William K. (Sandy) Muir, Jr. Leadership Award | Institute of Governmental Studies

The Muir Leadership Award, established in 2014, recognizes exemplary undergraduate students with a demonstrated commitment to public service. Applicants are nominated by the Political Science department. Recipients demonstrate a high level of academic distinction and are leaders on campus, in their communities or public affairs. Thanks to generous donations to the Muir Award endowment, winners each receive $2,500.

Read about past William K. Muir Jr. Leadership Award winners here.

Meet the 2024 Recipients

young latina woman smiling in white dress and blue and yellow UC Berkeley graduation stole with curly shoulder length hair young black man with an Afro wearing a blue t-shirt and an necklace with an Africa pendant

Congratulations to the 2024 recipients of the Muir Leadership Award: Mayra Lua Reyes ('24, left) and Mansour Taleb-Ahmed ('24, right). Both are Political Science majors, who are each passionate about public service and advocacy with a global impact at the intersections of immigration law and international relations.

Read more about Mayra Lua Reyes and Mansour Taleb-Ahmed.

Profile of William K. (Sandy) Muir, Jr.

Professor Muir taught in the Berkeley Political Science Department from 1968 through 1998 in the fields of American Politics and Constitutional Law. He received his B.A. (magna cum laude) and Ph.D. from Yale University and his J.D. from the University of Michigan. Before attending Yale he...Read more about Profile of William K. (Sandy) Muir, Jr.

Remembering Professor Muir

"Professor Muir was the highlight of my experience at Cal. He retired the year I graduated. I think about him often and owe a great deal to him for all that he taught me, both inside and outside the classroom. He was the best example of humanity and no doubt inspired legions of students to be public interest minded. He was classy, eloquent and sharp. His classes were the most academically challenging and yet accessible to students like me who came from disadvantaged backgrounds. I took nearly all of his Poli Sci classes.

Thank you for creating an award in his honor so that he will not be forgotten."

— Duyen Nguyen

"Sadly, I never took a single course from the late William Ker (Sandy) Muir but (not sadly) he absolutely changed my life and how I live it."

— Brent Andrew (Read more from Cal alum Brent Andrew on the impact of Professor Muir's scholarship)