Mark R. Beissinger, Henry W. Putnam Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, has received the Department's annual teaching prize. First awarded in 1988, the Stanley Kelley Award for Excellence is given every year to a member of the Politics faculty to recognize outstanding teaching. The prize's namesake, Stanley Kelley, joined the Politics faculty in 1957 and taught at the University for nearly 40 years.

Beissinger has served the department and the university for the past 18 years. His main fields of interest are social movements, revolutions, nationalism, state-building, and imperialism, with special reference to the former Soviet Union and the post-Soviet states. He has played important leadership and mentoring roles as a researcher, Director of PIIRS, and the Director of Graduate Studies. Since 2006, Beissinger has regularly taught a graduate course, POL 592, called Social Movements and Revolutions. One of Beissinger’s students commented in their teaching evaluation, “Take this course! This has easily been one of my favorite classes while at Princeton. Professor Beissinger is an excellent lecturer.”

The Department of Politics warmly congratulates Professor Beissinger on this achievement.