The University of Illinois system has awarded political science professor Adrianna Crocker its prestigious Presidential Fellowship, making her the first UIS faculty member to receive such an award.
Crocker, who studies the intersection of gender and Latin American politics, hopes to use the fellowship to partner with international universities, enhancing U of I’s reputation on a global stage.
“The U of I system has enormous potential in becoming one of the most sought after learning institutions by international students and scholars,” she said. “I am eager to work along the U of I administration, faculty, and students to further the university’s global recognition.”
Crocker studied law at the University of La Plata Argentina and received a Ph.D. from Northern Illinois University. In 2006, she joined the UIS faculty and teaches comparative politics and international relations courses. Her current research focuses on institutional mechanisms meant to increase the representation of women in Latin American politics.
Former student Dustin Cody said that Crocker’s guidance and teaching style was instrumental in his journey as an undergraduate.
“Her interest and understanding of the material that she teaches is only surpassed by the admiration and care that she provides to each of her students,” said Cody, who later taught alongside Crocker for her Model UN course in Spring of 2017. “Dr. Crocker cares not only about her students being academically successful, but strives to demonstrate the usefulness and necessity regarding the development of their own analysis for the world in which they live.”
The fellowship, instituted in 2015, is designed to fund faculty projects that further the U of I system’s goals.
“The Presidential Fellows Program was created to tap into the deep pool of faculty talent to help foster expand our system-wide service to students and the public good.,” said U of I President Timothy L. Killeen Killeen.
Fellows usually serve a one-year term and are expected to participate in service opportunities, often serving as members of the President’s Management Council.
Along with Dr. Hilary Frost-Kumpf in the Department of Global Studies, Crocker will also lead a handful of students on an international mission to Cuba. The group will meet public health practitioners and politicians as well as visit historic sites in and out of Havana to gain a deeper understanding of Cuba’s political and cultural landscape.