Ardrey, Gould join Political Science Hall of Fame

Saundra Curry Ardrey and Noel Gould joined an elite group of Furman graduates, professors and civic leaders Monday as they were inducted into the Political Science Hall of Fame in recognition of their significant contributions to the department.

Ardrey, a former political science professor at Furman from 1983-1988, and Gould, cofounder of the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation Voices of the Future program, were recognized by Furman professor Cleve Fraser for their many gifts to Furman, especially for their generosity in enriching students’ lives through education and experience.

“Saundra was a pioneer in the department,” said Department Chair Danielle Vinson. “She was not only the first African-American to be awarded tenure in the department, but she created Furman’s racial and ethnic politics course.”

Ardrey is now chair of the political science department and director of the African American studies at Western Kentucky University. She is also the only African-American department head at the university. Ardrey specializes in voting and electoral behavior, conducts research on the political participation of women and minorities and has made contributions to the extant literature through publications on the political beliefs and behavior of African-Americans. Her areas of expertise focus on the impact of race on politics and the role gender plays in vote choice and participation.

A graduate of Winston-Salem State University and Ohio State University, Ardrey served as president and as executive secretary of the Kentucky Political Science Association (the first African American to serve in both those positions) and she co-founded and co-directs the WKU Institute for Citizenship and Social Responsibility. She and her husband, William Ardrey, a trauma specialist with Inspire Medical Group, have two children, Chris and Lindsey.

“Noel was instrumental in bringing Furman in as a participant in APEC’s Voices of the Furman program in which Furman students and faculty are able to travel to the APEC international meeting each year where they interact with international leaders and students,” Vinson said.

After creating the APEC Voices of the Future program, Gould, a self-described “businessman with a scholar’s heart and mind,” soon invited the Richard W. Riley Institute and Furman students and educators to play a key role.

Since Furman joined the program in 2002, 50 Furman students have traveled to APEC summits around the world, to locations including Mexico, Chile, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore and Indonesia.

Gould is a graduate of University of California Berkeley Law School, the University of Southern California’s School of Public Administration, California State University Long Beach and Long Beach Community College. His work in government and politics includes serving as a senior aide to mayors, governors and United States senators. He and his wife, Annie H. Liu, continue to contribute to the leadership of the APEC Voices program and similar engaged learning initiatives in China.

The Hall of Fame was started in 1997 and welcomes new members every three years. Previous inductees include former professors Ernest Harrill and Jay Walters, and Furman graduates Jim Hamrick, Director of the Milliken Foundation; Sid Ulmer, author and pioneer in judicial behavior; Former Governor of South Carolina and Former Secretary of Education Richard Riley; and Furman graduates W. Randy Eaddy of Kilpatrick Stockton law firm and Jeanne Howard of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina.