The APSA Diversity Fellowship Program, formerly the Minority Fellowship Program, was established in 1969 as a fellowship competition to diversify the political science profession. DFP provides support to students from underrepresented backgrounds applying to, or in the early stages of, a PhD program in political science. The goal of the program is to increase the number of scholars from minoritized backgrounds in the discipline and ultimately the professoriate. APSA has once again awarded a new cycle to provide support for PhD students currently in their first or second year as of Spring 2023. Please join us in congratulating the 2023-2024 class of fellows!
Aubree Hardesty (she/her) is a second-year PhD student at the University of Missouri studying American politics and public policy; she works as a teaching and research assistant while finishing her coursework. Aubree is also the recipient of the G. Ellsworth Huggins Fellowship. She previously earned her master’s degree in Atlantic history and politics from the Kinder Institute. Her research pertains to political behavior and political psychology and specifically focuses on descriptive representation and voter turnout in the American context. Aubree’s current projects analyze how voters’ behavior and ballot choices are influenced by the demographic traits of candidates. This research is overseen by or coauthored with her advisor and political behaviorist, James Endersby. She aspires to insert elements of psychology in these projects. To do so, she participates in the Social Cognition of Social Change Lab, a psychology research lab at her university, led by Erin Hennes. Aubree hopes the conclusions of her research will encourage political minorities to turnout and run for office as well as motivate political institutions to diversify.