Meet DFP Spring Fellow, Roberto Alas, University of Houston

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.

Roberto F. Alas is a first-year PhD student in the department of political science at the University of Houston. He obtained a BA in international relations and Spanish from the University of California, Davis, and an MA in Latin American studies from California State University, Los Angeles. He is interested in comparative policy analysis at the state level, with a particular focus on the implementation choices that minimize negative consequences of legislation. While at the University of Houston, Roberto has served as a teaching assistant for a globalization course and is an ongoing research assistant on an immigration study. Before beginning his doctoral studies, Roberto worked as a part-time lecturer in the Department of Economics and Statistics at California State University, Los Angeles. His courses included Current Issues in Latin American Economics and Economics of the Latino Community. He also served on the Board of Parking Place Commissioners of the City of Pomona from 2016-2020. His intersecting economics and policy experience drives his research, and he hopes to continue working to bridge the gap between economics and policy.