Mariam Al-khafaji graduated with her bachelor’s degree in political science in 2024 at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is primarily interested in comparative politics in the Middle East, specifically electoral outcomes and political participation. She is also interested in regime shifts within the Middle East region and how political leadership affects citizens. Mariam published a quantitative-based research paper using the Arab Barometer in her undergraduate department regarding the effects of low socioeconomic status on voter participation in three nation-states: Tunisia, Iraq, and Lebanon. She anticipates completing her master’s in public administration from VCU in May 2026. During her graduate studies, Mariam became an expert in both quantitative and qualitative research methods through her research fellowship site and continued to work on a paper incorporating survey methodology to help Arab American Muslim college students access proper mental health care.
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.