Awards and Fellowships

National Fellowships Competitions

Boston College students need to be aware, early in their undergraduate careers, of the fellowships and awards given on a competitive basis by national foundations. Fulbright Grants, Marshall Scholarships, Javits Fellowships, National Science Foundation Fellowships, Rhodes Scholarships, and Truman Scholarships are among the major grants available.

Many of these opportunities are especially for students planning a future in public service, so they are very appropriate for Political Science majors. In recent years, several of the department's majors have been awarded Truman Scholarships, for instance.

Some of these are available to Juniors and Seniors for undergraduate study. However, early planning and preparation are important. To have a realistic chance of competing for one of these awards, students need to plan ahead—and Freshman year is not too early.

Student Award Recipients


Donald S. Carlisle Award

2022Robert Cerise
2021Czar A. Sepe
2020Collin Quigley
2019Christina N. LaRitz
2018Cecilia W. Milano
2017Hagop Toghramadjian and Mackenzie Arnold
2016Marissa L. Marandola
2015Alexander Hayden
2014Brooke Loughrin
2013Jordan Dorney & Dania R. Al Humaid
2012John Blakeslee
2011Amanda Rothschild
2010Natasha Baker
2009Timothy Mooney
2008Leah Maloney
2007Peter Sima-Eichler & Gail Harmon
2006Allison D'Orazio
2005Lauren Daniel
2004Joe Sasanuma
2003John Mulcahy
2002
Paul Mistovich
2001Crystal Cordell
2001Bader Al Saif  

Fulbright Grant Awards

Doan Khue Tran (2022): Teaching grant to Laos

Clayton Scott (2020): Teaching grant to Spain

Emily Murphy (2017): Research Grant to Oman

Hagop Toghramadjian (2017): Research Grant to Armenia

McCarthy Prize for the Best Scholar of the College Project    

Hagop Toghramadjian, “The Case for Wataniyya: State-Based National Identify and Democracy in the Arab Middle East.”

Benigno and Corazon Aquino Asian-American Scholarship: Miriam George (’18)

John Marshall Program Awards

Yi Peng Liu '17: “Mastery of Leo Strauss: Irony and On Tyranny

Nicholas Pangakis '17: “The Application of American Freedom: From W. E. B. DuBois to Kendrick Lamar”

Paul Choix '16: “The Myth of Kronos and the Conditions for a Politics According to Intellect”

Nathan McGuire '16: “Rousseau and the Ideal Community”

Phi Beta Kappa

Each year, the Omicron chapter of Phi Beta Kappa invites 80-100 senior students and 5-15 junior students to join Phi Beta Kappa. Students are nominated for membership based on the excellence of their academic performance at Boston College. Although a high grade point average is required for membership, many students have also completed theses in their disciplines or other kinds of challenging academic projects. Students are selected annually during the spring semester of the academic year. To be eligible for consideration for election to PBK, senior students must have taken a minimum of 75 graded credits at Boston College.

2022 Political Science Phi Beta Kappa Inductees

Samantha Almonacid, ‘22 
Sophia Carter, ‘22 
Robert Cerise, ‘22 
Yitan Chen, ‘22 
Grace Christenson, ‘22 
Caroline Denning, ‘22 
Kyle Falkner, ‘22 
Ryan Flanigan, ‘22 
Olivia Foster, ‘22 
Alec Goos, ‘22 
Abigail Hamilton, ‘22 
Joseph Imburgia, ‘22 
Hannah Jones, ‘22 
Garrett Madden, ‘22 
Matthew Malec, ‘23 
Christopher Marrone, ‘22 
Robert Podmore, ‘22 
Mathieu Ronayne, ‘22 
Maya Taha, ‘22 

Previous Years

Islamic Civilization and Societies Award

Claire Caroli, '21

Critical Language Scholarship

Sofia Marino '21  (Arabic)
Isaiah Brown '24  (Russian)

Deans’ Scholars, Class of 2023

Regan Dankovich
Annie Donohue
Tyler Gollin
Mackenzie Harrigan
Eleanor Kominiarek
Matthew Malec
Madeleine McGrath
Aidan O'Neill
Samantha Robinson
Devianna Smith
Lauren Wittenmyer
Lila Zarrella

Sophomore Scholars, Class of 2024

Benjamin Austen
Jack Borrow
Isaiah Brown
Maura Drummey
Luisa Esquivel
Christopher Ficeto
Caitlyn Hancock
Emily Howell
Paul Keenan
Patrick Kelly
Srina Lacet
Gabriela Levitt
Marguerite Matheson
Christopher Roder
Ahura Shadfar
Elizabeth Sullivan
Darya Treanor
Alyssa Eamranond