Political Science Professor Sue Hulett Wins Caterpillar Faculty Award

Knox College political science professor L. Sue Hulett has been honored with the 2011 Caterpillar Faculty Achievement Award.

The award, which recognizes extraordinary accomplishment in teaching, research or creative activity, was presented at the College's 2011 commencement exercises on June 4 by Brett Tilly '95, a political science graduate of Knox, former Knox trustee and an executive in Enterprise Risk Management at Caterpillar Inc.

In his citation, Tilly stated that "Knox College has benefited substantially from Sue Hulett's sustained excellence in the classroom and scholarship in her discipline."

From the award citation:

Throughout her 30 years on the Knox faculty Sue Hulett has been one of the college's premier teachers and scholars. She has taught a broad range of courses in her department, including international relations, contemporary U.S. foreign policy, and religion and politics. Professor Hulett received the college's distinguished teaching prize in 1994. Her students respect her intellect and her teaching ability.

Professor Hulett's scholarship has included editing a respected volume, 'Christianity and Modern Politics,' and authoring two additional books in the area of international relations and foreign policy. She has published more than a dozen articles in scholarly journals, including most recently several works that address her continuing interest in religion and spirituality among American college students. An active participant in scholarly conferences, she is often in demand as a speaker at service clubs and for regional news media.

Equally important, Professor Hulett's expertise and sense of service have been called upon repeatedly by her colleagues to help the College. She has been a member of many faculty committees and key search committees. She has been particularly active in athletics, serving as Knox's faculty representative to the Midwest Athletic Conference. And she has served long and effectively as faculty advisor to the political science honor society, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Award winners are selected by the College's Faculty Personnel Committee. The winner also receives a cash stipend from the Caterpillar Foundation.

A member of the Knox faculty since 1980, Hulett is the Rik and Sophia Henke Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Political Science and International Relations. She earned A.B, A.M. and Ph.D. degrees in political science at the University of Southern California. In 2009, Hulett received an award from Pi Sigma Alpha for her leadership of the college's chapter of the political science honor society.

Founded in 1837, Knox is a national liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois, with students from 48 states and 51 countries. Knox's "Old Main" is a National Historic Landmark and the only building remaining from the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates.