COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO --  Dr. James A. Null, a 30-year member of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs faculty is a recipient of the Thomas Jefferson Award, one of the highest honors bestowed by the university.

Jim Null, a professor of political science at the university since 1970, was selected by a university-wide committee of faculty, staff and students based on his personification of the values embodied by Jefferson, the third U.S. President and one of the authors of the Constitution. These values include commitment to democratic principles, pursuit of a well-rounded intellectual life, civic responsibility and a profound commitment to the welfare and rights of individuals.

“I am extremely pleased to receive the award,” Null said.  “Because I teach political science and American political theory this award and its namesake is especially meaningful. My selection for this award is symbolically a culminating experience of my career at CU.  Given the stature of the previous recipients' of the award I am humbled by the committee's selection of me for this honor.”

Null was nominated for the award by the late Robert S. Lorch, professor, Political Science. Before his death, Lorch wrote of Null’s commitment to Jefferson’s ideals and lauded his tenure in a variety of campus and community roles.

“Many of the programs he developed during his 18 years as dean of the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences were in literature, arts and sciences, and public affairs,” Lorch wrote. “Furthermore, we have all witnessed his deep involvement in public affairs, and in the cultural life of the Colorado Springs community during his service as a member of the city council.”

CU-Colorado Springs Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak said: “Dr. Null is a humanist and someone who cares about every student at CU-Colorado Springs as well as every member of the Greater Colorado Springs community. His actions over the last quarter-century on campus, in the community, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, demonstrate his commitment to the public good.”

After earning a PhD in government from the University of Arizona, Null joined the CU-Colorado Springs faculty. He has held leadership positions in the Graduate School of Public Affairs, and from 1977 to 1995 was dean of the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. Additionally, Null was associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and supervisor for the Center for Community Design and Development. Since 2001, he has directed the Center for the Study of Government and the Individual. Null was instrumental in developing the Gallery of Contemporary Art on campus as well as a summer Shakespeare Theater Program in addition to many other programs.

In the community, Null serves on the board of trustees for the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, the Pikes Peak Area Council of Government Board of Directors, Colorado Municipal League’s Executive Board, the El Paso County Criminal Justice Advisory Council and the Pikes Peak Mental Health Center. In 1997, he was elected to a four-year term on the Colorado Springs City Council. He was reelected in 2001. He resigned his seat to campaign for mayor.

The Thomas Jefferson award was first established at the University of Virginia in 1951 by the Robert Earl McConnell Foundation to honor teaching faculty who exemplified the humanistic ideals associated with the country’s third president. By 1962, six other institutions had established a Jefferson Award, including CU. Funds for the awards are derived from earnings on an endowment provided by the McConnell Foundation and from a bequest by Harrison Blair, a CU alumnus.

Margo Baker, Associate Director
University Relations
CU-Colorado Springs
(719) 262-3832