Exceptionally capable, ethically aware

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Political Science News

Read article: Illinois students awarded Voyager Scholarships
Illinois students awarded Voyager Scholarships
College of LAS students Clara Alvarez-Leyva, Carlos Hernandez and Danielle Mitchell are recipients of the annual Voyager Scholarship, the Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service.With part of her scholarship funds, Alvarez-...
Read article: The jury of second chances
The jury of second chances
Angelina Correa became a believer in peer court in high school when she served as a juror in the justice program meant to give juvenile criminal offenders a second chance at reform. When Correa, a rising sophomore double majoring in political science and...
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News

Read article: 2025 Best Political Science Senior Thesis
2025 Best Political Science Senior Thesis
What was the title of your Thesis?   “The Politics of Sexual Shame”                                 ...
Read article: LAS celebrates alumni achievement
LAS celebrates alumni achievement
Seven alumni of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences will receive recognition during the college’s 2025 alumni awards at a celebration in April. They are researchers, volunteers, and political thinkers who have made incredible impacts in their fields and communities.   LAS...
Read article: Spring 2024 Teachers Ranked as Excellent
Spring 2024 Teachers Ranked as Excellent
Congratulations to all the faculty and teaching assistants on the Spring 2024 List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent.  A special congratulations to the 17 instructors from the Department of Political Science who are on the list:  Seongjoon Ahn 230 TA Scott Althaus 519 Rob Carroll* 300 Don...
Read article: 2024 Senior Thesis Awardees
2024 Senior Thesis Awardees
We would like to congratulate Erin Haslett and Rayna Patel, winners of the 2024 Senior Thesis Award as part of the Political Science Honors Program. We asked Erin and Rayna to share a bit about their research experiences and future plans! Erin Haslett...
Read article: Student Spotlight: Jessica Vargas
Student Spotlight: Jessica Vargas
HRI David F. Prindable intern Hafsa Faruqi spoke with Jessica Vargas, a senior majoring in political science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Vargas was part of the university delegation attending ...
Read article: Spring 2023 Teachers Ranked as Excellent
Spring 2023 Teachers Ranked as Excellent
Congratulations to all the faculty and teaching assistants on the Spring 2023 List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent.  A special congratulations to the 15 instructors from the Department of Political Science who are on the list:  Spring 2023 Ekin Alpay PS 100 TA Kristin...
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Chika Umeadi

Alumni Spotlight: Chika Umeadi: Collaboration at ‘the edge of what is imaginable’

Chika Umeadi (BA, ’10, political science) is a project manager at Google where he helps drive key strategies with a variety of teams and stakeholders. In hindsight, the political science major and informatics minor believes, in many ways, the connections he made outside of the classroom provided a unique foundation for his life and career. Family: All of my siblings are products of the University of Illinois System. My two brothers played basketball at University of Illinois Springfield and my sister went to University of...

Subtitle
2026 Nominations

Title
Alumni Awards

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University of Illinois Political Science alumni have made significant contributions in many fields – academia, the law, government, politics, business, media and others. The Department of Political Science recognizes exceptional alumni each year through its alumni awards program. The nomination process is simple and open to all. We encourage you to nominate a candidate you think is deserving. Awards will be presented at an Alumni Awards Banquet in May each year.