The Association confers the following awards annually, based on the named criteria.
Service Awards
Chambers Award
The Raymond Chambers Award is presented for continued and dedicated service to the Georgia Political Science Association. Nominations are solicited in a call to the association membership and require a letter of support from a current GPSA member. The decision is made by an award committee of past presidents, chaired by the immediate past president.
2022: Adam Stone
2021: Tom Rotnem
2019: Adam Stone
2018: Brandy Kennedy
Wells Award
The Donald T. Wells Award is awarded each year to the outgoing immediate past president for completion of the executive rotation (vice-president, president, and immediate past president).
2022: Robert Harding
2021: Karen McCurdy
2020: Keith E Lee, Jr.
2019: Matthew L. Hipps
2018: James LaPlant
2017: Craig Albert
2016: Tamra Ortgies-Young
2015: Tinaz Pavri
2014: Tom Rotnem
2013: Greg Domin
2012: Gerald Merwin
2011: Carol Pierannunzi
2010: Jim Cox
2009: Dick Saeger
2008: Jan Mabie
2007: Adam Stone
2006: Jim Peterson
2005: Mike Digby
2004: Gwen Wood
2003: February – Harold Cline , November – George Cox
2002: Joe Trachtenberg
2001: Tom Lauth
2000: Willoughby Jarrell
1999: Ben Tate
1998: Sandra Thornton
1997: Ralph Walker
1996: Ray Chambers
1995: Brian Murphy
1994: Roger Pajari
1993: Ben de Janes
1992: Charles Pyles, Donald Fairchild and Lane Van Tassell
1991: Don Wells
LaPlant Award
The James T. LaPlant Award recognizes exemplary student mentors at either the undergraduate or graduate level. The award provides recognition to a faculty member for outstanding service to students by sponsoring undergraduate student papers, student panels and/or co-authoring faculty/student collaborative papers. Nominations are solicited in a call to the association membership and require a letter of support from a current GPSA member. The decision is made by an award committee of past presidents, chaired by the immediate past president.
2021: Tamra Ortgies-Young
2020: H. Lee Cheek, East Georgia State College
2019: Chris Bourdouvalis, Augusta University
2018: John Tures, LaGrange College
2017: James T. LaPlant, Valdosta State University
Paper Awards
McBrayer Award
The McBrayer Award is awarded in years when a paper of outstanding scholarship within the discipline is presented in its entirety on the GPSA annual meeting program and subsequently recognized as such at the discretion of the Editorial Board and Editor(s) of Questions in Politics, the scholarly journal of the GPSA. Recipients are awarded $300.
2020: Nathan Combes, Columbus State University, “Keeping the Rascals In: How Unproductive Projects Help Reelect Kenyan Incumbents”
2019: Dr. Dlynn Armstrong-Williams and Dr. Cristian Harris both at the University of North Georgia, “Re-Valuing Public Diplomacy in the Trump Era”
2018: Dr. John Lejeune, Georgia Southwestern State University, “The Pathologies of Democracy: Mill and Winnicott on the Secret Ballot”
2016: Dr. Maureen Stobb, Georgia Southern University, “To Defer or Not Defer: The Dilemma of Federal Courts of Appeal Determining the Reach of U.S. Law”
2015: Dr. Joshua R. Meddaugh, Clayton State University, “Where Have You Gone Federalism, the States Turn Their Lonely Eyes to You: An Empirical Investigation into the Rehnquist Court’s Federalism Decisions”
2014: Dr. Dwight Wilson, University of North Georgia, “The Paradox of State Failure in Mexico”
2013: Dr. Arild Schou, Buskerud and Vestfold University College in Drammen, Norway, “Post-Local Autonomy Settlement and Local Minorities: A Comparative Analysis of Minority Accommodation in Aceh, Kosovo, and Sudan”
2012: Dr. Jerry Herbel, Georgia College and State University, “Public Virtue–Public Vice”
2011: Kristina LaPlant and Dr. James LaPlant, both at Valdosta State University, “Dixie Rising? Revisiting the Classification of the Southern States in the 21st Century”
2010: Dr. Michael Eskey, Park University, “Humor in the Online Criminal Justice Classroom”
SoTL Award
The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Award is given annually to the best paper presented on the SoTL panel. Nominations should be sent to the GPSA Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Coordinator who chairs the selection committee. The committee selects the best paper from those submitted each year. All papers must be formatted as an MS Word or PDF document file. The file then must be sent via email attachment to the SoTL Coordinator and the Program Chair. The winner(s) will be posted on the GPSA site each year. Recipients are awarded
2020: Eleanor Morris, Agnes Scott College, and Tamra Ortgies-Young, Georgia State University
2019: Dominic D. Wells, Joshua R. Meddaugh, and David Pena, Clayton State University
2015: SoTL Award: Tamra Ortgies-Young, Georgia State University
2015: Teaching Innovation Award: Barbara Robertson, Georgia State University
