In 1994 the National Science Foundation awarded a five year grant to UC Irvine to develop a graduate training program on democracy and democratization. When the NSF grant finished, community and business leaders in Southern California provided new funds to support Democracy Fellows.
The students from this program are establishing new careers as university faculty at Arizona State University, Colgate University, Hunter College, the University of Washington, Weslyan, and other campuses. Other students have positions as polling experts, federal court clerks, the federal government, or in private consultancy.
Fellows by Class
Fall 2018
Melina Much
B.A. Political Science and Economics, Francis Marion University.
Interests: Political Behavior with an emphasis on women’s political participation.
Michael Spitz
B.A. Political Science, California State University, Fullerton.
Interests: Comparative Politics, Democracy Studies, Mexico Border.
Fall 2017
Kaylin Bourdon (B.A., University of San Diego) Interests: Political Sociology
Fall 2016
Maneesh Arora (B.A., University of Oregon) Interests: Race and ethnicity, public opinion, and political behavior
Jessica Callahan (B.A., Tulane University) Interests: Social movements, sexuality, and family
Nathan Chan (B.A., University of California, Los Angeles) Interests: Race and ethnicity politics and American and comparative political behavior. I am particularly interested in studying political participation of Asian Americans as well as political protest and democratization in Hong Kong.
Sofia Pedroza (B.A., Sofia Pedroza) Interests: Political sociology, sociology of law, democracy, and reproductive rights
Fall 2015
Lauren Anderson
(University of Georgia, BA International Affairs)
Interests: Political Sociology, Culture and Equality
Colin Bernatzky
(Vassar College, BA Sociology and Religion)
Interests: culture and social movements
Fall 2014
Jennifer Garcia
(UC Berkeley, BA Political Science, and UC Irvine, MA Political Science)
Interests: American politics and race and ethnic politics. Racial and ethnic representation
in American political institutions (not pictured)
Robert Nyenhuis
(University of Missouri, BA Political Science, UC Irvine, MA Political Science)
Interests: Electoral choice in democratizing nations, the role of political parties
in developing democracies, and institutional development and democratization
Fall 2013
Kathryn Hoban
(BA, Psychology and Peace Conflict Studies, UC Berkeley, AM, Social Service Adminstration,
University of Chicago)
Interest: Social Movements, Political Sociology, Group Process, and Organizational
Theory
Megan Brooker
(BA, Anthropology, Haverford Colleg, MPA, Public Affairs, Washington State University)
Interests: Social Movements, Social Change, Political Sociology, Participatory Democracy
Jason Mueller
(BA, Political Science & Sociology, Stony Brook University)
Interests: Global political economy, development, contentious politics, political
violence, historical and comparative methods, Sub-Saharan Africa
Fall 2012
Burrel Vann Jr.
(B.A., California State University, Fullerton, 2010, M.A. California State University,
Fullerton, 2012)
Interests: Social Movements, Political Sociology, Statistics, Social Networks
Lila P. Kooklan
(B.A., University of California, Irvine, 2009)
Interests: Race/Ethnicity in American politics, Middle Eastern diasporas, racialization,
political participation, incorporation, democratization, media and politics
Fall 2011
Anna Tan
(B.A., York University)
Interests: political sociology, social movements
Eulalie Jean Laschever
(B.A., Pacific University)
Interests: social movements, media, culture, political sociology
Katelyn Finley
(B.A., Washington and Lee University)
Interests: democracy studies
Fall 2010
Ralph Ittonen Hosoki
(B.A., Carleton College, M.A., University of Tokyo)
Interests: Labor unions and workers' movements, immigration and citizenship, Japan
Dana Marie Moss
(B.A., Loyola College, Maryland: M.A., Villanova University)
Interests: Sociology of religion, social movements and collective action, ethnic conflict,
Yemen
Neil Chaturvedi
(B.A., UC Riverside)
Interests: American politics, political behavior, public opinion, elections, public
choice
Ryan Shirah
(B.A., University of Georgia, M.A., Florida State)
Interests: Comparative Politics, mass political behavior, formal theory, democratization
Daisy Reyes
(B.A., UC Santa Barbara, M.A., UC Irvine)
Interests: Social Movements; political sociology; race, class, and sexuality; latino
politics; education; qualitative methodologies
Fall 2009
Kenneth Chaiprasert
(B.A., University of California, Los Angeles; J.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Interests: Comparative politics and democracy studies
Beth Gardner
(B.A., New York University)
Interests: Social movements, inequality, urban sociology
Henry Hail
(B.A., Boston College)
Interests: Social movements and culture
Danvy Le
(B.A., California State University, Fresno)
Interests: Immigration, race and ethnicity, political participation
FALL 2008
Yiyang Hu (B.A., Hangzhou Dianzi University): Public opinion, Chinese Poitics Politic.al support,
and International Political Economy.
Peter Miller (B.A., Reed College): American Politics, Comparative Politics.
Kathy Rim (B.A., University of Californa, Irvine; M.A., University of California, Los Angeles):
Racial/Ethnic Politics, Asian American Political Behavior, Immigrant Political Incorporation.
Benjamin Thomas (B.A., University of Calfornia, San Diego): Environmental politics and policy, political
economy.
FALL 2007
Seth Alexander (B.A., University of Redlands) Democratization, political change, and enduring authoritarianism.
Moon-Young Choi(B.A., University of Californa, Los Angeles): Race/Ethnic Politics. Immigration Policy.
