KU News Release

LAWRENCE — A doctoral student in political science has won the 2010 Roy D. and Betty Laird Essay Award.

Cody McLain Brown of Tulsa, Okla., won the $750 cash prize for his essay titled “Comrades in Crime: The Rise of the Balkan Mafia in the Former Yugoslavia.”

The Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies conducts the annual contest and awards the prize that includes a book of the winner’s choice and a certificate. In addition, the winner’s name is placed on a plaque outside the center’s office in Bailey Hall.

He presented his essay during the center’s May 4 brown bag luncheon.

Brown has received several Foreign Language Area Studies Fellowships for study of Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, as well as a Critical Languages Scholarship from the U.S. State Department for study of Arabic. His research interests include mobilization, social choice, ethnic conflict and foreign policy analysis in southeastern Europe and the Middle East.

He plans to focus his dissertation research of the ethnic conflict in the Balkans and Caucasus. Brown anticipates that part of his dissertation “may include aspects of how ethnic violence is connected with criminal networks and criminal enterprises, a topic touched on in my essay.”

Brown has a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University in New Orleans and an master’s degree in political science from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.

Edith W. Clowes, director of KU’s Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies, noted that Brown has given two brown bag lectures for the center this semester.

“Cody has actively participated in the center’s events and has organized a film series for south Slavic studies. We all join in congratulating Cody on all his fine work.”

Brown is married to Silvana Srdoc. He is the son of Paula Brown and Kerry Walsh and of Robertson and Jennifer Brown, all of Tulsa.

Now in its 16th year, the annual essay contest is named in memory of the late Roy D. Laird, a longtime member of the Russian and East European studies and political science faculties, and Betty Laird, who established the fund through KU Endowment.

KU Endowment is the independent, nonprofit foundation serving as the official fundraising and fund-management organization for KU. Founded in 1891, KU Endowment was the first foundation of its kind at a U.S. public university.