PSIR prizewinners

View lists of previous winners of different prizes awarded to students in the Political Science and International Relations programme.

Recognising outstanding academic achievement

The Political Science and International Relations Programme has a range of prizes. Some recognise outstanding students at various stages in their studies—first-year students in Political Science or International Relations; second- and third-year students in international relations; students completing their B.A. (majoring in Political Science or International Relations); students enrolled in Honours-level courses; the top student in the parliamentary internship programme; the most outstanding Master of International Relations and Master of Strategic Studies students; M.A. and Ph.D. students.

Other prizes recognise excellence in research, awarding prizes for the best essays in New Zealand politics, European politics, American politics, Asian politics, Pacific politics, Israeli politics and Korean politics. There are also prizes for outstanding essays in political theory, human rights, race relations, and conflict/peace studies.

Prizes honour particular individuals, including former members of staff (Roderic Alley; Alan Robinson; K. J. Scott) and Professor Emeritus Dame Margaret Clark. The prizes reflect themes emphasised by donors, as well as the teaching and research interests of staff.

Three Honours Boards—located at the premises of the Political Science and International Relations Programme (5th floor, Murphy Building, Kelburn Parade)—display the names of the prizes and their recipients, with framed photographs of some of the prizewinners adjacent to the Honours Boards. Further details about the prizes may be found on the University’s Scholarships and Prizes website.

Prizes and prizewinners

Sir John Marshall Scholarship—Best student, first-year Political Science or International Relations [from 2023, a scholarship awarded by application]

1980 – Pamela Chong
1981 – Carol Painter
1982 – Li Li Lim
1983 – Christine Vivequin
1984 – David Lynch
1985 – Judy Brown and Peter Galvin
1986 – Tessa Temata and Julie Wake
1987 – Simon Boyce
1988 – Margaret Cousins
1990 – Rachael James and Tanya Thomson  
1991 – Edward Siddle
1992 – Joanna Mossop
1993 – Catherine Graham and Alison Lewes
1994 – Ana Gilling
1995 – Scott Higham and Jonathan Guest
1996 – Hilary Pearse
1997 – Helen Anderson and Nicholas Huntington
1998 – Andrew Townend and Simon Murdoch
1999 – Ruth Nicholls
2000 – Cameron Pritchard
2001 –Polly Vowles
2002 – Franz Ombler
2003 –Thomas Fitzsimons and Anna Parker
2004 – Nathan Crombie and Nicola Kean
2005 – Polly Higbee
2006 – Mark Mulholland and Franchesca Walker
2007 –Lennart Maschmeyer
2008 –Aysser Al-Janabi
2009 – Molly McCarthy and Matthew McMenamin
2010 – Jasmin Moran and Paul Comrie-Thomson
2011 – Oisin Duke  
2012 – Scott Fletcher
2013 – Gracielli Ghizzi-Hall
2014 – Darryn Ooi
2015 – Zoe Brown
2016 – Samantha Mythen
2017 – Liam Powell
2018 – Jack Roberts
2019 – Isla Cottrill
2020 – Tanmeet Singh
2021 – Megan de Klerk
2022 – Justin Atkinson and Holly Bamber

K.J. Scott Memorial Prize—Best student, B.A. in Political Science or International Relations

1964 – Therese May
1965 – Brian Shaw
1966 – Guan-Sing Lim
1973 – Robert Gregory
1974 – Michael McKinley and Gavin Thompson
1975 – Crawford Falconer and Paul Baines
1976 – Paul Brooker
1978 – Michael Rotheray
1979 – George Crowder
1980 – George Crowder
1981 – Geoffrey Hirsh and Lewis Holden
1982 – Joel Hochberg and Jeya Wilson
1983 – Andrew Stockley
1984 – Meredith Macnab and Kerry Taylor
1985 – Kevin McCarthy and Donna Butt
1986 – Dina Nieuweveen
1988 – Sean Ford and Anthony Sole
1989 – Todd Simpson and Miriam Laugesen
1990 – Allan Tollemache and Michael Bott
1991 – Judith Lacy
1992 – Owen Gill
1993 – Rachael James
1994 – Michael Gibbs
1996 – Ana Gilling and Jon Johansson
1997 – Simon Booth, Jonathan Guest and Megan Faull
1998 – Hilary Pearse and David Lewis
1999 – Nicholas Huntington
2000 – Yong Wook Ryu
2001 – Michael Appleton
2002 – Cameron Pritchard
2003 – Polly Vowles
2004 – Melissa Coton and Sandra Lissaman
2005 – Franz Ombler
2006 – Nicola Kean
2007 – Kate Stone
2008 – Simon Le Quesne
2009 – Lani Inverarity
2010 – Lucy Kneebone
2011 – Aysser Al-Janabi
2012 – Tamsin Bertaud-Gandar
2013 – Juliet Bull
2014 – Jasmin Moran
2015 – Sophie Reid
2016 – Scott Fletcher
2017 – Zoe Brown and Philip Little
2018 – Sarah Bradley
2019 – Nopera Dennis-McCarthy
2020 – Kirsten MacKenzie
2021 – Jack Roberts
2022 – Lana Stevenson
2023 – Lydia White

