to Accommodate Climate-Induced Migration
Advisor: Beth Simmons
Chloe Sweeney
The Impact of the International Criminal Court's Preliminary Examination on Domestic Justice Proceedings in Colombia
Advisor: Beth Simmons
Bala Thenappan
Social Desirability Bias at the University of Pennsylvania
Advisor: Marc Meredith
Bayley Tuch
Vote Mirages in the 2020 Election: How Vote-By-Mail Policies Impact the Reporting of Election Results
Advisor: Stephen Pettigrew
Nicholas Vicoli
Zero Sum Perceptions of Racial and Gender Discrimination
Advisor: Diana Mutz
Yueyi Wang
Chinese Feminist Activism in Times of Crisis: An Analysis of How Chinese Feminism Progressed During the Crisis of Covid-19
Advisor: Yue Hou
Elsa Wefes-Potter
The Threat of Trees and Dangerous Cartoons: Palestinain Resistance in the Age of Legitmacy
Advisor: Ian Lustick
Hannah Yusuf
Gentrification and Hospital Consolidation: An Analysis of Hospital Changes in Philadelphia
Advisor: Michael Jones-Correa
The Effect of Public Opinion on the Legal Battle Between LGBTQ+ Rights and Religious Rights: Evolution of Judicial Thinking and Disparate Applications of Federal Law
Advisor: Rogers Smith
Kaiyla Banks
Residential Segregation and Inequality in the US: How Redlining, The Home Owners Loan Corporation, and Disinvestment in Black Communities Has Impacted Black Political Mobility
Advisor: Daniel Gillion
Sally Chen
The Man, The Myth, The Legend: Evaluating the Influence of Individual Leaders on Chinese Economic and Foreign Policy
Advisor: Avery Goldstein
Max Cohen
The Winning Formula: The Effect of Race, Age, and Ideology on Vote Choice Between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders in the 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary
Advisor: Matt Levendusky
Melissa Cortes
Food for Thought: An Evaluation of Food Insecurity Among First-Generation, Low-Income Students at Penn
Advisor: Mary Summers
Thomas Cosentino
Roosevelt and Reagan’s Reconstructive Rhetoric: An Oratory Model for the Biden Presidency
Advisor: David Eisenhower
Javier Cuadras
The Enforcement of the US-Mexico Border and Its Implications on Family Dynamics
Advisor: Beth Simmons
Gillian Diebold
Evaluating Evo Morales: The Conflicts and Convergences of Populism, Resource Nationalism, and Ethno-Environmentalism in Bolivia
Advisor: Deborah Harrold
Lillian Goldsmith
The War on Information: The Connection Between Social Network Sites and a Change in Political Opinion
Advisor: Mitchell Orenstein
Luisa Healey
The Tenants’ Right to Counsel Movement and the History of U.S. Urban Tenant Organizing
Advisor: Michael Jones-Correa
Sophia Landress
Rugged Individualism in American Political Thought
Advisor: Rogers Smith
Huilin (Kelly) Liang
A Friend of the Left? The use of Carl Schmitt in Chantal Mouffe’s Reformulation of Liberal Democracy
Advisor: Loren Goldman
Danielle Miles-Langaigne
Demands for “Sisterly” Love: Exploring the Hyperpenalization of Black Girls in the School District of Philadelphia
Advisor: Nancy Hirschmann
Trevor Núñez
From Taxpayers to Welfare Queens: American Welfare Discourse in the Mid to Late Twentieth Century
Advisor: Marc Meredith
Dennis Ronel
Russian Cyberwarfare in American Electoral Processes: The Kremlin’s Manipulation of Cyberspace in 2016 and 2020
Advisor: Mitchell Orenstein
Eleanor Stalick
Russian Cyberwarfare in American Electoral Processes: The Kremlin’s Manipulation of Cyberspace in 2016 and 2020
Advisor: Dawn Teele
Rachel Steinig
Investigating Bilateral and Regional Agreements to Accommodate Climate-Induced Migration
Advisor: Beth Simmons
Chloe Sweeney
The Impact of the International Criminal Court's Preliminary Examination on Domestic Justice Proceedings in Colombia
Advisor: Beth Simmons
Bala Thenappan
Social Desirability Bias at the University of Pennsylvania
Advisor: Marc Meredith
Bayley Tuch
Vote Mirages in the 2020 Election: How Vote-By-Mail Policies Impact the Reporting of Election Results
Advisor: Stephen Pettigrew
Nicholas Vicoli
Zero Sum Perceptions of Racial and Gender Discrimination
Advisor: Diana Mutz
Yueyi Wang
Chinese Feminist Activism in Times of Crisis: An Analysis of How Chinese Feminism Progressed During the Crisis of Covid-19
Advisor: Yue Hou
Elsa Wefes-Potter
The Threat of Trees and Dangerous Cartoons: Palestinain Resistance in the Age of Legitmacy
Advisor: Ian Lustick
Hannah Yusuf
Gentrification and Hospital Consolidation: An Analysis of Hospital Changes in Philadelphia
Advisor: Michael Jones-Correa
students receiving departmental prizes and honors
The Robert Holtz Memorial Prize, awarded to the best overall Political Science major graduating each May, is awarded to Chloe Sweeney. Chloe compiled a perfect 4.00 cumulative GPA heading into her final semester – with THIRTEEN “A+” grades. She wrote her honors thesis under the supervision of Beth Simmons; the thesis is titled “The Impact of the International Criminal Court’s Preliminary Examination on Domestic Justice Proceedings in Colombia.”
