This year's Minority Fellows who will receive funding are:

Florence O. Akinyemi is a senior at Binghamton University currently participating in a demanding academic program in which she is a double major in Africana studies and political science with a minor in economics. Having been on the Dean's List every semester, she is a member of several honor societies including Pi Sigma Alpha, Phi Eta Sigma, Phi Beta Kappa, and the Golden Key National Honor Society. As a result of her many achievements, Florence has received several prestigious awards, such as being named a Ronald E. McNair Scholar and recipient of the Michael V. Boyd Memorial Scholarship. In addition to her academic accomplishments, Florence is involved with several community service projects. She participates in a summer program for children at the Bellerose Assembly of God Vacation Bible School and the Blessing Tree, which distributes Christmas gifts to underprivileged children. Florence plans to use her doctoral degree to eventually become a senior consultant for the U.N. Commission on HIV/AIDS.

Leslie Gonzales is currently pursuing her Master's degree at the University of Texas, El Paso. Leslie graduated summa cum laude in political science from New Mexico Highlands University, where she had been named to the Dean's List for 8 consecutive semesters. Her excellent scholarship was recognized when she was named a New Mexico Highlands University Legislative Scholar, a LULAC scholar, and an ‘Excellent Student’ by Student Support Services. Having been moved by the power of politics when she was a young girl, she has dedicated her education to fully understanding the discipline. Currently, she is involved in research that cross-compares Mexican-American female youth and Spanish-American female youth to determine important influences related to political knowledge, engagement, and aspirations. As a professor, Leslie hopes to inspire minority women and youth to believe in the political process.

Davin Lanier Phoenix is completing his senior year at Christopher Newport University, where he is majoring in political science and maintains a 3.96 grade point average. Davin has had an exceptional undergraduate career and, as such, was inducted into the Alpha Chi National Honors Society and Pi Sigma Alpha. An accomplished writer and winner of the C. H. Williams Best Paper Award, he spent the summer contributing to the Daily Press as an editorial writer. Davin's interest in political science is driven by his desire to discover how members of a political minority can best gain full access to the political process. Influenced by his experience as a 2004 Ralph Bunche Summer Institute Scholar, Davin hopes to take part in conceptualizing new theories in political science and to help shape the communities of tomorrow.

Ali A. Valenzuela, a senior at the University of California, Los Angeles, will graduate with honors with a B.A. in political science. As a Ronald E. McNair Scholar and a UCLA Undergraduate Research Scholar, Ali secured a position as a programmer with UCLA's Advanced Policy Institute, an applied research unit that focuses on creating online research tools for information distribution. His extensive research experience includes serving as a Council of California research presenter and writing a senior honors thesis that focuses on safe and healthy housing in Los Angeles. Ali notes that his desire for a Ph.D. in political science is a result of his past accomplishments and experiences. He hopes to make a difference among those on whose shoulders he has climbed to get thus far in his journey.

Mekoce Tehila Walker is currently a senior majoring in political science at the University of New Mexico. Mekoce's undergraduate career has been impressive; he has been a member of the Phi Eta Sigma National Honors Society and participated in the political science honors program. He was the recipient of the New Mexico Lottery Success Scholarship and the Frances M. Lee Memorial Scholarship, a merit scholarship for political science students at the University of New Mexico. Fluent in Spanish, Italian, and intermediate French, he spent a year as an exchange student at McGill University in Montreal where he took courses in comparative politics and political theory. Since returning from McGill, Mekoce has focused on the study of Latin American politics and political methodology. As part of his honors thesis, he created a unique SPSS dataset to analyze the effects of partisanship on economic reform in 16 Latin American countries. As a professor of political science, Mekoce hopes to open the eyes and minds of his students.

