By Stephanie Schupska
Maryann Gallagher, senior lecturer in the School of Public and International Affairs and director of the Richard B. Russell Security Leadership Program, was honored with the Morehead/Bullock Outstanding Honors Faculty Award and delivered the keynote at the 2026 CURO Symposium.
When Maryann Gallagher stepped onto the stage at the Classic Center to give the keynote talk for the 2026 CURO Symposium, it was the second time she had done so for an event hosted by the Morehead Honors College. On March 31, she was honored with the Morehead/Bullock Outstanding Honors Faculty Award at the Honors Graduation Banquet. Less than a month later, on April 20, she spoke on the value of undergraduate research to a room of undergraduates, their faculty mentors, and University of Georgia administrators.
Her work with undergraduates is extensive: She mentors students in her classes and as the director of the Richard B. Russell Security Leadership Program at the Benson-Bertsch Center for International Trade and Security. She is a senior lecturer in the School of Public and International Affairs, or SPIA, and an affiliate faculty member in the Institute for Women’s Studies.
Dr. Gallagher’s research and teaching interests include American foreign policy, gender in international relations, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. She teaches upper-level courses and a first-semester practicum course and supervises the research semester for students in the Security Leadership Program. On April 24, she was busy with her own research event as the faculty organizer of SPIA’s annual Undergraduate Research Colloquium. This all-day event celebrates the research experiences of SPIA’s outstanding undergraduate students and the faculty who facilitate their work. Below, we take a peek into her life as a faculty member and learn about what makes her connection to the Honors College so special.
What does your typical workday look like?
The focus of the day really depends on the day of the week, but one constant is responding to lots of emails. On teaching days, I teach three courses: the two Security Leadership Program courses and a large section of another international affairs course. On non-teaching days I have office hours and meetings with students to discuss everything from their research to career planning. I also have weekly meetings with my peer learning assistants, with students in the Women, Peace, and Security Local Diplomacy Lab, CURO students, and with the staff at the Benson-Bertsch Center for International Trade and Security. Excitingly, I just started in UGA’s inaugural cohort of Creative Engagement Wing Fellows, where I’ll be developing ways to include podcasting in my courses, and that meets most Fridays. In between, there’s lots of other meetings, writing letters of recommendation, grading assignments, prepping classes, and hopefully getting to do a few hours of research.
What has been a favorite memory of working with Honors students and/or with CURO students?
It’s hard to pick just one as there have been so many wonderful memories, from seeing CURO students present their research to so many inspiring discussions in my Honors women and world politics courses. But if I could pick two (cheating just a bit), the first is the reunion celebrations I’ve had with students from the Honors women and world politics course. We had a gathering of several cohorts at my house back in 2018, and the 2021 group had a reunion on campus. The mix of the small class size and the topic of the course often leads to students developing a bond that goes beyond the typical class. My second favorite memory is conducting interviews with prosecutors and investigators at the international courts in The Hague with my CURO student and co-author, Zoe Li, a Foundation Fellow who graduated in 2019.
What comes to mind when you think about the Morehead Honors College?
CURO! While I know the Morehead Honors College does so much more, the impact of the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO) is profound and felt across campus. I spend time in all my courses sharing how remarkable UGA is because of its commitment to undergraduate research, and CURO is the heart of that. The program supports undergraduate research with time through course credit, mentorship through faculty, and money through research awards.
How do you think Honors has strengthened the University of Georgia?
Honors does so much for the entire UGA student body and alumni, not just Honors students! From CURO research, which is open to all students, to the wonderful people in Honors who support all students and alumni in the competitive awards and scholarships process. The opportunities created by the Morehead Honors College support the success and development of all students on campus.
How has Honors enriched your work as a faculty member?
Honors has given me a way to foster undergraduate research through CURO that has been enormously rewarding. I have been able to work closely with students and see them develop their voices as scholars. It has also supported my professional development by fostering coauthor relationships with my CURO students.
