2019-2020 POLITICAL SCIENCE SCHOLARS

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Qwantaria Russell (at left) is a senior Tip Allen Scholar from Florence, Mississippi. Majoring in political science and criminology, she serves as secretary of Health Service Volunteers, and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., I.D.E.A.L. Woman, the Student Association Senate, and the Montgomery Leadership Program. Also, Qwantaria tutors and mentors’ children at Ms. Smith’s Educational Services. This summer she interned with Congressman Bennie Thompson and the Homeland Security Committee.

Flannery Egner (2nd from left) is a sophomore Stennis Scholar. A graduate of Center Hill High School in Olive Branch, Flannery served as President of the Interact Club, being active in projects raising autism awareness and fighting world hunger and poverty. A Mississippi Scholar and founding member of her school's Youth and Government club, she was also an active Student Council Representative, member of National Honor Society, and served as Freshman and Sophomore Class Secretary. Named an Outstanding Senator at the Mississippi Youth Legislature, Flannery plans to serve Mississippi after graduation as a state legislative staff member, with intentions of one day serving in The White House as a senior staff member.

Marisa Laudadio (center left) is a senior Stennis Scholar, a Haley Barbour Scholar, and a Tip Allen Scholar. She is from Walnut, Mississippi, and is double majoring in political science and communication with minors in Spanish and International Studies. Her goal is to someday work with nonprofits helping orphans and at-risk youth. At MSU, Marisa is involved in the Shackouls Honors College, Stennis Montgomery Association, No Lost Generation, Mississippi Votes, the Latino Student Association, Public Relations Student Society of America, and the College of Arts & Sciences Ambassadors. She also serves as Head Secretary General for the MSU Model United Nations chapter. Additionally, Marisa works as a communication assistant for the head of the Department of Communication and in the Office of Agricultural Communication. She previously worked as an undergraduate research assistant at the Social Science Research Center. Her areas of research include health communication and discovering new ways to measure and effectively convey public opinion about controversial issues. In her first summer at MSU, Marisa attended Mississippi N.E.W Leadership and conducted research through the Shackouls Honors College’s Summer Research Fellowship. In her sophomore year, she won an Outstanding Delegate Award representing MSU's Model UN chapter at the Southern Regional Model UN Conference in Atlanta, represented the MSU Honors College at the National Collegiate Honors Council conference, presented research at the National Collegiate Undergraduate Research conference, and was one of only 73 students chosen nationwide to attend the Harvard Kennedy School Public Policy and Leadership Conference. The summer of 2018, Marisa interned for a national nonprofit that works with at-risk youth and foster care reform. She studied at Oxford University in England in the summer of 2019. She also served as a counselor for the MSU Shackouls Honors College "WE Lead" conference, which teaches high school girls about women empowerment and leadership.

Mia Robertson (center right) is a freshman John C. Stennis Scholar from Starkville, Mississippi. At Starkville High School, she was co-President of the Political Millenials Club, Captain of the Speech and Debate team, a Senior Representative in the Student Council, a member of the National Honor Society, and President of the French Club. Mia was one of only two Mississippians chosen for the American Legion Auxiliary Girls Nation program in Washington, D.C., where she debated legislation and presented her own bill to Mississippi's U.S. Senators. Further, she is a National Speech and Debate Association Academic All American and a five-time qualifier to the national tournament. Her community service work includes summer volunteering at We Will Go Ministries in Jackson and leading Camp Hope for needy children, as well as serving in the children's ministry at her home church for the extent of her high school career. At MSU, Mia is a member of the Hail State Debate team, Mississippi Model Security Council, Student Association Freshman Council, and the MSU Chamber Choir.

Semaj Martin-Redd (2nd from right) is a senior Bill Collins Scholar, a Tip Allen Scholar, and a Charles Menifield Scholar from Brandon Mississippi. A first generation student, Semaj has served as Chair of MSU’s College Republicans, and has worked in the campaigns of four federal candidates. He has served as Council President in the Mississippi Model U.N. Security Council, and won awards at Southern Regional Model UN. This summer he was a Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton, and also studied Alternative Energy Sources abroad in Iceland, Norway, and Denmark.

