Professor of Politics Ron Kahn learned last Wednesday that he was the 2006 recipient of the Teaching and Mentoring Award. Once a year, the Law and Courts Organized Section of the American Political Science Association (APSA) recognizes a professor with “innovative teaching and instructional methods and materials in law and courts,” as Kahn described it.

“I am thrilled with this national recognition,” Kahn said.

He also emphasized how surprised he was to receive the award, as nominations are submitted anonymously by a candidate’s political science colleagues. Just being nominated was an honor in and of itself, Kahn emphasized, since it may have been by a former student.

Once nominations come in, a committee of peers from the Law and Courts Organized Section review the candidates. This committee represents political scientists and other social scientists with expertise on law and courts, the Supreme Court, law and society, constitutional theory and the criminal justice system.

The committee chooses a winner based on creative teaching techniques, measured by such factors as the writing of exemplary textbooks, creation of websites, classroom exercises and syllabi.

“I don’t know why I was selected,” said Kahn, though he has some speculations.

One factor may have been his publications related to teaching and mentoring, such as his Political Science Course Syllabi Collection: Capstone Course/Senior Seminar (1992), or his several journal publications.

Kahn has also led many committees relating to teaching. From 1997-1998, he served as director on the Short Course on Courts, Law, and the New (Historical Intuitionalism) for the Organized Section on Law and Courts of the APSA. In 1990, he chaired the Committee to Award Distinguished Graduate Students Papers for the Law, Courts, and Judicial Process Organized Section of the APSA. Kahn was also a consultant for curriculum reform at several colleges.

Above all, Kahn expressed how touched he was by the response he received colleagues, students and friends.

“I received so many notes [of congratulations] from my former Oberlin students and some on campus, as well as [from] some young scholars throughout the nation that I helped along [and] mentored over the years,” he said.