Contribute to the Department
The Department of Political Science needs the assistance of its alumni and friends in order to offer the very best educational experiences to undergraduate and graduate students. You can help by contributing to any of the various departmental funds that support research, conference travel, student scholarships, guest speakers and other enrichment activities.
Political Science Head's Support Fund
This broad-gauged fund can be used to support research, conference travel, guest lectures and various programs that enrich the academic life of the Department.
Political Science Enrichment Fund
This fund was established by an anonymous donor in 1984. The fund is used “to support activities related to teaching, research and the public service mission of the Department.”
Jeffrey/Deborah Chapman Career Exploration Fund
Established by UTK alumnus Jeffrey Chapman and his wife Deborah, this fund supports activities designed to help undergraduates learn of career opportunities available to students who major in political science.
Edgar G. Guenther Scholarship Fund
This fund, established through a bequest from the estate of Edgar G. Guenther, provides a scholarship “for any student at the University of Tennessee who resides in Kingsport, Tennessee and who is enrolled in the study of municipal government, management, planning or other related subjects.”
Otis H. Stephens Fellowship
Established by UTK alumnus Jay Young, this fund honors Dr. Otis H. Stephens, Jr., who served as a mentor to Mr. Young when he was a graduate student in the Department. The fund supports a one-year scholarship to recognize excellence by a graduate student in the study of public law and the judicial process.
Graduate Student Award Fund
This fund allows the Department to reward graduate students who demonstrate excellence in teaching and/or research. One award that is given each year is the David Mock Award, given to the best graduate teaching associate in the Department. The award is given in memory of David Mock, a former graduate student in the Department who was killed in a tragic automobile accident in 1984.
Arnett A. Elliott Fund
Established in memory of a distinguished former colleague, this fund supports an annual award to an undergraduate student who excels in the study of political philosophy or other humanistic aspects of political science.
Lawrence Durisch Research Fund
This fund supports research and publication into policies regarding natural resources and conservation.
Lee S. Greene Memorial Fund
Established to honor the memory of Lee S. Greene, who was head of the Political Science department from 1946 to 1971, this fund is designed to enhance research and academic achievement in the fields of public administration and state and local government.
William G. McCall Graduate Fund
The purpose of this fund is to honor William G. McCall, who earned his PhD from the Political Science department in 1973 and who passed away in 1991. The fund provides support for a variety of activities to enhance the graduate student experience, including travel to conferences, visiting lectures, and student awards.
John Shanks Memorial Fund
This fund honors John Shanks, a PhD student in the department who was killed in a tragic motorcycle accident in 1994. The purpose of the fund is to honor extraordinary achievement by graduate students in the areas of constitutional law, the presidency, Congress and/or American political thought.
Frank Clement/Cordell Hull Fund
This combined fund honors two distinguished Tennesseans: Cordell Hull, who served as Secretary of State under FDR; and Frank Clement, who was Tennessee’s governor from 1953 to 1959 and again from 1963 to 1967. The fund is intended to encourage and promote faculty and student interest in international affairs, especially with regard to Latin America.
Vernon Iredell International Relations Award Fund
Established to honor a beloved colleague who came to UTK in 1958 and passed away in 1995, the fund supports an annual award given to an undergraduate who excels in the study of international relations.
Ruth Stephens Scholarship Fund
Made possible by a bequest from a distinguished former colleague, this fund supports a scholarship for undergraduate political science majors with particular interest in the area of international politics.
Ruth Stephens International Relations Award Fund
Named after a distinguished former faculty member, this fund supports an annual cash award to an undergraduate political science major whose principal interest is in the field of international relations.
James O. & Minnie Elliot Memorial Scholarship
This fund provides scholarships to “deserving and high-ranking” undergraduates (rising junior and seniors) in any field of political science. Financial need is taken into account in determining recipients.