2023 Special Legacy Award: Ken Sherrill
Ken Sherrill is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Hunter College in New York where he served as a scholar, teacher, mentor, and department chair, among many roles in his 41-year (and growing!) career. Ken’s scholarly achievements advanced the discipline of Political Science and carved a path for the study of LGBTQ+ politics, beginning with his 1973 APSA presentation – the first empirical research paper on gay rights ever presented at APSA. This record is matched only by his long record of service to the discipline and his dedication to the LGBTQ+ politics community. Many of us know Ken as a friend and mentor and it is not hyperbole to say that we would not be able to present this award without Ken’s pioneering work and leadership. Ken’s legacy is demonstrated not with a plaque or with kind words – although we mean them, deeply; his legacy is in all of us present at this meeting. It is in our scholarly work, which Ken helped pave the way for, and it is in our mentoring of new LGBTQ+ scholars, which will carry on our and Ken’s legacy in the years to come. Thank you, Ken.
2023 Distinguished Career Service Awards: Susan Burgess and Melissa Michelson
Susan Burgess is Distinguished Professor Emerita of Political Science at Ohio University and Senior Professional Lecturer at DePaul University. Susan has been a relentless advocate for LGBTQ people and research in political science for her entire career: through her leadership in law and courts, through her own research, and through her tireless dedication to mentoring and supporting younger scholars. Susan is an institution builder, having served in the MPSA and APSA Women’s Caucuses, the APSA LGBT Status Committee, the Chair of Law and Courts and Sexuality and Politics, and as a member of the APSA Executive Council. It is not too much to say we would not have S&P without her (alongside Angelia Wilson). Moreover, she has also worked tirelessly to improve governance in these institutions and to lend formal support to non-positivist and identity-oriented research, including through creating a new book series on LGBTQ politics at NYU Press. Finally, Susan has also served as an empathetic and invested mentor for many junior scholars in the discipline, from students to VAPs.
Melissa Michelson is Professor of Political Science and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Menlo College. Melissa’s leadership and service speaks for itself: she has served as President of the APSA LGBT Caucus and the MPSA LGBT Caucus; Section Chair of the APSA Sexuality and Politics section and as a member of the APSA Executive Committee (2019-2022). She has chaired numerous LGBT Caucus and S&P Award and other committees within APSA and MPSA. Moreover, Melissa’s scholarship in LGBTQ politics and policy is, to quote one of her nominators, “nothing short of groundbreaking.” She has written three books and a dozen journal articles and book chapters, several of which have received awards recognizing their innovation and importance to the field. Finally, Melissa has served as a mentor, external committee member, ambassador for, and promoter of dozens of members of the LGBTQ community.
2023 Mid-Career Service Award: Helma de Vries-Jordan
Helma de Vries-Jordan is Associate Professor of Political Science and Chair of the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh Bradford. She has served in leadership, as Program Chair and Chair, of the Caucus for multiple years in a row. Most notably, Helma helped keep the Caucus afloat during a time when membership was dwindling and involvement was low. Through her dedicated efforts, many of which required hours of painstaking work behind the scenes, the Caucus was able to grow and expand its reach. Helma has served on award committees to help elevate the work of LGBT political scientists and scholarship on LGBTQ politics. Perhaps most important, she has routinely supported junior colleagues through mentorship and advocacy, and her work has made political science a more welcoming and supportive place for LGBTQ scholars.
2023 Early Career Service Award: Edward F. Kammerer, Jr.
Ed Kammerer is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Idaho State University. Ed’s service to the S+P Division, Caucus, and Status Committee (all simultaneously!) has been invaluable. As one of his nominators wrote, “Many, many people rely on him for his wisdom, his organizational skills, and his sheer work ethic.” Ed’s work includes not just organizing fantastic receptions at APSA, but all the day-to-day notifications to the mailing list about new job openings, meeting minutes, and upcoming awards and events. Beyond these three formal institutions, Ed built community through Zoom happy hours during the pandemic and at conferences like SPSA and WPSA without regular LGBTQ receptions. Finally, he has also served on numerous committees, which in turn have made him one of the most consistent advocates and messengers for the promotion of work by other LGBTQ scholars.