MIPSA Statewide Award Recognizes Four Kalamazoo Valley Honors Program Students

Four of Kalamazoo Valley Community College's Honors Program students were recently recognized as the finalists and winner of the Michigan Political Science Association's (MIPSA) statewide Undergraduate Student Paper Award. The news was announced on Oct. 20 at MIPSA's annual conference at the University of Michigan - Flint. The students include:

• Ariadne (Aria) Markou | winner | "An Examination of the Work-for-Hire Doctrine in Copyright Law"
• Janet Cencer | finalist | "Jury Nullification as a Constitutional Right"
• Sadie Ferguson | finalist | "White Flight in Kalamazoo, Michigan"
• Heather Weinert | finalist | "The Polarized Mind: The Psychology of Ideological Polarization"

"Saying that I am honored to win this award is an understatement," Markou said. "My topic was extremely personal to me, primarily because I wrote this paper for my sister and all her fellow educators who want [property] rights over what they create."

Markou is an August 2023 graduate of Kalamazoo Valley and recently transferred to Kalamazoo College.

MIPSA's graduate and undergraduate statewide student paper awards recognize eligible student papers that meet political science course requirements from the state of Michigan. Two undergraduate awards are presented annually, one for community colleges and one for four-year institutions.

"Being named a finalist for the Michigan Political Science Association's award is a profound honor that recognizes the commitment, excellence and impact of those who dedicate themselves to the study and practice of politics in the heart of the Great Lakes state," said Weinert, Honors Program student president.

Candidates for the undergraduate award are nominated by their instructors. To quality, students must develop original research based on topics that address important issues relevant to the studies of political sciences.

"They are all outstanding Honors Program scholars and each of their papers deserved recognition," said Kevin Dockerty, Kalamazoo Valley Honors Program director and political science instructor. "Aria, Heather, Sadie and Janet embraced the challenge to develop unique thought-provoking research papers and everyone in that Honors class was energized by their passion and hard work, including myself."

"I feel very honored to receive this recognition," Ferguson said. "It's important to me that we recognize racial disparities, not just on a national level but on a local level. We should know why our communities are structured the way they are and that parts of history, like redlining and segregation, affected and continue to affect almost everywhere in the United States."

Kalamazoo Valley's Honors Program provides highly motivated students with thorough educational enrichment as well as mentorships and improved scholarship prospects at transfer institutions. The program's comprehensive design provides meaningful scholarly development as well as exclusive Honors Program courses.

"This acknowledgment means that I am more confident writing on topics outside my focused degree path," said Cencer, Honors Program student vice president. "I am also extremely grateful for the encouragement and support from Kalamazoo Valley faculty members Kevin Dockerty, Rebecca Durkee, Jenny Ott and Michael Keller, without whom I would never consider submitting a paper for anything outside of class."

To learn more about Kalamazoo Valley's Honors Program, contact Dockerty at or visit kvcc.edu/campuslife/orgs/honors.