Category: Undergraduate News

Dept of Government at Harvard Office

18 Government seniors elected to Phi Beta Kappa

Harvard Sanders Theatre with green trees in front

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,…

An extraordinary year: celebrating our prize-winning senior thesis writers

20 senior thesis writer headshots

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…

Ten senior thesis writers win prestigious Government Prizes

lots of mini gold trophies

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,…

A record eight Government Students awarded the 2025 Hoopes Prize

gold stars confetti on blue background

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…

Ashley Adirika named Truman Scholar, honored for her Dedication to Public Service

Ashley Adirika

The Harvard Government Department proudly celebrates Ashley Adirika, a junior concentrator, on being named a 2025 Truman Scholar — one of the most prestigious awards in the nation for students pursuing careers in public service. Ashley was selected alongside fellow Harvard junior Eva Frazier, a Social Studies concentrator, from a competitive pool of 743 candidates…

Daniel Carpenter moderates a packed Harvard Political Union debate event

On April 1, the Harvard Political Union (HPU) hosted a lively debate between the Harvard College Democrats and the Harvard Republican Club, drawing a crowd of more than 300 undergraduates to the Science Center. The event, moderated by Department of Government Chair Daniel Carpenter, really highlighted students’ keen interest in political discourse. The debate covered…

Celebrating Women’s History Month: championing feminist voices in academia

graphic that says Women's History Month

As Women’s History Month comes to a close, we are proud to spotlight the remarkable work of our senior thesis writers, who contribute significantly to feminist discourse across a range of topics. Women’s History Month – a joint project by The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National…

Three Gov students awarded Schwarzman Scholarship

Tsinghua University

Three exceptional Department of Government undergraduates have been selected as recipients of the prestigious Schwarzman Scholarship. Eduardo Vasconcelos Goyanna Filho ’25, Isabelle King ’25, and Leo Gerdén ’25 are among the distinguished cohort of 150 scholars chosen from a global pool of nearly 5,000 candidates. The Schwarzman Scholarship, known for its rigorous selection process, identifies…

Ryan Doan-Nguyen is awarded the Marshall Scholarship

Ryan Doan-Nguyen has been awarded the Marshall Scholarship, a program that enables intellectually distinguished young Americans to study in the United Kingdom. The 2025 Marshall Class will see Ryan – who is set to graduate in 2025 with a joint concentration in History & Literature and Government and a secondary in Ethnicity, Migration, and Rights…

Five Gov seniors elected to Phi Beta Kappa

Felix Chen, Ryan Doan-Nguyen, Addie Esposito, Eytan Goldstein, Anna MacLennan, and Kaleena Roeva have been elected to Phi Beta Kappa (PBK), Alpha of Massachusetts at Harvard College. The five seniors join three Government concentrators in the class of 2025 – Ethan Jasny, Katalina Toth, and Kay Rollins – who were elected last spring. Established under…