Dr. Bridgett King was awarded the Political Science Department's annual Thomas R. Hensley Teaching Award for Outstanding Graduate Teaching for AY 2011-12. Dr. King received her Ph.D. in May 2012 and is now a Voting Rights Researcher in the Democracy Program in the Brennan Center for Justice at the NYU School of law.
The department established an award for outstanding teaching among the graduate students in a honor of our distinguished colleague Dr. Tom Hensley.
ABOUT DR. THOMAS R. HENSLEY
Tom has won every major teaching award possible at Kent State, and has finished as a finalist multiple times as well for these major awards.
In addition, he has won most or all of the minor teaching awards at Kent State, some multiple times.
Moreover, he won the “Ohio Professor of the Year Award” in 1991.
Up until 2003, Tom also directed 21 Senior Honor’s Thesis, a quite extraordinary number that demonstrates a remarkable commitment to excellence in undergraduate teaching and undergraduate mentorship.
Finally, Tom is in the twilight of a long and illustrious career here at Kent State, he has faithfully provided every kind of service imaginable to our department, and he not only excels at teaching but he loves it immensely. Thus, it would be especially fitting to name such an award after him.