(Not Pictured)
Sharmaine Jackson (B.A., University of Colorado at Boulder; J.D., Rutgers School of Law – Newark): Political
sociology, public policy, globalization, human rights, international law and crime.
Alice Motes (B.A., Smith College): Political sociology, social movements, religion, and identity.
Dana Nakano (B.A. & B.A.S., University of Pennsylvania; M.A., San Francisco State University):
Political sociology, social movements, race and ethnicity, Asian American studies
Fatima Rahman (B.A., UC San Diego; MA, University of Californa, Riverside): Islam and democracy,
democratization in the Islamic world, religion and politics, Southwest Asia.
Elizabeth Sowers (B.A., UC Santa Barbara; M.A., University of Cambridge, UK): Globalization, labor,
economic sociology, political economy.
FALL 2006
Amy Alexander (B.A., M.A., California State University) Women and Politics, Comparative Development,
Comparative Institutions, Comparative Legislative Behavior, Social Values.
Jerry Benzl (B.A., UC Berkeley): International Economics, Political Economy, Conflict Theory,
Law and Economics. (not pictured)
Kristine Coulter (B.A., University of Minnesota): Gender, Race and Ethnic Politics
Gregory Ferenstein (B.A., UC Santa Cruz): Democracy Studies, Democratic Institutions
Karl Kruse (B.A., TCU): Northeast Asia, International Relations, Domestic Coalitions
Jared Olesen (B.A., Illinois State University): Globalization, Collective Action, and the Socio-political
Consequences of Global Justice Groups
Michelle Peria (B.A., University of Washington): Political Sociology, Ethnography, Social Movements,
Mass Media and Politics
Kimberly Shella (B.A., Oberlin College, A.M. University of Chicago, M.A. Columbia University): Democracy
Studies, Race and Ethnic Politics
FALL 2005
Lorien Jasny (B.A., Columbia University): Social Networks, Mathematical Sociology, Political Sociology,
Social Movements and Organizations.
Reuben Kline (B.A., Hiram College): Public Choice, Comparative Politics, Electoral Systems, Federalism
and Political Accountability.
FALL 2004
William Chiu (B.A., UC Berkeley): comparative politics, democratization.
Jill Harper (B.A., Michigan State University): comparative politics, international relations,
democratization.
Hsin-Yeh Hsieh (B.A., National Taiwan University): East Asian politics, electoral systems, democratization
in East Asia, International Political Economy.
Willi Jou (B.A., UC San Diego): European union, international relations.
Chris Stout (B.A., UC Riverside): American politics, minority political behavior.
FALL 2003
Matthew Cardinale (B.A., Tulane University)
John Ensch (B.A., UC Davis): comparative politics, empirical democratic theory, international
relations.
Bryan Leifer (B.A., UC Berkeley)
Adam Martin (B.A., Cal Lutheran): American & comparative politics.
Kelly Ramsey (B.A., University of Nebraska): political sociology, international democratization
processes
Catherine Corrigall-Brown (B.A., University of Ontario): political sociology, participation, and youth.
Natalie Masuoka (B.A., California State University): minority politics, Asian American grassroots mobilization, and political participation.
Alix van Sickle (B.A., San Diego State University): civil society & democracy, Latin American politics, comparative politics.
FALL 2001
Matt Barreto (B.A., University of New Mexico)
Nhu-Ngoc Ong (B.A., California State University, Fullerton): democratization process, Asian values
debate, socio-political attitudes, Vietnamese-American politics, and the World Values Survey in Vietnam.
Bogdan Radu (B.A., University of Bucharest, Romania): democratization, public opinion, Eastern
Europe & Romania.
FALL 2000
Bruce Hemmer (B.A., University of Virginia): political culture, democratization, ethnic conflict,
civil society, democracy & diversity within associations.
Michael Jensen (B.A., University of Iowa): internet politics, democratic theory, and the history
of the discipline.
Susan Kupperstein (B.A., UC San Diego): democratization in developing countries, African politics &
foreign policy.
Michael Latner (B.A., California State University): American and Comparative Political Institutions,
Political Geography, Urban Politics.
Lindsey Lupo (B.A., UC Santa Barbara): American & comparative politics, political violence, &
political institutions.
FALL 1999
Erik Faleski (B.A., SUNY Binghamton)
Steve Plette (B.A., UC Irvine): participation in community-level political activities, American
electoral politics.
Deana Rohlinger (B.A., California State University)
FALL 1998
Andrew Drummond (B.A., Indiana University)
Interests: political parties & electoral systems, political behavior & attitudes,
representation & democratic theory.
Sharon Lean (B.A., Brown University)
Michael J. Struett (B.A., U.C. Berkeley)
Interests: international relations, East Asian Politics (not pictured)
Steve Weldon (B.A., Wittenberg College)
Interests: political parties, German & European politics, comparative immigration
and ethnicity issues.
FALL 1997
Greg Gardner (B.A., UCLA)
Steve Recchia (B.A., University of Michigan)
David McKey (B.A., Austin College)
FALL 1996
Brian Adams (B.A., University of Southern California)(not pictured)
Lawrence Fan (B.A., California State University)
Randall Gibbs (B.A., Brigham Young)
Marcus Harper (B.A., Texas A&M University)
FALL 1995
Miki Caul (B.A., Arizona State University)
Rachel Cichowski (B.A., UC San Diego)
Mark Gray (B.A., UCLA)(not pictured)
Debbie Kaplan (B.A., Union College)
Lina Newton (B.A., Wesslyn College)
Anthony Salvanto (B.A., Tufts University)