Meet DFP Spring Fellow, Alexandra Davis, University of California, Los Angeles

The APSA Diversity Fellows Program (DFP) is a fellowship competition for individuals from underrepresented backgrounds applying to or in the early stages of doctoral programs in political science. The DFP was established in 1969 (originally as the Black Graduate Fellowship) to increase the number of minority scholars in the discipline. Since its inception, the APSA DFP has designated more than 600 fellows and contributed to the successful completion of doctoral political science programs for over 100 individuals.

Alexandria Davis is a first-year PhD student and Cota Robles Fellowship recipient studying political science at the University of California, Los Angeles with a concentration in race, ethnicity, and politics. Her research interests are Black public opinion, intersectionality, and political psychology. Her current project specifically focuses on observing the effect of emotions like anger on Black voter apathy in the 2016 presidential election. Alexandria Davis is a recent 2020 graduate of UCLA with a BA in political science and African American studies and was a participant in the Ronald E. McNair Research Fellows Program. Within this program, she produced a senior thesis entitled “God Save the Queen: An Analysis of Race, Gender, and Welfare Stigma on CalFresh Program Participation” that discussed the impact of race, gender, and stereotyping on Black female college students’ participation in welfare programs. Alexandria has future career goals of obtaining a job in academia where she can pursue her research interests and provide mentorship for future scholars of color.