Alan Robinson Memorial Prize—Best student, Honours in Political Science or International Relations

1985 – Julian Silver and Stephen Rainbow
1986 – Nicholas Kiddle
1987 – Stephen Harris
1988 – Perya Short
1989 – Helen Greatrex
1990 – Clare Kernot
1991 – Miriam Laugesen
1992 – Robyn McInnes
1993 – Mary Wareham
1994 – Eva Perez and Conal Smith
1995 – Andrew Chick and Juliet Gunby
1996 – Fiona Barker and Emily McKenzie
1997 – Catherine Graham, Jon Johansson, Alison Pearman and Hannah Schmidt
1998 – Jonathan Guest and Robert Salmond
1999 – Hilary Pearse
2000 – Sarah Duignan
2001 – Chris Hubscher
2002 – Amy Catalinac
2003 – Suzannah Jessep
2004 – Jason Knauf and Cameron Pritchard
2005 – Claire Whelen
2006 – Laura Mann and Marcelina Mastalerz
2007 – Nicola Kean and Shaun McGirr
2008 – Kate Stone
2009 – Hannah Van Voorthuysen
2010 – Toni Grace
2011 – Hannah Blumhardt and Lucy Kneebone
2012 – Gabor Hellyer
2013 – Rebecca McKeown
2014 – Erika Webb
2015 – Sebastiaan Bierema
2017 – Rebekka Evans
2018 – Annie MacDonald
2019 – Sarah Miller
2021 – Rachel Carter and Logan Byrne
2022 – Zoe Tims
2023 – Milla Batten

Sir Desmond Todd Memorial Prize—Most worthy M.A. or Ph.D. (Political Science or International Relations)

1986 – Kay Stafford
1987 – Pat Moloney
1988 – Julian Silver
1989 – Michael Ashby
1990 – Helen Greatrex
1991 – Stephen Rainbow and Russell Harding
1992 – Peter Leitch and Jacqueline Owens
1994 – James Chin and Anna-Luis Cook
1995 – Virginia McLean
1996 – Jean Drage, Janine Hayward, Jeanine Langvik and Conal Smith
1997 – Barbara Merz and Simon Sheppard
1998 – Fiona Barker and Kosuke Shimizu
1999 – Matthew Kennedy
2000 – Elena Michaels
2001 – Rae Nicholl
2002 – Jon Johansson
2003 – Robert Deuchars. Terence Green and Chris Huscher
2004 – Connor Raso
2005 – Margaret Hayward
2007 – Jane Lawrence
2008 – Harshan Kumarasingham
2009 – Kieran Barbalich and Jennifer Wigley
2010 – Steven Barnes and Jason Young
2011 – Nicholas Henry and Simon Le Quesne
2012 – Matthew Castle
2013 – Micheal Warren
2014 – Brett de Malmanche, Xavier Forde, Thi Binh Khong and Rebekah Menzies  
2015 – Elizabeth Argyle
2016 – Yang Gao and Jenny Ombler
2017 – Amalia Louisson and Caroline McDonald
2018 – Katherine Smith and Micheal Warren
2019 – Simon Power and Christine Bogle
2020 – Samuele Tonello and Caleb Hoyle
2021 – Nashie Shamoon; Sam Crawley and Claire Fitzpatrick
2022 – Nguyen Khac Giang and Jie Huang
2023 – Andrew Wilford and David Wilson

NZIIA (Wellington) Prize—Best first-year essay, International Relations

2010 – Aidan Beckett
2011 – Dylan Chambers
2012 – Emma Burge and Alora Johnson
2013 – Michael Berriman
2014 – Tamara Jenkin
2015 – Zoe Brown
2016 – Taran Molloy
2017 – Natalie Vaughan
2018 – Laura Mokiana Alama
2019 – Jack McNeill
2020 – David Bieleski
2021 – Aranga Molijn
2022 – Zinzan Goertzen
2023 – Grace Cartman

