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.
Carlos Rueda-Cañón is a second-year PhD student in political science at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill where he specializes in American politics. Broadly, his research interests include the role of social identity in political behavior and intergroup relations as well as the impact of mental health on political engagement. His current projects focus on how status threat alters the way individuals define national identity and how depression affects engagement in collective action. Carlos received his BA in political science, with honors, from Vanderbilt University.