The Adaljiza Sosa-Riddell Mentor Award is presented annually by the APSA Committee on the Status of Latinos y Latinas in the Profession to recognize the exemplary mentoring of Latino y Latina students and junior faculty each year. The award is named in honor of Adaljiza Sosa-Riddell, the first Latina to earn a PhD in political science.
Ñusta Carranza Ko is an Assistant Professor in the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Baltimore. She is the author of Truth, Justice, Reparations in Peru, Uruguay, and South Korea: The Clash of Advocacy and Politics (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2021), co-author of Theories of International Relations and the Game of Thrones (Lanham: Lexington Books, 2019), and has also published several articles and chapters in memory and genocide studies. Her research focuses on transitional justice in Latin America and Asia, and Indigenous peoples’ rights in Peru. She is of Indigenous (Quechua-speaking peoples from the Northern Andes of Peru) and Korean descent. Dr. Carranza Ko also recently organized a virtual conference related to Comfort Women which was held at the University of Baltimore in May 2022.
“She has consistently displayed both the enthusiasm and attention to detail of a humanitarian who is genuinely concerned with providing guidance, motivation, and emotional support, as well as being a positive role model for not only her Latino/Latina students, but for all students to achieve their fullest potential,” writes Jose Gomez, a graduate student at the University of Baltimore.
Another nominator stressed Dr. Carranza Ko’s role in supporting their doctoral dissertation, “Her methodological contribution to the development of my doctoral thesis was invaluable. Her contribution to the exploration of investigative techniques during research in public policy, including oral history, newspapers and social media sources, and research of official documents, was also invaluable. Her knowledge of the Brazilian history also contributed greatly to the development of my doctoral dissertation.”
Dr. Carranza Ko support and mentorship of graduate students has been greatly recognized; she received the University of Baltimore’s 2020-2021 Mentor of the Year Award, in addition to the 2020-2021 Campus Teaching Award Winner, which highlights campus teaching award winners who have been recognized by APSA for their achievements.
The APSA Committee on the Status of Latinos y Latinas in the Profession once again thanks Dr. Carranza Ko for her tireless dedication to graduate students and offers its thanks for her commitment to bettering the political science discipline.