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AWARDS and SCHOLARSHIPS
Oklahoma Political Science Association Awards and Scholarships
Recognizing excellence in the profession of political science and service to the Oklahoma Political Science Association (OPSA) is one of the most important activities we engage in as an Association. To this end, the Association has established a number of awards and scholarships.
The awards cover teaching, scholarly activities, papers, and other career achievements. As indicated by the list of previous award recipients, OPSA has been presenting these awards at its Association’s Annual Conference since 1994. Through the years these awards have played an important role in the scholarship and careers of their recipients.
In addition to recognizing faculty, practitioners, and students, the association has also established scholarships for both undergraduate and graduate students. Specifically, the OPSA President’s Distinguished Undergraduate Scholarship ($250) and the OPSA President’s Distinguished Graduate Scholarship ($450).
Award Descriptions and Nomination Information
For a more detailed description of the OPSA Awards, see the table below.
| Award | Description |
| Teacher of the Year | Honors current instructional faculty of any institutions of higher education in Oklahoma who display exemplary skills in teaching political science classes. |
| Scholar of the Year | Honors a person in Oklahoma who has made significant scholarly contributions to political science. |
| Best Graduate Paper* | Honors a graduate student who has written the best paper as determined by the OPSA Award Committee. |
| Best Undergraduate Paper* | Honors an undergraduate student who has written the best paper as determined by the OPSA Award Committee. |
| Robert Darcy Lifetime Achievement | Honors individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions to the Association in terms of leadership, research, and mentorship. |
| Saundra Mace Service Award | Honors support staff persons for excellence in job performance, attitude, and commitment. |
* Required to present paper at the annual meeting to receive award
Scholarship Criteria and Nomination Information
| Scholarship | Award Criteria |
| President’s Distinguished Undergraduate Scholarship ($250) | Political Science major Cumulative GPA: 3.5 Essay (500 words): Why are you passionate about Political Science? |
| Present research paper at the annual conference | |
| President’s Distinguished Graduate Scholarship ($450) | Political Science major Cumulative GPA: 3.5 Essay (500 words): How will studying political science help you realize your passion? Present research paper at the annual conference |
Nomination Please complete the scholarship nomination form and email it to Shanna Padgham by October 31, 2022. To properly complete and submit the form, make sure to open it in Adobe as a pdf. | |
Robert Darcy Lifetime Achievement Winners
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- 2014 Robert Darcy
- 2015 Randall Jones
- 2016 Rick Farmer
- 2017 Loren Gresham
- 2018 Don Betz
- 2020: Lou Furmanski
- 2021: Richard Johnson
- 2022: Dr. W. Edward Rolison