The Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society inducted Montana Public Radio Senior News Analyst and former News Director Sally Mauk as an honorary member Thursday, April 11.
Mauk spent more than 30 years as the news director of Montana Public Radio and can still be heard as the host of Campaign Beat and Capitol Talk, MTPR’s weekly political analysis programs during Montana’s legislative sessions and campaign seasons.
Mauk was given honorary membership into the Iota Gamma Chapter of Phi Sigma Alpha alongside Mike Dennison, who spent three decades as a full-time political reporter in Helena.
“This is a lovely honor that I’m especially excited to share with my longtime friend and colleague Mike Dennison. Covering Montana politics for so many years has been a challenging and fascinating privilege.”
Mauk and Dennison were nominated to the society by Montana State University Political Science Department Head David Parker.
“We are recognizing two of democracy’s great defenders with honorary memberships in Phi Sigma Alpha who have kept Montanans informed for decades with their reporting national, state, and local politics here in Montana,” Parker said. “Without them, democracy’s light would shine much less bright here in the Big Sky.”
Parker said seven undergraduate students were also part of this year’s inductions.
Phi Sigma Alpha includes more than 300,000 members. According to the group, its rolls feature national, state, and local political leaders including one president, three Supreme Court Justices, and dozens of members of congress.
In addition of her work at Montana Public Radio, Mauk served as an adjunct instructor in the University of Montana School of Journalism, teaching broadcast writing and reporting. She also wrote a bi-monthly column for the Missoulian newspaper.
