A longtime professor and founder of the Policy Studies Undergraduate Program at the Maxwell School has received the Chancellor’s Medal, the University’s highest honor awarded to individuals in recognition of their trailblazing and extraordinary contributions to the University, to an academic body of knowledge or to society.

Bill Coplin, professor of policy studies and Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor for Teaching Excellence, was honored at the One University Awards Ceremony held in Hendricks Chapel on April 11. The annual event recognizes members of the Syracuse University community who are making a difference through academics, scholarship, creative work and dedicated service.

In a video shown at the event, Chancellor Kent Syverud shared how he regularly meets with students, alumni and friends of the University all over the world, “in all walks of life and in all kinds of communities.”

“At almost every gathering for 12 years, a student or an alumnus from the past 50 years has come up to tell me that Bill Coplin’s teaching transformed their career,” he said. “This influence of this one teacher on thousands of students is amazing. He has made them more successful contributors and better citizens and people. And they know it, and they value it. I can’t think of a more meaningful legacy for a professor.”

Student Sarah Dias and alumna Deka Dancil Eysaman ’14 B.A. (PSt) also spoke in the video, sharing how Coplin encouraged them to seek out opportunities to better themselves and others.

“Coplin cares deeply about his students and is always willing to work with them, meet one on one with them, talk about their interests, what they want to do in the future, and ways they could actually put a plan in motion to work toward their goals,” said Dias.

Eysaman said Coplin was “the single most impactful part” of her Syracuse experience. She is now the assistant director for field organizing for the New York Civil Liberties Union.

Coplin has been recognized with numerous teaching honors, including the Meredith Professor of Teaching Excellence and the Chancellor’s Citation for Distinguished Service, and, at the 2020 One University Awards, he was celebrated for 50 years of service to the University. He has published more than 115 books and articles in the fields of international relations, public policy, political risk analysis, social science education, citizenship and community service; and has written extensively on the need to reform both high school and college education to better meet the needs of students who see education as a path to better employment opportunities. His course Public Affairs 101: Introduction to the Analysis of Public Policy has been taken by more than 40,000 University students and high school seniors through Syracuse University’s Project Advance Program.

Arguably, his most notable accomplishment, however, is the policy studies major, which he launched in 1977.

Coplin shared in the video that he feels very fortunate to be at Syracuse. “I help my students be what they want to be, but not what I want them to be,” he said. “That makes me feel good, that keeps me going.”

In addition to Coplin, other Maxwell School recognition at the One University Awards event included:

• Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence in Student Research: Abigail Greenfield, a history and political philosophy major and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program (undergraduate).
• Seinfeld Scholarship: Elizabeth Paulin, a senior sociology major.
• Meredith Teaching Recognition Award, Early Performance: Mark Brockway, assistant teaching professor of political science.
• University Scholars: Abigail Greenfield, history and political philosophy; Sierra Kaplan, political science.
• Student Marshals: Megan Edenfeld, economics and international relations (undergraduate); Christopher Bezdedeanu, master of public administration.