UC Riverside professor Jennifer Gaudette has received two national honors from the Urban and Local Politics Section of the American Political Science Association, which recognized both her scholarship and doctoral research on local politics.
Gaudette, an assistant professor in the School of Public Policy, is the recipient of the Clarence Stone Scholar Award, which recognizes early-career scholars making a significant contribution to the study of urban and local politics.
In addition, her dissertation, “Local Power: Understanding Interest Group Influence in Local Politics,” received an Honorable Mention for the section’s Best Dissertation Award.
The awards will be formally presented at the American Political Science Association’s annual meeting in Boston in September.
“I am honored and delighted to receive this recognition from my fellow political science scholars,” Gaudette said.
The Clarence Stone Scholar Award recognizes emerging scholars whose work is advancing understanding of how local governments and communities function. Stone’s research pertaining to race relations in the South helped shape the study of urban governance and city politics
The Best Dissertation Award honors outstanding doctoral research that contributes to the study of cities, local government, and urban affairs.
The dual recognition highlights Gaudette’s influence in the study of local politics, a field that examines the factors influencing municipal and county governance. This includes studying how decisions that affect public safety, housing, development, public services, and community life are made. Among other topics, Gaudette’s research has probed political polarization at local and regional levels, and analyzed the impact of influential special interest groups, such as police unions, on municipal elections.
Gaudette joined UCR’s School of Public Policy last fall after earning her doctoral degree at UC San Diego. Prior to earning her doctorate, she was an attorney for seven years and earned her JD from Columbia Law School.
The American Political Science Association is the leading professional organization for the study of political science, with more than 10,000 members worldwide. Its Urban and Local Politics Section, which selected her for the awards, brings together scholars whose research focuses on cities, metropolitan regions, local government, and community politics.