Maria Isabel Mosquera is a PhD student in government at the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in American politics and methodology. Her research centers on race and ethnic politics, with a focus on Latine political behavior and immigration. She is currently examining how U.S. immigration judges made decisions during the Trump and Biden administrations, with particular attention to how judicial behavior shifts across political contexts. Maria earned her BA in political science, summa cum laude, from DePaul University, where she also minored in international studies. As a Ronald E. McNair Scholar, she developed a strong commitment to research and decided to pursue graduate study. A proud Chicago native, Maria’s scholarly interests are deeply informed by her upbringing as the daughter of immigrants. After completing her PhD, she hopes to remain in academia, where she can continue conducting research, teaching, and supporting the next generation of scholars in race and ethnic politics.
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