Announcements

Gerald M. Pomper, a national scholar in voter behavior and American presidential politics who dedicated his nearly six-decade career to Rutgers University, died on May 21. He was 91. Pomper joined the faculty at Rutgers in 1962, where he became a beloved Board of Governors Professor at the Eagleton Institute of Politics. He continued mentoring generations of scholars well beyond his official retirement in 2021.

PhD Student Zachary Baum has been awarded a Humane Studies Fellowship from the Institute for Humane Studies (IHS). The  fellowship program provides critical funding to PhD students conducting research within the liberal tradition. Zachary's research, "Algorithmic Electability: Generative AI, Candidate Evaluation, and Democratic Representation," will be supported through February 2027.

Assistant Teaching Professor Bengi Gümrükçü has been selected into the 2026-27 cohort of Provost's Teaching Fellowship Initiative. This program supports faculty advancement and student success by encouraging innovative teaching practices and course redesigns. Participants receive a $3,000 stipend for implementing pedagogical changes and joining the educator community. Prof. Gümrükçü has also been named a Faculty Career Fellow, a new initiative jointly developed by Career Exploration and Success (CES) and the Institute for Teaching, Innovation, and Inclusive Pedagogy (TIIP). Faculty Career Fellows receive a $2,500 professional development and research stipend that supports  making skills developed through academic learning more visible to students by integrating reflection and communication practices into their courses. 

Congratulations to PhD Alum Michael Strawbridge who has been named a 2026 Andrew Carnegie Fellow, an honor that supports scholars with up to two years of funding to pursue impactful, evidence-based research.  His project, “In the Thick of It: The Relationship Among Black People, Black Spaces, and Black Political Unity,” investigates how African American cultural institutions foster Black political unity and collective decision-making. Using Black Americans’ unparalleled political cohesion as a case study, he demonstrates how social and cultural institutions can act as a counterweight to increasing political polarization.  

Three Rutgers University students took their classroom insights to the national stage this month, presenting original research at the 2026 Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) Conference. The team, comprised of a History and Political Science Junior Yara Badawi, Public Policy Junior Dina Abdelfattah, and Political Science Junior Katie Castles, debuted their project titled, "From Classroom to Courtroom: Judicial Institutions Through First-Year Eyes." The interdisciplinary study explored how first-year undergraduate students in introductory political science courses perceive and understand the American judicial system. The project was developed under the mentorship of Professors Doug Cantor and Stacey Greene, with funding and support provided by the Rutgers Aresty Research Center and the Milt Heumann Excellence in Education Fund. For the student researchers, the experience of defending their work in a professional setting proved as valuable as the data collection itself. The...

Political Science senior, and future lawyer, Shreya Vaidya spent the Fall semester balancing a full course load while interning on-site at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law.  From conducting literature reviews on federal funding cuts for prison programs to taking notes on congressional hearings that cited the Center’s research, Shreya was at the heart of legal advocacy. When she noticed she lacked quantitative experience, she asked for data-driven tasks and strengthened her Excel skills on the job. Shreya’s journey to the Brennan Center didn't happen overnight. In fact, she applied twice. After being turned down in her junior year, she didn't get discouraged; she got busy. Here’s what she did & what she encourages her fellow classmates to do:  Get Involved: Realizing she needed more experience, she became more active in Rutgers Pre-Law Society, ultimately becoming the managing editor of Rutgers Undergraduate Law Review.   Become a Research Assistant. She wasn’t afraid...

A team of Rutgers undergraduate students recently earned a third-place finish in the national collegiate Moonshot Labs Analyst Jam with the National Geospatial Agency's (MAJIC) competition. This year’s challenge centered on AI & Geospatial Data Science: Modeling Conflict Risk and Physical Man-Made Obstructions which provided students the opportunity to collaborate with subject matter experts to analyze real-world national security challenges and present innovative solutions.  The multidisciplinary team were among 13 teams representing 15 universities. To align with the challenge, the team created an algorithm to predict border conflicts between Thailand and Cambodia. Although their majors vary across the School of Arts and Sciences, the group shares a common bond through their minor in Critical Intelligence Studies within the Department of Political Science.  Faculty advisor Professor Andrey Tomashevskiy was equally impressed.   “It was great watching the team work together to come up...

Cassandra “Cassie” Vega, a civic engagement organizer for the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey and a 2024 Political Science alum of Rutgers University-New Brunswick, is heading to the United Kingdom to pursue graduate-level studies as a Gates Cambridge Scholar.

The Charles E. Merriam Award is presented biennially by the American Political Science Association (APSA) in recognition of a person whose published work and career represent a significant contribution to the art of government through the application of social science research. Congratulations!

Political science rising senior Rigo Salvatierra has received a 2025 Beinecke Scholarship! This national program seeks to encourage and enable highly motivated students to pursue opportunities available to them and to be courageous in the selection of a graduate course of study in the arts, humanities and social sciences.   When asked, "How did the political science major prepare you for this opportunity," Rigo tells us, "The Political Science major / department proved invaluable as I have prepared for this opportunity. Thanks to the major I have been able to take classes that have aligned with my research goals, learn about various networking events and research opportunities, as well as connect with incredible faculty members that have mentored me and shown me support over the last 3 years. I would especially like to thank Professor Christine Cahill and Professor Michael Kenwick within the Political Science Department (as well as Professor Sebastian León within the Latino and...