(21 June 2023) // Showcasing DPERL Achievements & Excellence Series (8)

To culminate our "Showcasing DPERL Achievements & Excellence Series", we'd like to congratulate Zabdi Velasquez for his many achievements during his time here at UCR. Zabdi started an independent study with Professor Dionne in the summer of 2022, where he wanted to research the Lithium Valley project in the Salton Sea and nearby Imperial Valley, where he is from. His deep interest in the development of this lithium mining project and its impacts on the local indigenous and Latino communities, alongside the guidance and encouragement from Professor Dionne, led him to apply to doctoral programs, where he would research similar projects in the Americas, and globally. 

During that summer, Zabdi was selected to attend USC's Political Science & International Relations (POIR) Summer Predoctoral Institute, where he learned more about the "ins and outs" of applying to grad school, the "hidden curriculum" of doctoral programs, and so much more. Zabdi then applied and was accepted to a number of prestigious political science graduate programs, including both USC and UCLA's Political Science PhD programs. 

After some thought, Zabdi accepted his offer to UCLA, where he was named Eugene V. Cota-Robles Fellow, as well as awarded the Competitive Edge Summer Bridge program. Zabdi got his first taste at teaching and TA'ing, where he discovered his true passion for being a professor and imparting knowledge to students through teaching his "Lithium Valley Politics" course through UCR's Student-led R'Courses program. 

Right before graduating, Zabdi story was picked up by both UCR's Admissions and Marketing team and the UC Office of the President, where he was interviewed and featured in two of their stories, as UCR's Graduate of the Year for the Class of 2023, and as a Social Mobility Success Story.

Zabdi would like to thank the DPERL team for always being there to support him and Professor Dionne for her guidance through his academic journey. 

Congrats again on graduating! We wish you nothing but the best in your future endeavors, Zabdi!

(8 June 2023) // Showcasing DPERL Achievements & Excellence Series (7)

To continue our "Showcasing DPERL Achievements & Excellence Series", we'd like to congratulate Harry for being accepted into UC Riverside's Research in Science and Engineering program (RISE). Harry recently wrapped up his second quarter of teaching Spaceflight History and International Relations through UCR's Student-led R'Courses program.

Keep up the good work, Harry!

(7 June 2023) // Showcasing DPERL Achievements & Excellence Series (6)

Next for our "Showcasing DPERL Achievements & Excellence Series", we'd like to congratulate Eun-A Park. Eun-A recently successfully defended her dissertation prospectus, and is now ready to start doing fieldwork, where she seeks to answer the question on studying co-ethnic migrants in South Korea.

Best of luck as you gather data, Eun-A!

(7 June 2023) // Showcasing DPERL Achievements & Excellence Series (5)

Continuing in our "Showcasing DPERL Achievements & Excellence Series", we'd like to give a round of applause for our very own John Burnett. Over this summer, John will be conducting fieldwork and preparing for the job market. Academics, be on the lookout for his file.

We wish you the best of luck in the job market, John!

(7 June 2023) // Showcasing DPERL Achievements & Excellence Series (4)

Following in our "Showcasing DPERL Achievements & Excellence Series", we'd like to congratulate Jasmine Esmail, for being offered an internship at the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office! This year, she will be joining the Downtown Los Angeles office, working in the Resentencing Unit.

Congrats again, Jasmine! 

(7 June 2023) // Showcasing DPERL Achievements & Excellence Series (3)

As part of our "Showcasing DPERL Achievements & Excellence Series", we'd like to congratulate Alex Kozak, who will be transferring to UC San Diego this coming fall quarter.  Alex will continue her studies as a psychology major, and she is also excited to share that she was accepted into Yonsei University, through the UC Education Abroad Program!

We wish you nothing but the best at UCSD and wish for your study abroad in Seol, South Korea to be full of adventure, and learning. Cheers

(6 June 2023) // Showcasing DPERL Achievements & Excellence Series (2)

Continuing on with our "Showcasing DPERL Achievements & Excellence Series", we would like to congratulate Minhye Joo, for earning dissertation research grants from the prestigious Russel Sage Foundation and the UC Riverside Center for Ideas and Society. 

Her grant year will start later this summer (August/September), and this year she will start collecting data for her dissertation. She is excited to launch her survey and start collecting valuable data for her project, which seeks to answer the question of how immigrants’ experiences with street-level bureaucrats shape their political attitudes and political participation. For more information about these awards, see here the Russel Sage Foundation's Second Annual Dissertation Research Grants recipient list, and Center for Ideas and Society.

Congrats again, Minhye for these two grants and the DPERL team wishes you the best of luck out in the field! 

(2 June 2023) // Showcasing DPERL Achievements & Excellence Series (1)

Professor Dionne would like to celebrate the DPERL team, for shining both in the research laboratory and in other academic and professional development experiences. She would like to use this space to showcase some of these opportunities and achievements DPERLers will take part in this summer through this "Showcasing DPERL Achievements & Excellence Series". 

We start by congratulating our very own Allison Wang, who was selected to intern at the Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom! Through the UCCS Academic Internship Program, she will be traveling to our state's capital to join the CA Governor's Office. Best of luck out there, Allison! 

(24 June 2023)

DPERL  is delighted to welcome Edgar S., Hayley Brown, and Sashi Juarez-Galindo to the team! These three students form part of the Minority-Serving Institution Research Academy (MSIRA), an NSF-funded project by UC Riverside political scientists Marissa Brookes, Kim Yi Dionne, and Jennifer Merolla. For more information about our two new lab members, please navigate to our "Who We Are" section in the Home tab to view their brief introductions.

(12 Feb 2023)

Professor Dionne is excited to share that she will be traveling to Malawi where she will be conducting research regarding political parties, movements, and democracy amongst the countries' elites. She will be visiting Zomba and Blantyre until the 16th of March of the present year.