Barbara Sinclair Lecture  

Nominations for the 2024 APSA Awards have now closed.

The Barbara Sinclair Lecture recognizes achievement in promoting understanding of the U.S. Congress and legislative politics.

The award commemorates the life and scholarship of renowned scholar of legislative politics, Barbara Sinclair. Barbara Sinclair taught at the University of California, Riverside, and University of California, Los Angeles, and was a member of the 1978-1979 class of APSA Congressional Fellows. She served her fellowship placement with House Majority Leader Jim Wright of Texas. She published the seminal work Majority Leadership in the U.S. House after her fellowship year and authored landmark studies of Congress throughout her career. Dr. Sinclair left a lasting mark not only for her scholarship but also for her service to the discipline. She was a dedicated mentor to new groups of scholars and served for many years as a member of the Congressional Fellowship Program Advisory Committee.

Each year a speaker is selected to deliver the Barbara Sinclair Lecture, held at American University during the orientation of the Congressional Fellowship Program. The lecture brings together scholars, members of the Congressional Fellowship Program community, students, and practitioners in the DC area to honor Dr. Sinclair. The lecture is co-supported by the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at the American University School of Public Affairs.

Nomination Information

• Eligibility: Self-nominations are accepted. Nominees do not have to be members of APSA, affiliated with an institution in the United States, or an American citizen in order to be considered for the Lecture.