Monti Datta Receives the 2025 APSA Distinguished Teaching Award

The APSA Distinguished Teaching Award is presented annually by the American Political Science Association (APSA) to honor outstanding contributions to the undergraduate and graduate teaching of political science at two- and four-year institutions.   

Citation from the Award Committee:

This year’s Distinguished Teaching Award recipient is the University of Richmond’s Dr. Monti Datta, in recognition of his outstanding teaching career thus far.

The selection committee was impressed with Dr. Datta’s commitment to his students through his regular and enthusiastic participation in several student-centered programs at the University of Richmond. For example, Dr. Datta regularly teaches a course on human trafficking in Richmond’s Sophomore Scholars in Residence, or SSIR, program, which allows students to take innovative coursework and participate in cutting-edge undergraduate research while being a part of a living and learning community. Dr. Datta’s course on human trafficking pushes his students far outside their comfort zones, requiring them to engage with marginalized communities at home in Richmond, Virginia, and taking them further afield to places like civil rights landmarks in Alabama, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, and the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking in Los Angeles to make real to them just how widespread and pervasive human rights challenges are, even in the United States. One of his former students describes the experience of Dr. Datta’s human trafficking course, saying: “He taught us to think from a variety of perspectives that I would never have considered. The connections that he took advantage of to present the material in different forms to us was something that was very valuable to me and something that I will always remember.”

In addition to the SSRI program, Dr. Datta supports students with financial challenges to study abroad through the University of Richmond’s EnCompass program, and he incorporates support for mental health and well-being in his classes. He begins his classes with breathing exercises, which is part of his effort to “help find ways for students to deal with the growing amount of stress they face.” This practice has led to international recognition for his work to incorporate mindfulness and meditation with classroom pedagogy and has made a tangible impact on the well-being of the students in Dr. Datta’s classroom.

In short, as Dr. Datta’s nominator notes: “Dr. Datta has made a lifetime impact on many of his students…” This was apparent to the selection committee from his regular and consistent efforts to craft thought-provoking and creative experiences both inside and outside the classroom, from his extensive work to mentor undergraduate students—both as they arrive on campus as new students and as they progress through the political science major and become active and engaged researchers in their own right—and from his extensive efforts to provide holistic care for his students.

For all these reasons, the selection committee for the 2025 APSA Distinguished Teaching Award could not be more pleased to recognize Dr. Monti Datta.

Monti Narayan Datta is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Richmond. He teaches courses on international relations, research methods, human rights and modern slavery, and global perceptions of the United States. His teaching combines inclusive pedagogy and civic engagement to create classroom environments for students to grow as critical thinkers and global citizens.

Datta earned a B.A. in English Literature from UC Berkeley, an M.P.P. from Georgetown University, and a Ph.D. in Political Science from UC Davis. Deeply committed to international and experiential education, he has led University of Richmond students abroad through programs such as Encompass to Southeast Asia in 2019 and 2023.

A mindfulness practitioner, Datta teaches meditation to formerly incarcerated individuals in the Greater Richmond Area and develops campus programs that help students use meditation as a tool for stress reduction, well-being, and personal insight/wisdom. His research focuses on human trafficking, anti-Americanism, and international public opinion. He is the author of Anti-Americanism and the American World Order, and his current book project examines the geopolitical legacy of Japanese militarized enslavement, Cold War-era military prostitution, and state-sponsored trafficking in Korea.

In Fall 2025, Datta will receive the University of Richmond’s Distinguished Educator Award. He also serves as faculty advisor to the university’s Beta Xi chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, which was recognized nationally with a Best Chapter award in 2020.

APSA thanks the committee members for their service: Dr. Lauren Bell (Chair) of Randolph-Macon College, Dr. Kenneth Rodman of Colby College, and Dr. Matthew Wilson of the University of South Carolina