Michael Strawbridge’19 has been named a 2018 APSA Ralph Bunche Summer Institute Scholar. Named in honor of the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize winner, former American Political Science Association president, and the first African American to receive a PhD in political science, Dr. Ralph J. Bunche, the program accepts 20 students each summer.

Michael joins 14 other scholars in the two-month program at Duke University in Durham, N.C. Students will enroll in two courses and complete an independent research paper as Bunche Scholars.

The political science and media studies double major spent last summer researching the progress the city of Ferguson, Mo. has made since 2014 as a part of his research through the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program. He’s hoping to complete a similar research project this summer.

This summer also provides an interesting challenge—his first summer without balancing sports and academic life.

“I’ve never done school without sports,” says the two-sport athlete.

The track and field and football player says he’ll continue his workouts to prepare for football season, and the summer “off” will prepare him for graduate school.

Michael is the vice president of the Alpha Zeta chapter of the Sigma Chi fraternity and vice president of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee. After Beloit, he plans to pursue his doctorate in political science, teach at a collegiate level, and later run for political office.