Diplomatic Corps Prize—Best undergraduate student, International Relations

1982 – Lawrence Ludbrook
1983 – Ross Burrell
1984 – Kimberley McKay
1985 – Mark Pearson
1986 – Alison Carlin
1987 – Claire Eeles
1988 – Claire Eeles
1989 – Clare Kernot
1990 – Campbell Gough
1991 – Margaret Cousins and David Capie
1992 – Rachael James
1993 – Linda Skates
1994 – Joanna Mossop and Lauren Quaintance
1995 – Alison Pearman
1996 – Alison Pearman
1997 – Hilary Pearse and Lydia Whetton
1998 – Teresa Finlay
1999 – Helen Anderson
2000 – Jessie Williams
2001 – Sarah Bierre
2002 – Bianca Pascoe
2003 – Femke Meinderts
2004 – Alexandra Jeffares
2005 – Andrea Beadle and Fiona McAlister
2006 – Michelle Goh and Alice King
2007 – Nicola Bennett and Alice King
2008 – Hannah Blumhardt
2009 – Lennart Maschmeyer
2010 – Aysser Al-Janabi
2011 – Jennifer Lander
2012 – Sophie Macaulay and Jasmin Moran
2013 – Sebastiaan Bierema and Erika Webb
2014 – Hayley Keith
2015 – Kieran Ireland
2016 – Zoe Brown and Philip Little
2017 – Katherine Woolrych
2018 – Harry Penrose and Amy Spittal
2019 – Adam McDonald Ball
2020 – Anri Ichikawa
2021 – Anna-Grace Somerfield and Jennifer Whipps
2022 – Elena Bostina and Stephen Gregory Lewis
2023 – Lydia Whyte

Bernard Randall (Mike Moore) Prize—Best student, Master of International Relations

2006 – Catherine Grinsted
2007 – Molly Kennedy
2008 – Donald Clarke
2009 – Jan Dutkiewicz and Vicki Soanes
2010 – Elaine Pratley
2011 – Amie Ritchie
2012 – Clinton Watson
2015 – Toby Estall
2016 – Hayley Rata Heyes
2017 – Sean Ainsworth and Serena Driver
2018 – Zoe Brown
2019 – Kirsty Corbett
2020 – Lydia Veltman
2021 – Teri Miller
2022 – Anna Carruthers
2023 – Alexander Maitland

Geoffrey Davies Memorial Prize—Best research essay, Master of International Relations

2007 – Michael Lee
2008 – Steven Ma
2009 – Barbara Murphy
2011 – Nathan Attrill
2012 – Howard Staveley
2015 – Dell Watson
2016 – Rowan Carter
2017 – Shay Neilson
2018 – Zoe Brown
2019 – Ivan Andrews
2020 – Lydia Veltman
2021 – Samantha O'Hara
2022 – Daniel Hawker
2023 – Alexander Maitland

Prime Minister’s Prize—Best student, Master of Strategic Studies

2013 – Luke Taylor
2015 – David Fraser
2016 – Matthew Nicoll
2017 – Richard Newsome-White
2018 – Thaddaeus Cobb
2019 – Cyrus Campbell
2021 – Dylan Maynard
2022 – Flynn Acworth
2023 – Celia McDowall

Sir Walter Nash Prize—Best essay, peace and conflict studies

2009 – Kirsten Hearn
2010 – Victoria Crockford
2011 – Lucy Kneebone
2012 – Daniel Mazengarb
2013 – Rebecca McKeown
2014 – Erika Webb
2015 – Hana Snook
2016 – Prasanthi Cottingham
2017 – Iris Riddiford Graham
2018 – Chanté Cooper
2019 – George Green and Rupert Stobo
2020 – Taran Molloy
2021 – Emily McCarthy
2022 – Ian Wells
2023 – Edward Nelson

John F. Kennedy Prize—Best undergraduate essay, American politics

2004 – Joseph Connell
2005 – Richard Dent
2006 – Daniel Miles
2007 – Catriona MacGregor
2008 – Corin Higgs
2009 – Clark Hennessy and David Williams
2010 – Marcel Lister and Melanie Potter
2011 – Chara Sherwood
2012 – Oisin Duke
2013 – Olivia Oldham
2014 – Thomas Milton and Thomas Raethel
2015 – Thomas Raethel and Pita Roycroft
2016 – Joshua Hunt
2018 – Dryw McArthur
2019 – Taran Molloy
2020 – Samuel Day
2021 – Jamie Rybinski
2022 – Grace Jeong
2023 – Mi Le

