Steven Bradford is a second-year international relations PhD student at American University’s School of International Service. He earned his BA in psychology with a minor in history from Texas State University. While working on an MA in history at Texas State, he researched the evolution of Japanese-American relations since 1853, focusing on the impact of strategic alliances and shifting power dynamics. A professionally trained culinarian, Steven brings a unique perspective to international relations by integrating cultural experience and political inquiry. His current doctoral research investigates the weaponization of food by authoritarian regimes, emphasizing how targeted attacks on food systems during the Syrian conflict have disrupted civilian life, eroded cultural identity, and reinforced state control. Using oral interviews, ethnographic analysis, social media discourse analysis, and archival research, he explores the nexus of food, conflict, and authoritarian resilience. His archival work at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library—and upcoming research at the Eisenhower and Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Libraries—examines how sustained Cold War alliances, particularly between Syria and Russia, have shaped modern patterns of violence and impunity.
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