Political Science Prof. Lindsay Reid ’11 exemplifies the life-changing impact of Gettysburg’s faculty, empowering students through inspired teaching, powerful mentorship, and a commitment to shaping engaged global citizens.
Gettysburg College recognized Political Science Prof. Lindsay Reid ’11 as the 2025 recipient of the Dr. Ralph Cavaliere Endowed Teaching Award during Fall Honors Day on Friday, Oct. 24. The annual award celebrates excellence in undergraduate teaching—an honor that Reid, a Gettysburg alumna and dedicated scholar of peace and conflict, said is both humbling and deeply meaningful.
“It’s hard to put into words,” Reid reflected. “I’m deeply honored, but it’s still hard to believe. There are so many incredible teachers at Gettysburg who do so much for our students and do such innovative work in the classroom, and their awesome work inspires me to be better.”
This award is presented each year to a full-time Gettysburg College faculty member who exhibits excellence in teaching. The Student Senate selects the recipient of the award, named in honor of Biology Prof. Emeritus Ralph Cavaliere, who taught at Gettysburg for nearly 45 years.
Reid’s teaching and research center on questions of armed conflict, peace, and political violence, with a particular focus on policies that enhance peace within and between countries. Much of her recent scholarship explores the role of women in peacebuilding and peacemaking. She teaches a wide range of international relations courses, including U.S. Foreign Policy, Civil Wars and Political Violence, Global Conflict Management, and Women, War, and Peace. She will debut a new course this spring, Democratization and Backsliding.
Beyond campus, Reid remains an active contributor to global policy and academic dialogue. She is involved with the Council on Foreign Relations, the International Studies Association, and, notably, the Peace Science Society (International), an organization she credits with making her a better researcher and teacher.
Reid’s path to the front of the classroom began long before she earned her doctorate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As a first-generation undergraduate student at Gettysburg, she found mentors who helped shape both her academic interests and her aspirations. She cites Political Science Prof. Bruce Larson—a recent recipient of Gettysburg’s Distinguished Teaching Award—as the advisor who first convinced her she could thrive as a scholar. She also credits Political Science Professor and Chair Caroline Hartzell as a defining influence.
“From the day I met her, Professor Hartzell inspired me and shaped who I aspire to be as a teacher and scholar,” Reid reflected. “I would not do what I do or be who I am without her inspiration, mentorship, and friendship.”
Reid and Hartzell are currently collaborating on a book that examines how political power-sharing measures included in peace agreements shape women’s political empowerment in the aftermath of civil wars. They presented findings at the United Nations in September 2024 and recently traveled to Colombia to conduct in-person research.
Returning to teach at her alma mater has been one of the great privileges of her career. Teaching is a huge source of joy, she said, and being able to do it at a place like Gettysburg makes the work feel all the more meaningful as she helps shape the next generation of Gettysburgians.
“When I graduated in 2011, I never knew that my path would take me back to Gettysburg, but I always knew that I wanted to teach at an institution that centered its goals on undergraduate teaching and mentorship,” she said. “To pay forward the opportunities and mentorship I received to future generations of Gettysburgians is the coolest. I can’t imagine a better job.”
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By Corey Jewart
Photos by Abbey Frisco, Casey Martin Photography, and Lindsay Reid ’11
Posted: 11/21/25