Each spring, the Department of Politics and Law presents the following awards to outstanding students. The awardees for 2025 are:
Seidman Awards:
Senior Award: Mary-Hunter Brown
First Year Award: Sofia Lewis
Abe Fortas Award for Excellence in Legal Studies
Cormac Maclae
Mike Cody Award:
Isaac Vigoren
Charlie Cook Award:
Nathan Mobley
Marcus D. Pohlmann Award for Political Science and Mock Trial:
Kevin Caltry
Additional information on the awards and recent recipients are listed below.
Seidman Awards are named for Philip K. Seidman, a former trustee and benefactor of the college. The Senior Seidman Award is for the senior with the highest GPA within the major. The First Year Seidman Award is for the best first year student in an introductory Political Science course.
Senior Award:
2025: Mary-Hunter Brown
2024: Benjamin Boyd (Trey)
2023: Katie Miller
2022: Natalie L. Smith
2021: Nathaniel M. Siler
2020: Katherine N. Bryant
2019: Daniel Elliott
2018: Emily Buddy
2017: Samuel S. Polzin
2016: Alexandra C. Dileo (Alex)
2015: Brendan M. Tyler
2014: Landon R. Webber
2013: Maria L. Raffanti
2012: Mary Frances Dunlap
2011: Emily A. Sellers
2010: Peter F. Zanca
2009: Noah A. Pittman
First Year Award:
2025: Sofia Lewis
2024: Elsie Prince
2023: Audrey Griffith
2022: Julie Becker, Kate Buikema, Anna Grace Travis
2021: Molly A. O’Connor, Patrick B. Grooms
2020: Natalie L. Smith
2019: Matthew Kenny
2018: Patricia M. Jones (MIchelle)
2017: Savanna A. Kurz, Nikita P. Smith, Charles R. Tammons
2016: Anna D. Baker-Olsen, Rebekah D. Birch, Joshua D. Elliott (Daniel), Lillie J. Stephens
2015: Noah B. Rinehard
2014: Akvile Zakarauskaite
2013: Brendan M. Tyler
2012: Cameron M. McGarrah
2011: Matthew J. Washnock
2010: William A. McGriff
2009: Anne K. Harper
Abe Fortas graduated from Southwestern of Memphis, the former name of Rhodes College, in 1930 as a Political Science major. He went on to be an Associate Justice on the United States Supreme Court. The Abe Fortas Award for Excellence in Legal Studies is for an outstanding legal student.
2025: Cormac Maclae
2024: Claire Kiernan
2023: Ben Coulthard
2022: Lauren Moore
2021: Eileen Liu
2020: Matthew Diana
2019: Ashley T. Plunk
2018: Christopher C. Meadows
2017: Samuel J. Holder
2016: Molly A. Mugford
2015: Corey M. Lipschutz, Elena R. Mosby
2014: William A. McGriff
2013: Louis M. Jehl
2012: Thomas M. Cull
2011: Carly J. Taylor
2010: Monica E. Gaudioso
2009: Noah A.Pittman, Stephanie B. Aughinbaugh
The Mike Cody Award is named for Michael Cody, a distinguished alumnus and the former Attorney General of the state of Tennessee. He is a partner in the Burch, Porter, and Johnson law firm. The Mike Cody Award for excellence in Political Science is for an excellent senior Political Science major other than the winner of the Senior Seidman Award.
2025: Isaac Vigoren
2024: Anjali Tadavarthy
2023: Jimmy Mullen
2022: Matthew Kenny
2021: Isaac M. Segura
2020: Morgan C. Brown
2019: Michael Combs, Anna D. Baker-Olson
2018: Casey N. Myers-Morgan, Dulcie R. Trottier
2017: Kristen G. Shackleford, Kirkwood M. Vangeli
2016: Paul R. Brandt
2015: Chandler B. Schneider
2014: Jacob A. Long
2013: Mary C. Sanders
2012: Daniel L. Henke
2011: Kashan K. Pathan
2010: William L. Smith
2009: Bradley T. Maginnins
The Charlie Cook Award is for a senior other than the winner of the Seidman and Mike Cody awards who shows excellence in Political Science research.
2025: Nathan Mobley
2024: Grayson Broeker
2023: Brooke Johnson
2022: Elizabeth Carrier (Lizzie)
2021: Brian P. Morrison (Patrick)
2020: Jessa E. Barmish
2019: Alexia N. Spanos
2018: Virginia A. Carr
2017: Jolie Grace Wareham
2016: Charles J. Kelley (Charlie), Tiana L. Winstead
2015: Caroline E. Ponseti
2014: Guice Slawson (Chip)
2013: Sarah C. Delph litical Science studies. (Beginning with the Class of 2013.)
Marcus D. Pohlmann Award in Political Science and Mock Trial is to recognize outstanding senior student achievement in Political Science and Mock Trial. Each spring, the department will consider for this award top seniors who are both political science majors and Mock Trial competitors.
2025: Kevin Caltry
2024: Destiny Baugh
2023: Brooke Johnson
2022: Elizabeth Baldwin
2021: Nathaniel M. Siler
2019: Connor N. Hurley, Kelsy L. McClain, Lillie J. Stephens
The John W. Burgess Award was an award given out by the Tennessee Political Science Association to an outstanding Political Science major. The Burgess Award for excellence in research was for a senior other than the winner of the Seidman and Mike Cody awards who showed excellence in political research. (This award was replaced by the Charlie Cook Award with the Class of 2013.)
2012: Anne K. Harper
2009: Stephenie A. Johnson