The Philo Bennett Prize, awarded to the best thesis submitted on a topic related to American politics and/or political theory, will be shared this year by two students: Danielle Miles-Langaigne and Bayley Tuch. Danielle's thesis, supervised by Professor Nancy Hirschmann, is titled "Demands for ‘Sisterly’ Love: Exploring the Hyperpenalization of Black Girls in the School District of Philadelphia." Bayley's thesis, supervised by Professor Stephen Pettigrew, is titled “Vote Mirages in the 2020 Election: How Vote-by-Mail Policies Impact the Reporting of Election Results."
The Leo S. Rowe Prize for the best thesis submitted on a topic related to comparative politics and/or international relations is awarded this year to Dennis Ronel. Dennis’ thesis, supervised by Professor Mitchell Orenstein, is titled "Russian Cyberwarfare in American Electoral Processes: The Kremlin’s Manipulation of Cyberspace in 2016 and 2020."
Warm congratulations go to James Nycz and Ariel Azria who have the bittersweet nominal distinction of being PSCI flag-bearers at Commencement. As student leaders of Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society, James and Ariel have provided invaluable leadership this year to our political science community.
The Philo Bennett Prize, awarded to the best thesis submitted on a topic related to American politics and/or political theory, will be shared this year by two students: Danielle Miles-Langaigne and Bayley Tuch. Danielle's thesis, supervised by Professor Nancy Hirschmann, is titled "Demands for ‘Sisterly’ Love: Exploring the Hyperpenalization of Black Girls in the School District of Philadelphia." Bayley's thesis, supervised by Professor Stephen Pettigrew, is titled “Vote Mirages in the 2020 Election: How Vote-by-Mail Policies Impact the Reporting of Election Results."
The Leo S. Rowe Prize for the best thesis submitted on a topic related to comparative politics and/or international relations is awarded this year to Dennis Ronel. Dennis’ thesis, supervised by Professor Mitchell Orenstein, is titled "Russian Cyberwarfare in American Electoral Processes: The Kremlin’s Manipulation of Cyberspace in 2016 and 2020."
Warm congratulations go to James Nycz and Ariel Azria who have the bittersweet nominal distinction of being PSCI flag-bearers at Commencement. As student leaders of Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society, James and Ariel have provided invaluable leadership this year to our political science community.
Phi Beta Kappa inductees
Jaden Baum
Emily Despinoy Tat Hung Sophia Landress |
Huilin (Kelly) Liang
Anna-Lisa Lowenstein Danielle Miles-Langaigne Alina Mizrahi |
Samuel Orlaff
Sarah Simon Rachel Steinig Chloe Sweeney |
Elsa Wefes-Potter
Jake Fallek (2020) Zachary Koslowski (2020) Mark Steiner (2020) |
Dean's scholar
Danielle Miles-Langaigne
Henry Teune Award for Excellence in Teaching
Each year the University of Pennsylvania's chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha--a national political science honors society--presents one political science instructor with the Henry Teune Award for Excellence in Teaching. Professor Mark Pollack is this year's award winner.