This past week, Dr. Mahmood Monshipouri was named College of Liberal Arts 2004 Scholar of the Year.

This is the first time such an award has been given at Quinnipiac University.

The College of Liberal Arts and other schools at Quinnipiac have each been asked to select a scholarly award winner, and Monshipouri is one of them.

Dr. Monshipouri is head of the political science department and has been teaching at Quinnipiac for the past 18 years.

He considers this a fantastic opportunity to celebrate scholarship on this campus.

Several students view Dr. Monshipouri as an amazing professor. Though his classes are challenging, he is believed to be one of the best at Quinnipiac.

Dr. Monshipouri believes research and teaching are interrelated and mutually reinforcing.

“I always bring fresh knowledge and new ideas from my research, paper presentation, and panel participation in whatever capacity (chair, presenter, or discussant) back to my students and share my new finding with them,” Monshipouri said.

“[I feel that Dr. Monshipouri is] always extremely insightful and an extremely eloquent speaker. He gives amazing lectures,” Ross Matray, senior, said.

“This award will set in motion a new move among our faculty to conduct research and consider themselves both student and teacher,” Monshipouri said.

Monshipouri feels deeply honored to represent the College of Liberal Arts.

He says he has always regarded himself equally as a student of the political science field.

“We are all part of the community of learners. Teaching alone is not going to cut it,” Monshipouri said.

“It is extremely apparent that Professor Monshipouri is not only inspired by his students and faculty alike but has a general love for what he does,” Sara Fisher, sophomore, said.

“I have only had the opportunity to take one class with him thus far, but I have learned a lot.”

Monshipouri is the author and editor of three books: “Constructing Human Rights in the Age of Globalization,” “Islamism, Secularism and Human Rights in the Middle East” and “Democratization, Liberalization and Human Rights in the Third World.”

Also, he has published more than 48 articles and book chapters in the last 12 years and has reviewed more than 43 books.

In addition to being chairman of political science, Monshipouri has chaired Quinnipiac’s Review Committee since 2001.

Dr. Monshipouri and other scholars receiving this award will be honored at a ceremony hosted by Kathleen McCourt, vice president for Academic Affairs, on April 14.