The Political Science Department would like to congratulate Susan Clarke on receiving the 2017 Contribution to the Field of Urban Affairs Award. Graduate students from both the University of Colorado-Boulder and Northwestern University nominated Clarke, who feels honored by their gratitude. The award committee commends her in the following statement:
“Susan Clarke’s long record of scholarship has shaped the fields of urban politics and policy, especially in the areas of economic development and globalization, and urban governance and citizenship. Her work spans policy areas, ranging from education to transportation to homeland security to economic development to sustainability. Her books and articles demonstrate a compassion and respect for local practitioners and their efforts to puzzle through and respond to forces affecting cities that are beyond their control.
Throughout her career Susan has been an attentive and tireless mentor, pursuing her mission to train the next generation of scholars with as much commitment as she devoted to her own research agenda. Susan’s dedication to the field is further demonstrated by a career of service at her university, as coeditor of a major journal in urban affairs, Urban Affairs Review, and to the Urban Affairs Association. Susan has been a central actor in urban affairs for decades whose scholarship, mentoring and service will continue to influence the field for years to come.”
Previously, Clarke has received the 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Political Science Association (APSA) and the 2015 Ashoka U Cordes Innovation Award. The Susan E. Clarke Young Scholar Award, named after Clarke and created in 2016, seeks to honor students who have earned their PhD within the last three years, or have their ABD.
Since her retirement in 2014, Clarke has contributed to the efforts of the Jumpstart! initiative and written a book about Denver politics.
Her commitment to both education and political science is evident, and CU is grateful to have had her presence. Her recognition in these awards is only a small recompense for her service. In continuing the work she is passionate for, she sets an example for not only the CU community, but the global community too.