Elysia Couvertier is an undergraduate political science student at Texas A&M University whose research examines Puerto Rican political identity, diaspora politics, and the political status of U.S. territories. She authored “A Nation’s Choice,” an IRB-approved survey project exploring how birthplace and migration shape Puerto Ricans’ preferences regarding self-determination and political status. As a Japanese-Puerto Rican woman, she is committed to exploring the complexities of racial and ethnic structure in relation to political behavior, with a particular interest in intersectionality within multiracial identities. She is also a coauthor on a paper examining the relationship between civic engagement and health for Native Hawaiians, using sovereignty as a mechanism for understanding Hawaiian well being. She has since presented her work at various conferences and competitions, including WPSA. Elysia plans to pursue a PhD in political science, with the long-term goal of conducting publicly engaged research that elevates underrepresented communities and informs equitable policy.
The APSA Diversity Fellowship Program, formerly the Minority Fellowship Program, was established in 1969 as a fellowship competition to diversify the political science profession. The DFP provides support to students applying to, or in the early stages of, a PhD program in political science. APSA has once again awarded a new cycle to provide support for students currently in the process of applying to political science PhD programs for Fall 2026. Please join us in congratulating the 2026-2027 class of fellows.