Distinction Program

  • Majors

    Katherine Barymow

    Class of 2017

    Katherine Barymow 160

    Katherine is very excited to be working on a Political Science Distinction thesis that examines how the Eisenhower Doctrine and Russian-American relations have influenced the rise of Islamist movements in Syria and have contributed to civil strife in the greater Middle East today. Katherine has found the political science major to be both flexible and meaningful. As she puts it, the political science major is both a “resume-builder” and “personally fulfilling.” 

The department’s distinction program offers a valuable opportunity for highly qualified PSC majors to work on a senior research project under the guidance of a faculty advisor.

Students participate in a seminar during fall and spring semesters to ensure the successful completion of their projects. Professor Dimitar Gueorguiev teaches the seminar and will guide students through the program. For more information, please contact Prof. Gueorguiev (332 Eggers Hall; 315.443.8678) or read about the program on our information sheet.

In the spring, students present their findings during a poster session at the Maxwell School Celebration of Undergraduate Scholarship and may submit their paper for the Outstanding Student Research paper award. We are proud of the fact that three Political Science students have won this award since it was established in 2013, and two have received honorable mentions. 

In 2017-2018, Political Science distinction students completed the following projects:

  • The Espionage Act Versus Whistleblowers and the Public Interest
  • Appointed vs. Elected Prosecutors: Are Elected Prosecutors Harsher on Crime?
  • Federal Circuit Courts' Impact on Immigration Reform: An Analysis of Judicial Ideology and Immigration Policy
  • An analysis of the politica-economic conditions in Egypt (affected by the Arab Spring).

In 2016-2017, Political Science distinction students completed the following projects:

  • All Politics is Local: How the South Became Republican
  • Central Bank Independence and Monetary Opportunism
  • Proxy Conflict Turned Civils Crisis: Correlating Syrian Political Movements to United States Foreign Policy
  • A Content Analysis of the 2014 Immigration Crisis Media Coverage: An Intergroup Threat Theory Approach on the Age of Immigrants
  • The Influence of Values and Recipient Groups on Social Welfare Policy Opinion
  • Political Ideology and Feelings Towards Feminism: Why Young People Reject the Feminist Label
  • Do Tariff Increases Bring Manufacturing Jobs Back to America? Evidence from Safeguard Measures and Antidumping Duties
  • "Why Girls?" A Content Analysis of the Transnational #BringBackOurGilrs Movement and the Significance of the Chibok Girls
  • Communication and Climate Change: Effects of a Food Frame of Public Opinion