Alexander Agadjanian is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. His research interests include race and identity, political psychology, and political behavior, largely in the United States.
His core dissertation work centers on the intersection of politics and “racial fluidity,” which reconceptualizes racial identity as flexible and responsive to external factors. Focusing on rapidly growing groups with ambiguous positions in the racial hierarchy such as Hispanic and multiracial Americans, he explores...
Karen Villegas is a doctoral candidate in the Berkeley School of Education at UC Berkeley. She received her B.A. in Political Science from UCLA. Karen’s overarching work explores issues of language, citizenship, and nation-building processes.
Karen’s dissertation, supported by the Institute for the Study of Societal Issues, is a study of the ideological conceptions of language and literacy practices in adult, English as a Second Language (ESL) citizenship classes. Adults enroll in these classes to prepare for the...
The Institute of Governmental Studies wishes to extend its congratulations to Karen Villegas, our 2023 David M. Howard Memorial Prize in American Politics recipient!
About Karen:
I am from the Inland Empire (IE!) and graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA. As a Ph.D Candidate in the Berkeley School of Education, I think about the ways in which the powerful set the terms of order and the way we teach according to their codes. I study ways we assimilate nondominant communities – through English – in ESL citizenship classes. And I interrogate how ESL...
Christian Hosam is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. His research interests include race and politics, with particular interests in Black elite politics, coalition and conflict between communities of color, public health, and the politics of representation. His dissertation focuses on the Congressional Black Caucus, particularly how the activities of the Congressional Black Caucus align with those of the Black community and how that relationship has changed over time His research has been supported by the Social Science...
This year’s winner is Christian Hosam, who is a (fifth year) Ph.D. candidate in political science. Christian's dissertation focuses on the role of the Congressional Black Caucus in Congress and how its activities and priorities have lined up with or diverged from those of the Black community over time.
Bio: Christian Hosam is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. His research interests include race and politics, with particular interests in Black elite politics, coalition and conflict between communities of color,...
