Political Science Department
Senior Awards
Presented by Professor Wendy Webber
Senior Class Dinner
March 28, 2007
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The first award I’d like to present is the Humphrey-Mondale Award which is given each year to an outstanding student whose career exemplifies the highest standards of scholarship and education for service to society. This year’s recipient is, to quote one of her professors: an outstanding student and a skilled researcher [whose work is] focused on understanding key social and political issues, identifying practical solutions to social problems, and promoting more effective organizing and community development. This work includes an honors project she is currently completing and an EXCO course she is co-teaching, both on the topic of immigration, as well as research projects she has done here at Macalester and for NGOs. She also already has an impressive history of work in community development, both in the US and internationally, and activist organizing. In her junior year, she was awarded a Truman scholarship for graduate studies, an achievement which recognized her leadership potential and commitment to a career in public service. Professors who have worked with her have spoken of her dedication and her “quiet and effective capacity to lead.” Please join me in congratulating Trudy Rebert, this year’s recipient of the Humphrey-Mondale Award.
The next award is the Peter E. Wiseman Award which is given each year to a student who has demonstrated, by working with the underprivileged, humanitarian concern and commitment. This year’s recipient has an impressive record of volunteer work. For the past four years, she has volunteered at the Jane Addams School for Democracy, tutoring East African immigrants in English, and at Open Arms of Minnesota where she works on programs for African-born persons living with HIV/AIDS. These programs are a continuation and expansion of an original service project for which she was awarded the Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation Scholarship in 2005. She has also been active in student organizations here on campus, working with both Amnesty International and Habitat for Humanity. Finally, I’m pleased to announce that she has just received an Upper Midwest Human Rights Fellowship from the University of Minnesota to spend the summer in Peru implementing an original human rights education and advocacy project. Please join me in congratulating Emily Hedin, this year’s recipient of the Peter E. Wiseman Award.
The next award is the Brent Williams Award which is given each year to a student who has debate and speech experience and who has been active in college and community political affairs. This year’s recipient has been a member of Macalester’s Mock Trial Program since the fall of 2003 and has served as the team’s captain over the course of this past academic year. He has received a number of prizes for public speaking, including the Charles W. Ferguson Prize in 2005 and the Lowell C. Thomas Prize in 2004 and 2006. He has also been very active in college affairs, serving most notably as a student representative on Macalester’s Board of Trustees and the Editor-in-Chief of the Mac Weekly. Professors he has worked with have spoken of the quality of his intellect as well as the respect he has earned from his peers as a leader in the classroom, with one professor noting: “When I found out I’d be teaching at Macalester, I knew that I’d meet with excellent students. But when I encountered [this student] in my first semester, I realized that I had not set my expectations for Macalester students high enough.” Please join me in congratulating Herschel Nachlis, this year’s recipient of the Brent Williams Award.
The next award is the Political Science Leadership and Service Award which is given each year to the student who has best exemplified leadership and service to the Political Science department. This year we have two recipients. The first recipient is a double major in Political Science and Economics who has worked in the Political Science Department since the fall of 2004, as an office assistant, a preceptor, and a research assistant. Students have described her in the following ways. One student said: “She is one of most helpful and caring people that I know... She is at every Political Science event ready to help set up and to keep things running smoothly. She knows more about what is going on in the department than anyone – besides Roxy, of course.” Another student said of her: “she is always friendly and helps students, professors, and visitors with the same generous amount of enthusiasm. She shows real leadership in organizing events in the department, she can ‘play’ Roxy if need be.” Now, I don’t think that there’s a higher compliment in this department than to have your institutional knowledge and organizational skills compared to Roxy’s! Please join me in congratulating Nisha Krishnan, one of this year’s recipients of the Political Science Leadership and Service Award.
The second recipient is a double major in Political Science and International Studies who has played an important leadership role on campus, both inside and outside the Political Science department. She has served as an elected representative on the Legislative Body and as a student representative on the Educational Policy and Governance Committee. She was a visible and articulate spokesperson in the debate over need-blind admissions, and in the context of this debate, was called upon to give a presentation to the Board of Trustees on the matter. She is currently serving as one of the co-presidents of Pi Sigma Alpha and has played a key role in organizing the upcoming Macalester-Carleton conference. One professor noted of her: “She has provided exceptional leadership to the Political Science department. She shares her wisdom and political insight with young, easily-rattled student employees in the office. Additionally, in her role as a preceptor she has helped students navigate the dangers of writing papers for Professor Adler!” Please join me in congratulating Natalia Espejo, one this year’s recipients of the Political Science Leadership and Service Award.
The final award of the evening is the Political Science Academic Excellence Award, which is given each year to the student who best exemplifies the values of academic excellence. You have already heard about the work that this student has done outside of the classroom, but let me say a bit about her academic work. Perhaps the best way to summarize this work is to note that her GPA in Political Science is currently 3.96 (overall 3.92). Professors who have worked with her have spoken of this student’s exceptional research and writing skills, her skill and confidence in public speaking, and her work ethic. One professor said of her: “her written work is routinely among the most professional encountered among our students and the analytic and theoretical creativity with which she approaches political science makes her research papers sparkle with excellence.” Please join me in congratulating Emily Hedin, this year’s recipient of the Political
Science Academic Excellence Award.
