Professor Kelly Patterson wins Political Science Professor of the Year
202-2024 Political Science Professor of the Year
Every year political science students cast a vote for Professor of the Year, and this year’s winner is Professor Kelly Patterson. Professor Patterson, who has worked at in the Department of Political Science at BYU since 1993, teaches several courses on American politics, including POLI 210 Principles of American Politics and POLI 461 The Federalist Papers. In addition, Dr. Patterson teaches POLI 465 Philosophy of Social Science. Many students outside the department are also fortunate to take classes from Professor Patterson, when enrolled in American Heritage with team teachers Professors Patterson and Karpowitz. Professor Patterson has served as the Political Science department chair, associate dean for the College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences, and director for the BYU Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy (CSED).
While his leadership roles in the department and college have benefited the students indirectly, the year, students nominated Professor Patterson because he is “engaging,” “energetic,” and “passionate about the subjects he teaches.” Although he teaches classes covering subject matter, one student identified him as “the master of teaching engaging lectures and has a great balance of difficulty and understanding.”
In addition to his skill as a lecturer and teacher, students praise him because he is “kind,” “caring,” and “gives individual attention to his students [and] wants what is best for them.” Professor Patterson “always uplifts his students and the students he employs. You can tell he wants you to succeed, and he will always help you reach those goals!”
While it may be hard to summarize all the qualities that make Professor Patterson the students’ choice for “Professor of the Year,” one student did it well by saying that “he is the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time).” We could not agree more! Congratulations Professor Kelly Patterson on winning 2023/2024 Political Science Professor of the Year.
While his leadership roles in the department and college have benefited the students indirectly, the year, students nominated Professor Patterson because he is “engaging,” “energetic,” and “passionate about the subjects he teaches.” Although he teaches classes covering subject matter, one student identified him as “the master of teaching engaging lectures and has a great balance of difficulty and understanding.”
In addition to his skill as a lecturer and teacher, students praise him because he is “kind,” “caring,” and “gives individual attention to his students [and] wants what is best for them.” Professor Patterson “always uplifts his students and the students he employs. You can tell he wants you to succeed, and he will always help you reach those goals!”
While it may be hard to summarize all the qualities that make Professor Patterson the students’ choice for “Professor of the Year,” one student did it well by saying that “he is the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time).” We could not agree more! Congratulations Professor Kelly Patterson on winning 2023/2024 Political Science Professor of the Year.