MSU student and faculty members receive KPSA awards

Morehead State University hosted the Kentucky Political Science Association (KPSA) annual conference this past spring and three members of MSU’s campus community received KPSA honors.  

Olivia Dale, a freshman government major from Paintsville, won the distinguished Abdul H. Rifai Award, which is awarded for an outstanding undergraduate research paper. Dr. David Little, assistant professor of government, won the prestigious David Hughes Memorial Award for an outstanding research paper presented at the previous conference. 

The KPSA also conferred an honor on Dr. Michael Hail, professor of government and political science and coordinator of government and political science programs in the Department of History, Philosophy, Global Studies and Legal Studies at MSU. The KPSA’s annual Graduate Student Outstanding Research Paper Award will be named after Hail in recognition of his career working with graduate programs and research. He also served a second time as KPSA President in 2020 for this year’s 59th annual meeting. 

At the KPSA conference this year at MSU, over 100 registered attendees from seven states attended, with most faculty and students coming from Kentucky colleges and universities. The KPSA continues the tradition of excellent scholarship, collegiality, dialogue and thoughtful deliberation about government and politics. Government faculty from across the state select the winners of these awards and recipients are invited for publication in the Commonwealth Review of Political Science. 

For more information on KPSA and next year’s conference, visit kpsa.us. 

To learn more about the political science program in MSU’s Department of History, Philosophy, Global Studies and Legal Studies, visit www.moreheadstate.edu/study/politicalscience, email hpil@moreheadstate.edu or call 606-783-2655.