John F. Kennedy Prize—Best postgraduate essay or thesis, American politics

2003 – Keith Bolland
2005 – Peter Anderton
2007 – Scott Joblin
2010 – Corin Higgs
2011 – Aubrey Bloomfield
2012 – Clark Hennessy
2013 – Sarah Wilson
2014 – James Gilchrist
2017 – Andrew Coutts
2019 – George Metson
2020 – Lydia Veltman
2021 – Louis Day
2022 – Zoe Tims

European Union Prize—Best essay or thesis, European politics

1998 – Nicholas Wood
1999 – Nicholas Huntington
2000 – Charlotte Griffin  
2001 – Mark Anderson
2002 – Elizabeth-Jane Ryan
2003 – Natalie Howell
2004 – Daniel Musgrove
2005 – Samuel Burt
2006 – Laura Mann
2007 – Bogdan Corbu
2008 – Susannah Taylor
2009 – Toni Grace
2010 – Aurelie May Guise
2011 – Natalie Powlesland
2012 – Aysser Al-Janabi
2013 – Rebecca McKeown
2014 – David Alsop
2015 – Angus Crowe
2016 – Jayden van Leeuwen
2017 – Fabian Brunner
2018 – Laura Macdonald
2019 – Sarah Miller
2020 – Samuel Coad
2021 – Isabel Doudney
2022 – Sean Walsh
2023 – Zinzan Goetzen

Asian Politics Prize—Best undergraduate essay, Asian politics

1999 – Kathryn Lee
2000 – Yong Wook Ryu
2001 – Robert Davis
2002 – Arti Badiani
2004 – Thomas Marwick
2006 – Helen Lahtinen and Dianny Wahyudhi
2007 – Yi Shen Lau
2008 – Zhang Li
2009 – Aysser Al-Janabi
2010 – Amy MacIver
2011 – Mhwe Lon and Tim Stewardson
2012 – Alexandra Smith
2013 – Nicholas Fargher
2014 – Gerald Lee
2015 – Joshua Hauraki
2016 – Hadi Chamoun Medeiros and Jack Robinson
2017 – Megan Gray and Stuart Zohrab
2018 – Pablo Monteverde-Young
2019 – Andrew Wilford
2020 – Hannah Prior
2021 – Emma Palmer
2022 – Claudia Green
2023 – Lily Murdoch

Asian Politics Prize—Best postgraduate essay or thesis, Asian politics

1999 – Andrew Seymour
2000 – Lai Ha Chan
2001 – Jessica Smith
2003 – Jennifer Dickie
2004 – Fleur Walter
2005 – Melissa Coton
2006 – Adam Ladley
2007 – Pia McKay
2009 – Nathan Attrill
2010 – James Whibley
2011 – Yang Gao
2012 – Clinton Watson
2013 – Henry Curtis and Stuart Peters
2014 – Nicola Yong
2016 – Sok Heng Ly
2019 – Hamish Dick
2020 – Kate Gear
2021 – Olivia Hodgson and Solomon Stephens
2022 – Nathan Henderson

Korean Ambassador’s Prize—Best essay or thesis, Korean politics

2004 – Thomas Wigley
2006 – Katrina Walsh
2008 – John Howse
2009 – Gemma Habens
2010 – Sun Ku
2011 – Hannah Lee
2012 – Rebekah Stewart
2013 – Thi Thuy Nga Dang and Alexandra Smith
2014 – Yanisa Thanomrod
2016 – James Little
2017 – Julia E Kyung Noh
2018 – Kathleen Robertson

Embassy of Israel Prize—Best essay, Israeli politics

1999 – Helen Anderson
2001 – Bridie Henderson and David Mirkin
2002 – Devorah Hollander
2004 – Andre Alves
2005 – Jessica Brull Barrett and Gabrielle Evans
2006 – Emily James
2007 – Francis Jones
2008 – Polly Higbee
2009 – Corin Higgs
2010 – Suzanne Fish
2011 – Hannah Van Voorthuysen
2012 – Nicholas Hoare
2013 – Julia Finny
2014 – James Young-Drew
2015 – Gerald Lee
2016 – Liam Barnsdale
2018 – Jayden van Leeuwen
2019 – Emma Ricketts
2020 – Emma Jenkins
2021 – Courtney Powell
2022 – Antonia Smith

Pacific Politics Prize—Best essay or thesis, Pacific politics

2019 – Hanna Malloch
2020 – Lewis Johnson and Patricia Sexton
2021 – Rachel Carter and Zara Troskot
2022 – Felix Campbell and Anna Heath
2023 – Matt Lambie

