
Best Honors Thesis
2022 Best Honors Thesis
Arya embedded herself with a grassroots organization in India to conduct interviews with migrant women related to COVID-19. Her advisor, faculty member Anirudh Krishna, wrote, “Arya wrote a masterful survey of the literature on itinerant migrants,” with immediately relevant policy solutions, and “conducted rigorous, grounded research during the worst of COVID-19.”
2021
Sophia Katz
2020
Tyler Kopp
2019 - Madison Ann Mastrangelo
2018 - Blaine Elias
2017 - Jessica Elisabeth Kalili Van Meir
2016 - Christie Marie Lawrence
2015 - Xinshu Sui
2014 - Caroline Michelle Jacobs
Joel Fleishman Distinguished Scholar Award
Recognizes the graduating major with the highest academic achievement in Public Policy Studies.
2022 Winner
Rebecca DiLuzio was named the Joel Fleishman Distinguished Scholar for highest academic achievement in public policy, named in honor of the public policy program’s founding director (pictured above). DiLuzio majored in Public Policy Studies and earned a certificate in Documentary Studies.
2021
Hannah Miao
2020
Hayden Lynn Manseau
2019 - Kushal Tushar Kadakia
2018 - Maura Elisabeth Smyles
2017 - Parker Colburn Gilbert and Jessica Elisabeth Kalili Van Meir
2016 - Matthew Allen Peterson
2015 - Reed Adam McGinley-Stempel
2014 - Michelle Christine Burrows, Li-Kuang Chen, Marissa Weil Medine, and Hong Zhu
Terry Sanford Leadership Award
Presented annually to a graduating major recognizing their achievement in leadership. Students are nominated by faculty and staff and voted on by the faculty committee.
2022
Shrey Majmudar
He’s a “once in a generation talent.”
2022
Olivia Reneau
She’s got “the kind of magic that we associate with people like Terry Sanford."
2021
Lauren Howell
2020
Kaylee Brilhart
2019
Shandiin Herrera
2018 - Adam Nicholas Beyer and Jacqueline Aram Monetta
2017 - Osasenaga Kelly Aghayere and Jessica Elisabeth Kalili Van Meir
2016 - Christie Marie Lawrence and John Anthony Sullivan
2015 - David Gregor Robertson and Ishan Yatin Thakore
2014 - Andrew Leon Hanna
Susan E. Tifft Teaching and Mentoring Award
This award is presented to a Sanford faculty member who has made outstanding contributions to the teaching mission of the undergraduate program and has a deep commitment to the intellectual, professional and personal development of undergraduate majors in public policy.
2022 Suzanne Katzenstein

2021
Professor Kristin Goss
2020
Professor Abdullah Antepli
2019 - Professor Deondra Rose
2018 - Professor Nicholas W. Carnes
2017 - Professor Catherine Adcock Admay and Professor Gunther W. Peck
2016 - Professor Kenneth S. Rogerson
2015 - Professor Jay A. Pearson
2014 - Professor Alma G. Blount
Undergraduate Speaker
Each year at the Public Policy graduation ceremony a senior makes a speech. The speech is often the highlight of the ceremony.
2022 Student Speaker
During his time at Duke, Kyle Melatti co-chaired of the American Grand Strategy Student Council, served in Duke Student Government, was a TK Fellow at the Kenan Institute for Ethics and a PEP fellow with Polis and the Hart Leadership Program.
“Majoring in public policy has made me feel like I am on the path of becoming the civil servant that I’ve always wanted to be,” he said.
2021
Aly Diaz
2020
Eric Biehn
2019 - Vanessa Agudelo
2018 - Amy Lynn Kramer
2017 - Steven Richard Brenner
2016 - Isabella Kwai
2015 - Vignesh Sapthagiri Krishnaswamy and Emily Catherine Hadley
2014 - Joy Chang Liu