Dr. Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan, Associate Professor of Political Science and Founding Director of the Center for Civic Engagement at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus, was recently recognized at the American Political Science Association Annual Meeting in Seattle, where she received the 2021 Craig L. Brians Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research & Mentorship from the Political Science Education Section.
The award is given to faculty members who demonstrate commitment to and excellence in encouraging and developing scholarship among undergraduate students, and in mentoring undergraduate students in preparation for graduate school or public-affairs related careers.
Dr. McLauchlan has prepared students for careers in public affairs by arranging and supervising hundreds of internships for students at placements in Washington, DC (such as the White House, the U.S. Supreme Court, the US Department of State, Congressional offices), Tampa Bay (at the State Attorney’s office, Public Defender’s Office, judicial chambers, community partners) and overseas at U.S. Embassies and Consulates.
In 2020 she brought 29 students to New Hampshire as a part of her Road to the White House course, where each student interned for one of the first-in-the-nation presidential primary campaigns. During the general election, McLauchlan arranged another 28 students’ campaign internships as a part of her Practical Politics course. She arranged additional internships as Field Work. In total, McLauchlan arranged 70 internships last year during the global pandemic.
Dr. McLauchlan was also recognized for her efforts to mentor undergraduate student research. She has worked with dozens of students outside of regular courses to help them develop their research skills, assisting them with securing funding to present research at conferences, and, at times, coauthoring publications. She regularly brings students to the Florida Political Science Association Annual Meeting, and, of course, she encourages students to share their research at the USF St. Petersburg Undergraduate Research Symposium.
In addition to the Craig L. Brians award, McLauchlan has previously been awarded the American Association of State Colleges and Universities American Democracy Project’s Barbara Burch Award for Faculty Leadership in Civic Engagement (2021), the Lawson R. McElroy Award for Excellence in Engaged Learning from Rider University (2020), the USF St. Petersburg Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Civic Engagement (2020), the Florida Campus Compact Graham-Frey Civic Educator Award (2018), the American Political Science Association and Pi Sigma Alpha’s Certificate for Outstanding Teaching in Political Science, the USF St. Petersburg’s Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the USF Outstanding Faculty Award. Internationally she has been awarded the Medal of the Free University of Moldova (Medalia Universitatii Libere Internationale din Moldova, ULIM), a Diploma from the Government of the Republic of Moldova, recognizing fruitful international cooperation and collaboration on research, as well as the Award of the City of Klos, Albania in honor of the promotion of democratic values, community engagement, democracy and volunteerism (2018).