Stephen Levine Prize–Best undergraduate essay, any of the following topics: political leadership; electoral systems; voting behaviour; legislative behaviour; African politics; politics and sport; politics and the arts; counterfactuals

2022 – Sean Chan and Maddison Hagger

Stephen Levine Prize–Best postgraduate essay or thesis, any of the following topics: political leadership; electoral systems; voting behaviour; legislative behaviour; African politics; politics and sport; politics and the arts; counterfactuals

2022 – James Coad
2023 – Isla Cottrill

Political Theory Prize—Best essay or thesis, political theory

2019 – Liesel-Helene Nieuwoudt
2021 – Meg Lamb and Simon Wood
2022 – Logan Pryde and Sophie Wynn
2023 – Meredith Ross-James

Roderic Alley Prize—Best essay or thesis, human rights

2004 – Jessica Tully
2005 – Daniel Turton
2006 – Jessie Barwick
2007 – Amelia Keene
2008 – Toni Passmore
2009 – Daniel Jackson and Armando Neris
2010 – Jenny Ombler
2011 – Jenny Ombler
2012 – Sophie Yeoman
2013 – Chloe Stewart
2014 – Jessica Moore
2016 – Victoria Thomson
2017 – Sarah Martin
2018 – Sarah Bradley and Kathleen Robertson
2019 – Nopera Dennis-McCarthy
2020 – Gemma Coutts and Elena Pihera
2021 – Ruby Lawrence
2022 – Jay Adams
2023 – Jamie Harper and Toby West

Toorpaki Ulfat Human Rights Prize—Best student, undergraduate course in human rights (INTP 363)

2022 – Lana Stevenson
2023 – Anya Donohue

Jeya Wilson Prize—Best essay or thesis, race relations

1999 – Anthony Shome
2000 – Iris Hutchinson and Antonia Reid
2001 – Karen Robertson
2002 – Eve Fevrier
2003 – Terence Green
2004 – Anita Williams
2005 – Charlotte Smith
2006 – Jacob Quinn
2007 – Georgina Rood
2008 – Helene Coulson
2009 – Luke Roughton
2010 – Matthew Castle
2011 – Paul Comrie-Thomson and Harriette Richards
2012 – Amelia Guy-Meakin
2013 – Nataly Noguer Blue
2014 – Sarah Ramazan Mahalli and Miles Sutton
2015 – David Alsop and Emma Crayton-Brown
2016 – Emma Stilwell
2017 – Sachithra Sajeevi Rathnayaka Herath
2018 – Finn Charlton
2019 – Nilanka Fonseka
2020 – Aornanshe Shamoon
2021 – Logan Byrne
2022 – Heather Pickard
2023 – Tess Mortimer

Margaret Clark Prize—Best Honours essay, New Zealand politics

2012 – Aysser Al-Janabi
2013 – David Alsop
2014 – Rosemary Judd
2015 – Samuel Crawley
2016 – Sophie Reid
2017 – Callum Gill
2018 – Awhina Milne
2019 – Sarah Miller
2020 – Zara Collinson
2021 – Hannah Gwillim and Rachael White
2022 – Anna-Grace Somerfield and Sophie Wynn
2023 – Milla Batten

Jonathan Hunt Memorial Prize (formerly the Speaker’s Prize)

2002 – Clodagh Richardson
2003 – Alexandra Grace
2004 – Tara Morton
2005 – Adam Ladley
2006 – Gareth Richards
2007 – Raukura Spindler
2008 – Steven Barnes
2009 – Katherine McKenzie
2010 – Hannah Blumhardt  
2011 – Lara Penman
2012 – Michaela Heron
2013 – Haley Mortimer
2014 – Dylan Chambers
2015 – Salote Talagi
2016 – Brodie Fraser and Thomas Raethel
2017 – Hamish Clark
2018 – Thaddaeus Cobb
2019 – Jordan Allison and Hannah Milner
2020 – Campbell Garrett and Bonnie Hayvice
2021 – James Coad and Meg Lamb
2022 – Anna Heath and Rowan Selwood-Eyles
2023 – Theodore Burnard

New Zealand B&P Trust Prize—Best Postgraduate essay, Parliamentary studies

2010 – Jessica Booker and Eileen Moughan
2011 – Jack Georgieff and Kirsten Mander
2012 – Mary Davies-Colley and Laura de Haan
2013 – Alexis Harris and Natalie White
2014 – Catherine Kan-Shaw and Nicola Yong
2015 – Caleb Dawson-Swale and Samantha Lassen
2016 – Holly Blackler and Emma Burge
2017 – Rebekka Evans and Karishma Patel