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Support Opportunities in the Department of Political Science

Private gifts are increasingly important to maintain a quality program in Political Science. Support from alumni, family and friends will make a difference in academic opportunities we can offer to our students and faculty. Our funding needs include the following:

Political Science Enrichment Fund

We will use these funds to provide additional opportunities for our students, such as research travel funds and additional undergraduate and graduate scholarship support. These funds will also help us attract and retain high-caliber faculty members through such things as supplementing research travel or the purchase of specialized data sets or computer software.

Gary Carman Memorial Fund

The Gary Carman Merit Award was established to honor the memory of Gary Carman. Gary placed great importance upon serving the department and the university, and was widely known for his friendliness and his willingness to help wherever and whenever needed. He viewed students, faculty and staff as part of his extended family. In 2007, he passed away after an intense struggle with cancer and the department decided to pay tribute to him by creating an award that recognizes a student, who demonstrates a strong commitment to excellence in service to the Department of Political Science and The University of Memphis. The long-term goal of the department is to endow this fund.

Lisa Huffstetler Memorial Scholarship

The University of Memphis has created the Lisa Huffstetler Memorial Scholarship in Political Science, thanks to a generous gift from Shannon Hayes, BA'09. Lisa Huffstetler had served as an instructor in the Department of Political Science for more than 10 years when she suddenly passed away in 2014. She touched the lives of her students, colleagues and friends in many different ways. Among Lisa Huffstetler's most important activities were the development of online classes, her service as coordinator for the Legislative Internship Program, and her leadership in developing a study abroad program that took students to London and Berlin. Her work, which combined classroom teaching and personal development, prepared her students for future careers in public service, law, business, the nonprofit sector and other professional fields. Shannon Hayes was one of the students deeply touched by Lisa Huffstetler's teaching and mentorship. Her generous gift in the form of a scholarship in Lisa Huffstetler's memory is a testament to what a wonderful mentor she was to her students and how valuable she was to the Department of Political Science and the University. 

Criteria for the scholarship are:

  • Full-time undergraduate students majoring in Political Science classified as rising sophomores, juniors or seniors
  • A personal statement from the student, sharing their accomplishments, hardships, interest in the field of Political Science or other relevant information
  • A preference for students who were emancipated minors or adopted in their teen years
  • A preference for need
  • 2.5 minimum GPA, but students who have less than a 3.0 GPA should describe, in their personal statement, the circumstances which may have affected their GPA

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