Michael Woldemariam, a double major in political science and sociology, is completing his senior year at Beloit College. Currently a resident assistant, he has also been involved in varsity soccer while maintaining a 3.87 grade point average. As a result of his athletic ability and academic achievement, he is a two-time Midwest All-Academic Conference Selection. Michael is a Ronald E. McNair Scholar and participant in the Ralph Bunche Summer Institute, as part of which he presented his research paper at the APSA Annual Meeting in Chicago. A member of the NAACP and discussion leader for Black Students United, Michael has expressed a sincere interest in how race and ethnicity inform electoral processes. As a graduate student, Michael hopes to pursue research related to inter-state relations in Africa and ethnic conflict in Africa and the Middle East.

This year's non-funded Minority Fellows include:

Carlos Cuellar is currently a senior at St. Mary's University. Carlos is a Ronald E. McNair Scholar and a senator for the senior class in St. Mary's student body. He has also chaired the University Advancement Committee, serving as a liaison between the student body and the vice president for university advancement. Making use of his exceptional communication skills, Carlos is a contributing writer for the university newspaper on issues pertaining to the university's impact on the San Antonio community. Carlos hopes to obtain his doctorate degree in political science to serve his community and to contribute to the field of American politics and race relations.

Adrian Felix is completing his senior year at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he is pursuing a B.A. in political science. Adrian has honed exceptional research skills as a member of the UCLA McNair Scholars Research Program. In 2004, he presented his senior thesis at the UCLA Westwind Conference as well as the UCLA and UC Berkeley McNair Conferences. In his thesis, Adrian analyzes the impact media framing has on public opinion regarding the use of military force in Iraq. In graduate school, he hopes to develop a comparative test of his hypothesis using cases from different historical periods. One of Adrian's impetuses for seeking his Ph.D. is his belief that more Latinos are needed in the profession to articulate this group's experiences and perceptions of the political world.

Fallon Wilson is a senior majoring in political science at Spelman College. She participates in Spelman's Ethel Waddell Githii Honors Program and is a member of Pi Sigma Alpha and the Mortar Board Honor Society. At the 2004/05 University of Illinois Summer Research Opportunity Program, she was honored with the “Best Research Presentation” recognition. In her studies as a graduate student, Fallon will explore how women empower themselves to confront unjust political situations. She looks forward to becoming a teacher and a theorist, contributing to the political discourse on the political and creative agency of marginalized women.

APSA established the Minority Fellows Program is an effort to increase the number of minority Ph.D.s in political science. The program identifies and aids prospective African-American, Latino(a), and Native American (federal and state recognized tribes) political science graduate students, and encourages institutions to provide them with financial assistance. To find out more, contact minority@apsanet.org or see http://www.apsanet.org/about/minority/fellows.cfm

PS: Political Science & Politics July 2005

Here's a preview of some of the articles that will be published in the July issue of PS: Political Science and Politics:

Symposium

The Nature and Political Significance of Preemption

JOSEPH F. ZIMMERMAN, PAUL L. POSNER, PAUL TESKE, TIMOTHY J. CONLAN, ROBERT L. DUDLEY

The Profession

What Divides Us? The Image and Organization of Political Science

J. TOBIN GRANT

Politics and the Human Dimension: Hubert Humphrey and Ronald Reagan

MAX. M. KAMPELMAN

Writing Political Theory: Lessons from an Apprenticeship

NICHOLAS TAMPIO

The Teacher

What Do You Desire? What Do You Fear? Theorize It! Teaching Political Theory through Utopian Writing

KHRISTINA HADDAD

Sliding to Home Plate: How to Use Slideware to Improve Your Presentation (While Dodging the Bullets)

RON E. HASSNER

A Federal Deficit Reduction Simulation: Learning Politics and Policy in a Budgetary Context

BRUCE A. WALLIN

In the Robes of Supreme Court Justices: Critical Thinking through the Use of Hypothetical Case Law Analyses and Interactive Simulations

RICHARD J. HARDY, CHAPMAN RACKAWAY, AND

LAURIE E. SONNIER