Lyn Crost Professor of Social Sciences, Professor of International and Public Affairs and Sociology Patrick Heller received the Graduate School's Faculty Award for Advising and Mentoring at the University Awards Ceremony on May 1, 2023.
Heller's nominators, all 18 of them, emphasized his genuine interest in their studies, his intense care and support for them as academics and people, and his patience and support as they worked through ideas and projects, and navigated academic challenges and pandemic disruptions.
Heller's main area of research is the comparative study of social inequality and democratic deepening.
Heller has advised projects on a wide range of topics, including gender and climate change action in Bangladesh and India, redistributive urban politics in Brazil and South Africa, democracy and state-building in India, China and Pakistan, American institutions in the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century, the historical trajectory of union and workers' movements in Tunisia, Bahrain, Egypt and other countries.
His ability to draw knowledge from a wide range of fields and frequent collaborations with researchers from other disciplines make him an exceptionally resourceful advisor, explained several of his nominators. They appreciated his help with securing and completing fieldwork, his thoughtful feedback on their writing, and his ability to encourage students to see the broader potential of their research.
"He patiently listened to ideas, read multiple drafts of different proposals and connected me with supportive networks. He invited me to attend workshops and mini-conferences that would be of use and help me build connections. And ultimately, when the pandemic began in 2020, he was very supportive as I had to adjust my plans repeatedly. During such a tumultuous time, having confidence and trust in your dissertation committee is absolutely essential to surviving a Ph.D. program," said Amanda Ball, a sociology Ph.D. candidate.
Rehan Rafay Jamil, who completed his Ph.D. in political science in 2022, shares, "Patrick has always exemplified what a mentor who centers graduate student wellbeing and success looks like. He has a gentle and non-hierarchical style and has always worked to build community in and outside the classroom. As an international student, I will never forget the numerous social events Patrick organized, with the aim to make students feel welcome and included."
In addition to individual advising, while serving as director of graduate studies and chair of sociology, Heller organized town halls, solicited graduate student feedback, and was always available to graduate students, regardless of his workload, his nominators shared.
"This award means so much to me because it is a testament to the many extraordinary graduate students I have been fortunate enough to work with," said Heller.