Award Winning Faculty

Matt Lebo Award

The Department of Political Science takes considerable pride in the accomplishments of its Faculty members. In recent years, many of our Faculty have been recognized for their outstanding contributions to teaching and research. Faculty have been awarded such distinguished prizes as the Edward G. Pleva Award for Excellence in Teaching, the Angela Armitt Award for Excellence in Teaching by a Part-time Faculty Member, the Hellmuth Prize for Achievement in Research and the University Students' Council Award of Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. Please scroll below to read more about our award winning Faculty.

Teaching Awards and Achievements 

Angela Armitt Award for Excellence in Teaching by a Part-Time Faculty Member

2005/2006 – Mr. Nigmendra Narain

Award of Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching presented by University Students' Council, The Bank of Nova Scotia, and Western Alumni Association

2008/2009 - Dr. Charles Jones 2006/2007 - Dr. Radoslav Dimitrov 2003/2004 - Dr. Joanna Quinn 2002/2003 - Dr. Bruce Morrison

Dean’s Social Science Excellence Award for Teaching

2015/2016 – Andrew Sancton

Distinguished University Professorship

2008/2009 – Dr. Richard Vernon

Edward G. Pleva Award for Excellence in Teaching

2007/2008 – Dr. Richard Vernon

Excellence in Mentoring Award by the Society of Political Methodology

2020/2021 – Dr. Matt Lebo

Marilyn Robinson Award for Excellence in Teaching

2016/2017 - Dr. Dan Bousfield

Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) Award for Teaching Excellence (External Award)

2015/2016 - Dr. Radoslav Dimitrov

Political Science Association (PSA) Professor of the Year Award

2015/2016 - Mr. Nigmendra Narain 2014/2015 - Dr. Dan Bousfield 2013/2014 – Dr. Doug Long

USC Teaching Excellence Award

  • 2018/19 - Mr. Nigmendra Narain
  • 2013/14 - Dr. Peter Ferguson
  • 2008/09 - Dr. Peter Ferguson and Dr. Charles Jones
  • 2006/07 - Dr. Radoslav Dimitrov
  • 2003/04 - Dr. Joanna Quinn
  • 2002/03 - Dr. Bruce Morrison
  • 1996/97 - Dr. Michael Lusztig and Dr. Andrés Pérez

UWOFA Tom Murphy Memorial Award

2020/2021 - Mr. Nigmendra Narain

University Students' Council Teaching Honour Roll

  • 2016/2017 - Dr. Nandita Biswas Mellamphy, Dr. Dan Bousfield, Dr. Caroline Dick, Dr. Radoslav Dimitrov, Dr. Andrés Pérez, Dr. Joanna Quinn, Dr. Zachary Taylor, Dr. Richard Vernon
  • 2015/2016 - Dr. Dan Bousfield, Dr. Erin Hannah, Dr. Martin Horak, Dr. Charles Jones, Dr. Jennifer Kirkham, Dr. Bruce Morrison Dr. Jennifer Mustapha, Dr. Andrés Pérez, Dr. Joanna Quinn
  • 2014/2015 - Dr. Dan Bousfield, Dr. Cristine de Clercy, Dr. Gabriel Eidelman, Dr. Peter Ferguson, Dr. David Hoogenboom, Dr. Martin Horak, Ms. Jennifer Kirkham, Dr. Douglas Long, Dr. Jennifer Mustapha, Dr. Andrés Pérez-Baltodano, Dr. Lindsay Scorgie-Porter, Dr. Laura Stephenson
  • 2013/2014 - Dr. Dan Bousfield, Dr. Caroline Dick, Dr. Peter Ferguson, Dr. Charles Jones, Ms. Jennifer Kirkham, Dr. Andres Perez, Dr. Richard Vernon
  • 2012/2013 - Dr. Dan Bousfield, Dr. Cristine de Clercy, Dr. Peter Ferguson, Dr. Martin Horak, Ms. Jennifer Kirkham, Dr. Doug Long, Dr. Bruce Morrison, Dr. Andres Perez, Dr. Joanna Quinn, Dr. Veronica Schild, Dr. Richard Vernon
  • 2011/2012 - Dr. Dan Bousfield, Dr. Radoslav Dimitrov, Dr. Peter Ferguson, Dr. Charles Jones, Dr. Joanna Quinn, Dr. Richard VandeWetering, Dr. Richard Vernon, Dr. Martin Westmacott
  • 2010/2011 - Dr. Dan Bousfield, Dr. Caroline Dick, Dr. Radoslav Dimitrov, Dr. Martin Horak, Mr. Jeffrey Parker, Dr. Richard VandeWetering, Dr. Richard Vernon, Dr. Martin Westmacott
  • 2009/2010 - Dr. Donald Abelson, Dr. Martin Horak, Dr. Richard Vernon
  • 2007/2008 - Dr. Caroline Dick, Dr. Bruce Morrison, Dr. Joanna Quinn, Dr. Elizabeth Riddell-Dixon, Dr. Richard Vernon, Dr. Richard VandeWetering 2008/2009 - Dr. Nandita Biswas Mellamphy, Dr. Tom Deligiannis, Dr. Martin Horak, Dr. Bruce Morrison, Dr. Joanna Quinn, Dr. Richard Vernon, Dr. Martin Westmacott
  • 2006/2007 - Dr. Carol Agocs, Dr. Caroline Dick, Mr. Nigmendra Narain, Dr. Andrés Pérez, Dr. Joanna Quinn, Dr. Elizabeth Riddell-Dixon, Dr. Richard VandeWetering
  • 2005/2006 - Dr. Laura Stephenson
  • 2002/2003 - Dr. Donald Abelson, Dr. Joanna Quinn

Western Faculty Scholars Award

  • 2019 - Dr. Laura Stephenson
  • 2012 - Dr. Joanna Quinn

Western University Residence Life Teaching Award of Excellence

2016-2017 - Mr. Nigmendra Narain

Research Awards and Achievements

American Political Science Association Prize for Best Urban Politics Book Published (External Award)

2007/2008 - Dr. Martin Horak

Best Dissertation, Urban and Local Politics Section, American Political Science Association (External)

2015/2016 – Dr. Zach Taylor(Awarded for Governing the Post-Communist City: Institutions and Democratic Development in Prague)

Canada Research Chair (Tier II)

2018/2019 - Dave Armstrong