Michael and Audrey Rubner Scholarship for International Studies

The Rubner Scholarship was created to advance the legacy of Professor Michael Rubner and his remarkable career at James Madison College. He joined the faculty in 1970 and was the “Policy Czar” for 15 years. He was a role model for diplomacy and teaching excellence. The College through the generosity of its students, alumni and friends created this endowed scholarship. Please review the scholarship purpose and description below then consider making your most generous gift to the Rubner Scholarship.

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Michael and Audrey Rubner Scholarship for International Studies

This scholarship honors Professor Michael Rubner, one of several founding faculty members in James Madison College. Michael Rubner, who was born in Mandate Palestine and immigrated to the U.S. with his family in the 1950s, arrived at the college in 1970 fresh from graduate study in Political Science at the University of California at Berkeley, including field study in Israel. Professor Rubner has had a long and distinguished faculty career in James Madison College, helped design the International Relations field in the 1970s, and, for many years, headed the Phi Beta Kappa chapter in the college. The scholarship also honors his wife Audrey, an important member of the extended family of James Madison College.

Professor Rubner is best known as the “Policy Czar” at James Madison, the college’s resident expert on the Israeli-Arab-Palestinian conflict, and a key faculty member teaching U.S. Foreign Policy. As head of the teaching team for the freshman “Policy” course, MC 200-202, during the 1970s-1980s, Professor Rubner played a major role shaping the “first year program” that introduced students to the college’s fields. Professor Rubner also taught regularly in the college about regional conflict in the Middle East, and his commanding grasp and balanced perspective on the history, politics, competing interests, and policy dilemmas involving Israel, its neighbors, and the Palestinian people helped many Madison students become sophisticated about a critical world region. Professor Rubner’s commentaries on Middle East issues on television and radio, and in print, also critically educated many in the mid-Michigan community. Finally, Professor Rubner taught several generations about the dilemmas of U.S. foreign policy-making in a regime of separated and divided powers, offered insights into the imperial American presidency during the Cold War, taught about U.S. bureaucratic politics, and more.

The Rubner scholarship will help sustain his legacy in James Madison College by offering support to an outstanding student in International Relations or other field engaged in international studies, with special emphases on the Middle East, U.S. foreign policy-making, or international security studies. Students in International Relations or similar fields of study at James Madison College are eligible to be nominated and considered for this scholarship. Students with clear interest in the Middle East, U.S. foreign policy-making, or in international security studies will be given preference in that priority order. The scholarship is intended to support coursework, study abroad, independent study, research, travel, internship, or related activity.

James Madison College will determine the type, size and amount of the award each year. The scholarship can be applied to regular tuition, research expenses, study abroad costs, internship expenses or other programs that involve appropriate study of international relations.

We invite you to join us in establishing this legacy for Michael and Audrey Rubner at James Madison College. Please consider making your most generous gift in support of the Michael and Audrey Rubner Scholarship for International Studies. We encourage you to make a multi-year pledge to help us build for the future. For further information please contact Rocky Beckett at the JMC Development Office.

James Madison College
Development Office
328 S Case Hall, MSU
East Lansing, MI 48825 (517) 432-2117
beckettr@msu.edu