Season Hoard wins Yang “Wendy” Liu Award

Season Hoard, political science professor, won the Yang "Wendy" Liu Awardfor making complicated US politics accessible to international students.

Hoard was selected for the award following a nomination from doctoral candidate Anna Ivanova, who has worked with Hoard the past three summers on policy reports for government, nonprofits, and other agencies.

"Dr. Season Hoard is one of the best professors, not only at our university but across the US," Ivanova wrote in her nomination. "With her leadership, we've built one of the most diverse and effective research teams on campus - students from different countries and backgrounds working together on real projects for the state of Washington."

Hoard completed her master's and doctorate at Washington State University and continued as a professor in both the Division of Governmental Studies and Services (DGSS) and the School of Politics, Philosophy, and Public Affairs.

Hoard said the award feels like an honor for her whole team, especially the faculty and staff in the DGSS.

"I feel like there's people who probably do more and deserve this more, not to devalue it, it was very meaningful," Hoard said. "I was just surprised because I felt like there is more that I need to do to help international students, and all students really, especially during these times."

The award recognizes Liu, a former Washington State University International Programs Intensive American Language Center instructor who taught English at WSU for nearly a decade. Liu died of complications due to cancer in 2019. She embodied the spirit of WSU by always going the extra mile for her students in and out of the classroom, and her dedication to increasing educational access for international students.

Hoard said she and her team at DGSS have made efforts to secure funding to hire students on campus, particularly since it can be difficult for international students here on a visa to find employment that aligns with their immigration requirements. The work encompasses many different methods of research and writing so that students gain useful professional development. The collaborative effort of student teams working with faculty on policy issues, such as homelessness or jail diversion, creates the opportunity to work across research topics and offer advice on data gathering.

Hoard said she also tries to incorporate a globalized view in her courses, offering examples of other countries' governmental and electoral processes. Pointing to multi-party systems in Europe, balloting in South Africa, and other forms of government, like a parliamentary system, can interest all students, Hoard said.

"I found that both international students and all students respond to that well, to spark questions, and I get a lot of excitement from that," she said.

Ivanova wrote that the collaboration Hoard fostered in DGSS makes for diverse teams, linking international and domestic students to cooperate on a project.

"Language has never been a barrier in DGSS because of the inclusive space (Hoard) created," Ivanova wrote. "She is the most encouraging, generous, and impactful person I've met in academia. Everyone who works with her walks away better."

Michael Allen, professor of astronomy, won the award last year.

Faculty and staff are eligible for nomination for the annual award, with applications due by April.