Sofia Alvarez (at right) is a junior Tip Allen Scholar and the Marty Wiseman Scholar from Belmont, Mississippi. A member of the Shackouls Honors College at MSU, Sofia is also the Community Outreach Chair of the Latino Student Association, the Treasurer of the International Student Advisory Board, and a member of the Pre-Law society and the College of Arts and Sciences Ambassadors. In addition, she is also a member of the Honor Code Council. She has attended the Public Policy Leadership Conference at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Explore Law Program at PennState Law School. During the summer of 2019, she studied at the University of Oxford, England. After she attains her Bachelor's degree, she plans to pursue a career in immigration law.

Scholars not pictured include:

Jonathan Bailey is a sophomore Stennis Scholar from Brandon High School in Brandon, Mississippi. Jonathan is currently serving as Vice-Chairman of the MSU College Republicans, where he spearheaded efforts to host the state’s first gubernatorial primary debate in April 2019. That same month, Jonathan was elected Vice-Chairman of the Mississippi Federation of College Republicans, which oversees 8 active chapters across the state. In that role, he has pushed to increase involvement and activism to fight increasing political apathy on college campuses. An MSU Provost Scholar, Jonathan’s other on-campus activities include the Shackouls Honors College, the Stennis Montgomery Association, and Beta Upsilon Chi. Jonathan currently serves as Deputy Campaign Manager and Communications Director for Michael Watson’s campaign for Secretary of State and plans to continue working in Mississippi politics after graduation.

Ashlan Daniels is a senior Bill Collins Scholar from Memphis, Tennessee. Ashlan is currently involved in the MSU Student Association Judicial Council, helping to supervise elections and enforcing the constitution. Heavily involved in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, she has served as secretary, assistant membership chair, and program committee member. Her community service activities include working at the Boys and Girls Club of Starkville and volunteering at the Noxubee Refuge Center. During the summer of 2019, she interned and gained experience in the legal field with the Law Offices of the Shelby County Public Defender as a law clerk intern.

Sae Frey is a senior Stennis Scholar and a Tip Allen Scholar from Jackson Preparatory School in Jackson, Mississippi. At MSU, Sae is a part of the Pi Sigma Alpha Honors Society, and is involved in the Shackouls Honors College, Model UN, No Lost Generation, Tri Delta, the Wesley Foundation, and the Agronomy Club. In the summer of 2017, Sae studied political economy and demography in Italy with Cornell University, and in the summer of 2018, she studied with Kings College London. In the summer of 2019, she interned with International Executive Service Corps in Washington D.C. Sae is interested in plant breeding and agricultural regulatory policy, and plans on going to graduate school for Plant Breeding and Genetics.

Brooke Gibson is a junior Tip Allen Scholar from Biloxi Mississippi. She has served as a fellow for the Republican Leadership Initiative for the RNC Starkville, and was involved in three federal campaigns as well as attended a presidential rally in Southaven. Brooke has worked with children in summer camps in Ocean Springs and Biloxi. This summer she interned with Congressman Palazzo’s D.C. office.

Christian Hedge is a freshman Tip Allen Scholar from Columbus Mississippi. He is an active member of MSU College Democrats, the Mississippi Votes non-partisan organization, and the newly formed United Nations Association. Interested in a career in diplomacy or national security, he has already completed demanding classes in intelligence gathering and in the Honors program. This summer he interned in D.C. with The Washington Center.

Suyeun Kim is a senior Tip Allen Scholar from South Korea. Inducted into MSU’s inaugural Phi Beta Kappa class, Suyeun was the keynote speaker at the 2017 Model United Nations Korea, and the Representative of Freshmen at the Circle for International Studies. This summer she interned in D.C. with the Washington Center. She plans to pursue graduate studies in the Republic of Korea.

Grant Long is a junior Tip Allen Scholar from Dallas Georgia. Active in MSU’s College Democrats, Grant was a Political Affairs Intern last summer for The Borgen Project, a non-profit dedicated to reducing global poverty. He has also volunteered for a Christian outreach club and at an animal shelter. This summer he interned in D.C. as a William Demmer Scholar on natural resource policy.

