Dr. Elizabeth Bennion, IU South Bend professor, received the 2025 Established Leader Award from the American Political Science Association.
The award recognizes individuals for their sustained commitment to civic engagement through teaching, scholarship or service. It honors a career dedicated to leadership in fostering democratic engagement within communities. Bennion received the honor at the organization’s annual meeting in Vancouver, Canada.
Bennion co-founded the American Political Science Association Civic Engagement Section in 2020 with Dr. Richard Davis of Brigham Young University. She served as elected co-chair alongside Dr. David Campbell of the University of Notre Dame from 2020–2022.
“Civic engagement is not a side project—it is the heart of education for democracy,” Bennion said in a press release. “I am honored to receive this award from a section I helped found, and proud to stand alongside colleagues who believe that scholarship, teaching and service must connect with the communities we serve.”
Bennion’s contributions to the field include co-editing three books on teaching civic engagement, as well as over 80 publications ranging from large-scale, multi-site voter mobilization field experiments to national surveys of student leaders. For the past 12 years, she has also hosted a weekly television program that invites the public to hear from academics, politicians and community leaders.
Bennion is a two-time recipient of the Barbara Burch Award for Faculty Leadership, presented by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. Working with students from diverse partisan backgrounds, her nonpartisan campus voter education and engagement initiatives increased voter participation rates at IU South Bend and have served as a model for several national organizations.
“Nonpartisan civic education is essential to a democratic republic,” Bennion said. “When we equip students to think critically, engage respectfully and participate meaningfully, we strengthen the democratic process itself—regardless of party or ideology.”
