Mara Ostfeld, assistant professor of political science, has won the Midwest Political Science Association's (MPSA) Lucius Barker Award for her paper, ”The New Racial Realignment: Democratic Appeals to Latinos and White Support for the Democratic Party.” The Lucius Barker Award is given to the best paper on a topic investigating race or ethnicity and politics and honoring the spirit and work of Professor Barker.

Professor Ostfeld's research broadly focuses on the relationship between race, media and political attitudes.