M State faculty member, Mark Johnson, earns national political science award

M State Political Science and History Faculty Mark L. Johnson has been named the recipient of the 2026 American Political Science Association (APSA) Community College Faculty Award. The recognition was announced at the APSA’s annual meeting in Boston on August 18.

Presented annually, the award recognizes exemplary community college faculty members who have made significant contributions to teaching, scholarship and the profession. 

Johnson, who has taught at M State's Moorhead campus since 2003, was recognized for his longstanding leadership and advocacy on behalf of community college faculty within APSA. As an early leader in the association's Political Science Education section and co-chair of the APSA Committee on the Status of Community Colleges in the Profession, he has worked to expand participation, mentor emerging scholars and create leadership opportunities for community college educators.

In addition to his service, Johnson has contributed to curriculum development and open educational resources, including co-creating “A Casebook for Comparative Politics” and serving as lead editor of “Cases in Comparative Politics,” an open educational resource available through MinnState Pressbooks. He also served as program chair of APSA's Teaching and Learning Conference and as co-editor of the Journal of Political Science Education.

Johnson teaches political science, history and geography at M State. His academic interests include state legislatures, political geography, and local and regional studies of the Upper Midwest. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of North Dakota (UND), completed graduate studies at Louisiana State University, and earned a graduate certificate in Geographic Information Systems from UND.

Read more about the APSA and Johnson’s award at politicalsciencenow.com.