Peterson and Holmes Receive Awards
Two faculty members of the Department of Government recently received recognition from the school for their successes in and out of the classroom. Professors Sue Peterson and Marcus Holmes have both been honored for their commitment to undergraduate teaching, research, and the broader application of their scholarly interests.
Professor Peterson was named one of twenty recipients of the Joseph Plumeri Award for Faculty Excellence. The purpose of the Plumeri Awards is to promote and reward the innovation and ingenuity of our faculty. From Professor Peterson’s research with the Teaching, Research, and International Policy (TRIP) Project to her work in the classroom, her impact on William & Mary’s campus is certainly felt. When asked about the Plumeri Award, Professor Peterson pointed out the importance for faculty to keep students’ interests in mind while teaching. “I try to start every class by using some current issue to get students talking about the theoretical readings and connect it to what’s happening every day.” Professor Peterson also looks forward to using the funding provided by the Plumeri Award to involve more students in her research at the intersection of national security and public health policies.
Professor Holmes received the Reves Faculty Fellows Award, a program which funds a number of faculty proposals each year that involve students either through student-faculty collaborations on international research, or involve research, teaching, and learning through community engagement. He received it to support his project called “Analyzing Dyadic Diplomatic Relations: The Case of U.S.-Russia Over Iran.” In focusing on the importance of face-to-face diplomacy, Professor Holmes plans to use this fellowship to “come up with a way to understand why particular dyadic relationships in international diplomacy hit it off… and why others don’t.” When asked about the fellowship, Professor Holmes remarked that it is one of the great things about teaching at the College. “I think it’s a great opportunity we have here at William & Mary. To have a fellowship and say ‘I have this idea, I want to involve students with it,’ and they make it happen – that’s fantastic."
