2019 APSA RBSI Applications Due January 18th – Meet RBSI Scholar Vanessa A. Navarro Rodriguez

Apply for the APSA 2019 Ralph Bunche Summer Institute (RBSI) by January 18th

Vanessa A. Navarro Rodriguez is a senior studying government at Cornell University and is interested in American politics and its effects on marginalized communities. She has spent over two years working with Dr. Jamila Michener, in Cornell’s government department, on various projects like researching federal laws regarding civil legal aid and conducting a policy analysis for the city of St. Petersburg, Florida. Following her research on civil legal aid, Vanessa spent a semester in Washington D.C., interning in the government relations department of the Legal Services Corporation, a congressionally funded non-profit. During this time Vanessa worked on the budget request for fiscal year 2019 and also drafted memos on the importance of civil legal aid. Vanessa plans to write her senior thesis on sexual violence in universities and the role of race in the outcome of the accusations. Aside from her research experience, she also serves on Cornell’s Presidential Task Force, where she is contributing to creating a more inclusive and diverse institution. Vanessa aspires to become a scholar and understand the limits and functions of the law in protecting marginalized populations in the United States. 

About the RBSI Program
The RBSI is an annual, intensive five-week program held at Duke University. It is designed to introduce to the world of doctoral study in political science those undergraduate students from under-represented racial and ethnic groups or those interested in broadening participation in political science and pursuing scholarship on issues affecting under-represented groups or issues of indigenous politics, sovereignty, or governance. Participants in the RBSI are drawn from a competitive national applicant pool. The RBSI Selection Committee reviews applications and makes decisions during the month of February. The 2019 program will be held from May 26 to June 27, 2019 at Duke University. Questions can be directed to Annalisa Dias-Mandoly at adiasmandoly@apsanet.org.

Submit your application here. Applications are due January 18, 2019.