Political Science Undergraduates at IU

Natalia Polerecky, a student within the Political Science department, has been awarded the First Place Outstanding Research Award for Undergraduate students in the Social Sciences category. This honor was earned at the CEW&T Research Poster Competition held on April 17th, 2026. Natalia was one of 75 student researchers who participated in this year's event, presenting her work titled, What Happens After Wars: The Trajectory of Rebel Successor Organizations. Her project, 'Legacy Organizations of Rebel Groups,' with her mentor IU Political Science Professor Dr. Brannon, explores what happens to rebel networks after conflict ends, as their post-conflict trajectory shapes whether peace holds or conflict returns. Throughout the year, they worked to cover 372 rebel groups across conflicts from 1946 to 2025 to help fill a major gap in data on rebel group successor organizations for other scholars to utilize. The award demonstrates Natalia’s dedication and the high caliber of her research!

Congratulations to our graduating IU POLS DC Interns (pictured here) and all of our Political Science graduates!

Congratulations to all our IU Political Science Graduates!

Thank you to our two student speakers at the IU Political Science Graduation Celebration: Damian Arambula and Leah Sterbcow. Congratulations and good luck with all your future endeavors!

Congratulations to the winner of the 2026 POLS Distinguished Alumni Award J T. Forbes! Thank you for joining us to honor the IU Political Science Graduates.

On May 1st, the IU Political Science Honors students presented their research at the Honors Poster Symposium. Congratulations to Honors Director Lizzie Brannon and the Honors students!

We are pleased to invite you to the Department of Political Science's Senior Honors Thesis Poster Symposium, a celebration of the outstanding research conducted by our graduating honors students this year.

This event is a wonderful opportunity to engage directly with our students, learn about their research projects, and celebrate their impressive accomplishments over this academic year.

Our honors students have spent the year developing original research under faculty supervision, and this symposium is a capstone moment in that journey.

Author meets critics with William E. Scheuerman, Jeff Isaac, and Cigdem Cidam on Friday, April 17th at 12:00 PM in Woodburn Hall 218. William E. Scheuerman’s book "Property Disobedience As Protest: Rethinking Political Nonviolence" explores when, if ever, politically motivated property harms are justifiable

This Friday!

On Thursday, April 2nd, IU Political Science took part in the College of Arts & Science's 1776 Trail during First Thursday as a part of IU’s commemoration of “America 250.” The Political Science booth had feather quills, ink pots, parchment paper, and a replica of the Declaration of Independence, so that students could use the quill pen to write a line from the Declaration of Independence on parchment paper. Thank you to IU Political Science graduate students Han Li and Sam Finch for manning the booth!