We are thrilled to announce that 18 Government concentrators from the Class of 2025 have been elected to the prestigious Alpha Iota of Massachusetts, Harvard’s historic chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. The Department of Government proudly congratulates: Oluchi Amadife, Liz Benecchi, Joyce Chen, Mert Geyiktepe, Andrew Gong, Conner Huey, Eric Hwang, Isabelle King, Hazel Koh,…
Each year, we have the privilege of witnessing our senior thesis writers tackle some of the most pressing and complex issues facing our world. This year, our students have truly distinguished themselves—not only through the creativity and rigor of their research, but also through a fantastic array of prizes and honors. We are thrilled to…
We are delighted to announce that ten of our senior thesis writers have received top honors in this year’s Government Prizes, recognizing their extraordinary scholarship and commitment to critical inquiry. Conner Huey, Danny Laughary, Emory Paul, and Mateo Velarde-Berrios have each won the coveted James Gordon Bennett Prize for their thought-provoking theses exploring U.S. policy,…
We are proud to announce that two distinguished members of our community—Melani Cammett and Andrew O’Donohue—have been named Harvard Radcliffe Institute Fellows for the 2025–2026 academic year. They join the Institute’s 26th class of fellows, a highly selective group that includes leading voices across the arts, humanities, sciences, and social sciences. Each fellow is selected…
The Government Department is proud to celebrate eight of our talented undergraduates who have been awarded the 2025 Thomas T. Hoopes Prize, the most in the department’s history. The Hoopes Prize, one of Harvard College’s highest honors, recognizes exceptional scholarly work and research by undergraduates across disciplines for their senior theses. This year’s Government student…
Yuhua Wang, Ford Foundation Professor of Modern China Studies, has been named a recipient of the prestigious Harvard College Professorship. This honor, announced by Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Hopi Hoekstra on May 6, recognizes Wang’s outstanding contributions to undergraduate teaching, mentorship, and research. Wang joins four other distinguished faculty…
Ph.D. Candidate Andrew O’Donohue has been granted the 2024 Best Conference Paper Award from the American Political Science Association’s (APSA) Law and Courts Section. O’Donohue was recognized for his paper, “Law versus Democracy: Minoritarian Courts, Audience Costs, and Democratic Backsliding in Turkey”, an in-depth study examining how judicial institutions may inadvertently contribute to democratic erosion….
Melani Cammett and Taeku Lee have been elected to the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences, joining a distinguished class of nearly 250 new members. Their election recognizes their outstanding contributions to political science and public policy, as well as their commitment to advancing research that informs contemporary challenges. Melani Cammett, Clarence Dillon Professor…
The Vik-Bailey Spring 2025 Lecture, held in the Belfer Case Study Room on April 10th, delivered thought-provoking insights on the political handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Princeton University Professors Stephen Macedo, the Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Politics and the University Center for Human Values, and Frances Lee, Professor of Politics and Public Affairs, discussed…
The Department of Government is proud to announce that two of our Ph.D. candidates in political theory, Abbie LeBlanc and Jan-Paul Sandmann, have been selected as 2025–26 Edmond J. Safra Graduate Fellows at Harvard’s Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics. Abbie LeBlanc, a fourth-year graduate student, focuses on the history of political thought, particularly…