Mary-Catherine McCreary is a junior Tip Allen Scholar from Byram Mississippi. A member of the Stennis Montgomery Association and the Mississippi Model Security Council, she is also a member of MSU’s Day One Leadership Program, the MSU Women in Business, and the No Lost Generation. Mary-Catherine works in the MSU Housing Department, and volunteers with preschoolers at Aiken Villege. This summer she interned with Lieutenant Governor Reeves’ gubernatorial campaign.

Emily Tingle is a senior Stennis Scholar, a Haley Barbour Scholar, and a Tip Allen Scholar. Emily majors in both Political Science and Sociology while also minoring in Pre-law, Gender Studies, African American Studies, and History. She is from Warren Central High School in Vicksburg, Mississippi. She has served as President of the Rho Kappa Social Studies Honor Society, and as Quiz Bowl Team Captain. Committed to improving public education in Mississippi, she campaigned for Initiative 42, among other political activities. Emily is the founder of "37 Books," a foundation that promotes literacy among our state's foster children by raising money and providing books to children's homes and centers. At MSU she is involved in the Stennis-Montgomery Association, College Democrats, Pre-law Society, Alpha Lamda Delta Honors Society, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and the College of Arts and Sciences Ambassadors. She is a member of Shackouls Honors College and serves on the Honors Recruitment Council. As a member of MSU's Student Association, she has served as the Director of Public Relations and is currently a Campus-Wide Senator. Emily is also a Maroon Edition Essay winner, served on Homecoming Court as Freshman Maid, and is a member of Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity. She was one of only 73 students nationally who attended the Harvard Kennedy School Public Policy and Leadership Conference. In 2018, she worked as a research assistant for the Department of Sociology. She studied at Oxford University in England in the summer of 2019 focusing on race and political activism. In 2019, She also was awarded a Summer Research Fellowship by Shackouls Honors College to pursue her own research regarding the use of colorblind ideology within grassroots activism and white womanhood. Emily plans to pursue and Masters and Ph.d. in Sociology with an emphasis in Political Sociology, race, and gender studies and continue her research on grassroots organizing and race. One day, she also plans on running for public office in order to help improve public education for every child.

Javontae Triplett is a junior Charles Menifield Scholar from Cleveland Mississippi in Bolivar county. At MSU, he is a member of the Stennis Montgomery Association where he has worked to help people register to vote, and a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. In high school, Javontae was a core member of the National Honor Society and was a member of the Beta Club. In the latter, he organized care packages for the elderly and worked to clean up his city by picking up litter in public spaces. Javontae was also elected as Mr. East Side for his high school, which is the male representative who leads both academically and through character. He plans to attend law school.

Jacob Wubben is a sophomore Stennis Scholar from Starkville High School. A well-rounded person with diverse interests, Jacob is a National AP Scholar with perfect scores in four subjects. His commitment to multiculturalism in this age of globalization is reflected in his study of two foreign languages. The CEO of the award-winning Starkville High robotics team, Jacob also served as Section Leader of the school's "superior" marching band. He plans to earn a PhD and join the U.S. diplomatic corps.

Caroline Collins (pictured above with Amy Tuck) of Bay Saint Louis is a recent Stennis alumnus. An inductee into the Society of Scholars, Caroline maintained a 4.0 GPA each semester. She was a member of Kappa Delta Sorority, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and MSU Involvement Ambassadors and is a former President of the Stennis-Montgomery Association and the Mississippi State Freshman Class. She served as Senator of the College of Arts and Sciences, Chairman of the Mississippi State College Republicans and Chairman of the Mississippi Federation of College Republicans. Additionally, Caroline served as a United States Senate Page for Senator Thad Cochran, an intern for US Congressman Steven Palazzo, and studied in Rome. After being selected to attend the AIPAC Policy Conference in D.C., Caroline was chosen for an expenses-paid trip to Israel where she learned about the intricacies of the U.S.-Israel alliance. In her last semester at MSU, Caroline became the first recipient of the Lt. Governor Amy Tuck Spirit of Service Award for her work in rebuilding the MSU chapter of College Republicans. Caroline is starting her second year of law school at Washington University School of Law in Saint Louis. She finished her first year as an Honor Scholar, and interned in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Illinois working in the civil division that summer. She is serving as a Staff Editor for volumes 95 and 96 of the Washington University Law Review.

