Akayla Henson (she/her/hers) is a second-year PhD student at the University of Illinois’ department of political science. Her research focuses on American politics, with particular interests in gender, representation, and race, ethnicity, and politics (REP). She is especially interested in how one’s identity shapes marginalized groups’ experiences and political behavior. Before attending the University of Illinois, Akayla graduated cum laude from Murray State University with a BA in political science. She is a proud alumna of the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program and Marvin D. Mills Scholarship Program at Murray State. While in the McNair Scholars Program, Akayla published research on substantive and descriptive representation with her advisor, Dr. Brittany Wood. Upon completing her doctoral studies, Akayla plans to pursue a career in academia where she can empower future generations inside and outside of academia.
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 their first or second year as of Spring 2025. Please join us in congratulating the 2025-2026 class of fellows.
- Learn more about DFP at https://apsanet.org/dfp
- Meet the 2025-2026 class of DFP Fellows