2015: Certificate of Merit: Randall Parish, University of North Georgia
2014: SoTL Award: Crystal Garrett, Georgia State University
2014: Teaching Innovation Award: Steve Elliott-Gower, Georgia College and State University
2014: Certificate of Merit: Barbara Robertson, Georgia State University
2013: SoTL Award: Shyam Sriram, Georgia Perimeter College
2013: Teaching Innovation Award: Martha Ginn, Augusta State
2013: Certificate of Merit: Steve Elliott-Gower, Georgia College and State University
2012: SoTL Award: Craig Albert, Augusta State University
2012: Teaching Innovation Award: Eleanor Morris, Agnes Scott College
2012: Certificate of Merit: Martha Ginn, Augusta State University
2012: Certificate of Merit: Randy Moffett, Savannah College of Art and Design
2012: Certificate of Merit: Thomas Dolan, Columbus State University
Pajari Award
The Roger N. Pajari Award is awarded annually to the best undergraduate paper presented by an undergraduate student as part of the Pajari Undergraduate Research Panel at the annual conference. Professors may nominate undergraduate students for inclusion on the panel or students may submit papers directly. Group papers are acceptable; however, faculty members may not be co-authors. Nominations should be sent to the GPSA Immediate Past President who chairs the selection committee. The awards committee selects the best paper from those submitted each year. All papers must be formatted as an MS Word or PDF document file. The file then must be sent via email attachment to the Immediate Past President and the Program Chair. The winner(s) will be posted on the GPSA site each year. Recipients are awarded $100.
2020: Chelsea Riley, Georgia Southern University, “The Culture Gap: The Role of Culture in Successful Refugee Settlement”
2019: Jessie Kalinowski, Valdosta State University: “Opioids in the United States: What Factors Predict Opioid Death Rates Across the 50 States?”
2018: Mariane Ntagungira, University of Tampa. Paper title: “What Factors Determine the Success of NGOs in the Promotion of Democracy?”
2017: Kellan Robinson, Covenant College: “The War of Sands: A Case Study in Territorial Diversionary”
2015: Mary Spirou, Georgia College and State University
2014: Nicholas A. Rudnik, Valdosta State University: “Away Down South in Dixie: White Voting Patterns and Biracial Coalitions in Southern U.S. House Elections,” Dr. James LaPlant (faculty advisor)
2013: Andrew Patrick Hansen, Southern Polytechnic State University: “Forgetting the Ditch: A Constructivist Analysis of the Transfer of the Panama Canal,” Southern Polytechnic State University, Dr. Thomas J. Nisley (faculty advisor)
Katheryn L. Nikolich, Georgia Gwinnett College: “Gwinnett County, Georgia, Suburban Public Policy,” Dr. Dovile Budryte (faculty advisor)
2012: Kathryn Grant, Valdosta State University: “Gunning for Votes: An Analysis of Voting Behavior in the Georgia General Assembly,” Dr. James LaPlant (faculty advisor)
2010: John Tures and Undergraduate Students, LaGrange College: “Angels and Demons . . . and Democracy”
2009: Catherine, M. Morrow, Valdosta State University: “A Comparison of Poll Results and Election Results in the 2008 Presidential Election.” Dr. James LaPlant (faculty advisor)
Amber McLemore, Valdosta State University: “Marshall, Taney, and Chase Courts: Property Rights and Economic Liberties.
2008: Chris Chiego, University of Georgia : “Democratic Disunity: Race, Religion, and Representation in Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District”
Alexander B. Johnson , University of Georgia : “Georgia Congressional District 10 1994 Election: a Partisan Tide Drowns a Moderate”
2007: Danielle Pearl, University of Georgia
2006: Wesley C. Tharpe , University of Georgia : “Biracial Politics, Social Moderation, and Natural Advantages: How Atlanta Defeated Birmingham to Become the Capital of the South: 1945-1970”
2005: Matthew Mauldin , University of Georgia: “The Republican Party and U.S. House Elections in the South from 1965 1994”
2004: Nicholas Deeb , University of Georgia: “Tort Reform in the Georgia General Assembly: A Case of Legislative Malpractice”
2003: Katie Baird, University of Georgia: “The District 45 State Senate Race in 2002″ 2002 Marty Klein, University of Georgia: “The Long Frustration: The Causes of Republican Losses in Recent Races for Governor in Georgia”
2001: Jessica Langston , University of Georgia: “Vote Fraud in Dodge County, Georgia”
2000: Scott Edenfield , University of Georgia: “Redistricting Effects on Minority Substantive and Descriptive Representation in Georgia in 1991”
1999: Brent Powell , University of Georgia: “Minority Populations: Substantive versus Descriptive Representation”
1998: Martin Magda, University of Georgia: “The Tullos – Childers Glynn County Commission Race of 1994”
1997: Robert Trammell, University of Georgia: “Desegregation of Bibb County Schools”