One of our Bill Collins alumni is Brian Pugh, pictured above. As the Deputy Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration, Dr. Pugh manages 6 of the 19 offices in the Department. Previously, he served as Director of Finance for Governor Phil Bryant, and before that as a Budget Analyst for the Legislative Budget Office of the Mississippi Legislature. After receiving his BA in Political Science and his MPPA degree from MSU, he earned a PhD from Jackson State University. As an undergraduate Collins Scholar, Brian was President of the Pre-Law Society, and was active in the Stennis Montgomery Society and in Pi Sigma Alpha.

Stennis Scholar alumni Whitney Holliday and Shelley New enjoyed a view of Washington, D.C., while attending the inauguration of President Obama as students as part of the Stennis-Montgomery Association's annual D.C. trip. They are shown in the photo above.

Students in our department have the opportunity to meet prominent public officials, such as the governor and lieutenant governor. In the photo above, Stennis Scholar (now alumnus) and SA Vice President Lee Weiskopf met with 2-term Lieutenant Governor Amy Tuck, a graduate of our department.

In the picture above, Barbour Scholars (now alumni) Jane Anna Harris and Tonya Thorton-Neaves pose with 2-term Governor Haley Barbour after a breakfast with him and the MSU President. Barbour offered the students invaluable advice about networking and job hunting in Washington, D.C. After graduation, Jane Anna served as the Staff Director for the Senate Agriculture Committee, and Tonya is a Research Fellow and Project Coordinator at the Social Science Research Center at MSU.

One annual conference that some of our students attend is the Southern Women in Public Service program sponsored by the Stennis Center. In the photo above, Stennis Scholar (now alumnus) Tamikia Carr met with then-Vice President Al Gore's wife, Tipper.

Our students also meet with numerous other public figures who visit our department. In the above photo, political science students (now alumni) Nikita Gandy, Ben Needham, and Ta'Shia Shannon (a Collins Scholar alumnus) are to the left of former Congressman Mike Espy. Espy was the first African-American from a rural district elected to Congress. Students Yashica Tate and Terrance James are to the right of Espy.

Our department's John C. Stennis Scholars are named in memory of MSU alumnus John C. Stennis, who served in the United States Senate from 1947 to 1988, rising to the powerful position of President Pro Tempore of the senate and fourth in line for the presidency. Senator Stennis also served as chairman of the powerful Appropriations Committee and previously as chairman of the Armed Services Committee. He was so respected in the senate that Congress named a new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier after him, which was commissioned into service before the carrier honoring former president Harry Truman. Because John Stennis inspired Mississippians to be active in public affairs, we include our department's Bill Collins (the founding director of the Stennis Institute of Government) and Haley Barbour (our two-term governor and a formidable Stennis challenger in 1982) scholars on this webpage.

To learn more about Senator John Stennis, click here.

The Haley Barbour Scholars are named after a distinguished public servant and native of Yazoo City who rose to the position of Chair of the Republican National Committee. As RNC Chairman, Haley Barbour inaugurated an aggressive fundraising, public relations, and candidate assistance program that led the GOP in 1994 to majority control of both houses of Congress for the first time in 40 years. Barbour was elected Governor in the 2003 state elections, when for the first time Republicans won half of Mississippi's statewide executive offices as well as historically high percentages of state house and state senate seats. When Barbour was re-elected governor four years later, he swept his party to control of every statewide elected office with one exception.

The Bill Collins Scholar is named after a distinguished educational leader, who was the first Director of the John C. Stennis Institute of Government at Mississippi State University. A Bill Collins Speakership series was established in his honor in the MSU Library.

The Tip Allen Scholars are named after retired (now deceased) professor Tip H. Allen Jr., whose decades of teaching political science at MSU helped so many of our students that he was awarded the department's outstanding teaching award on two occasions. One student whom he mentored went on to become an MSU President (Dr. Malcolm Portera, who then became the Chancellor of The University of Alabama System).

The Marty Wiseman Scholars are named after retired professor Marty Wiseman, a Mississippi native who earned four degrees at MSU and who directed the Stennis Institute of Government for two decades.

The Charles Menifield Scholars are named after former professor Charles Menifield, a Mississippi native who earned a BA in political science and an MPPA degree from MSU, and who rose to the position of academic Dean at Rutgers University.