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. APSA was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Dr. Sosa-Riddell in August 2023. The Committee on the Status of Latinos y Latinas intend to honor her legacy and contributions to both the Latino/a community and the discipline as a whole at the 2024 APSA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Giovanna Itzel Alcantar was awarded for exemplary mentoring of undergraduate students. Drs. Angela X. Ocampo and Tabitha Bonilla were awarded for exemplary mentoring of graduate students. Dr. Efrén Pérez was awarded for exemplary mentoring of junior faculty.
GIOVANNA ITZEL ALCANTAR
Giovanna is a doctoral student within the political science department at the University of California, Irvine. Raised in Southern California’s Los Angeles County she witnessed and participated in the immigrant rights movements and social justice protests of the last two decades. With the personal being political, she is determined to continue to be an advocate of historically marginalized communities of color. Her research focuses on education, affect, and the influence of emotions and non-institutional political behavior on Latinx youth’s group identity, mobilization, and belonging. Giovanna is also a 2023-2024 Spring Diversity Fellowship Program (DFP) fellow and a mentor through the APSA Mentoring Program.
“Since our first meeting, she has been an amazing resource for all my questions, concerns, and anxieties related to graduate school and relevant applications. She has also emphasized multiple times that she will continue to be available as my mentor after the official end of this program; our relationship is not limited to last semester. For these reasons, it feels like I have made a friend and long-term mentor through APSA,” states Isabella Marin, an undergraduate student at Yale University.
Marin continues, “Most importantly, Giovanna has been incredibly kind, approachable, and honest regarding her experience as a Latina scholar. This has made me feel like I have a big sister in political science, giving me a role model with a similar background in my field while also connecting me with someone to whom I can turn when facing difficulties unique to being a Latina in political science.”
The APSA Committee on the Status of Latinos y Latinas in the Profession once again thanks Giovanna for her tireless dedication to undergraduate students and offers its thanks for her commitment to bettering the political science discipline.
ANGELA X. OCAMPO
Angela X. Ocampo is assistant professor of Mexican American and Latina/o studies at the University of Texas at Austin. She specializes in the study of race, ethnicity, and politics, with a specific focus on the Latina/o/x community. Her research examines the political incorporation of racial, ethnic, and religious minorities both as every-day political participants and as leaders in American institutions. Her current book project Truly at Home?: The Politics of Inclusion and Latino Political Incorporation, which received APSA’s Best Dissertation Award in Race, Ethnicity and Politics, examines the notion of perceived belonging to US society and its influence on political engagement among Latinas/os/xs. She has published numerous articles and chapters on Latina/o/x political behavior and representation. She is the recipient of multiple awards including the MPSA Latina/o Caucus Early Career Award and APSA’s Political Psychology Distinguished Junior Scholar Award. Her research has been supported by fellowships from the Ford Foundation, UC-MEXUS and the APSA Warren E. Miller Fund. She holds a BA with honors from Brown University and a PhD in political science from UCLA.
“Angela is the kind of person who uniquely goes above and beyond in not only her mentorship and guidance of graduate students, but also the critical and important element of cultivating a warm and welcoming space for newer scholars in the profession. I first met Angela at UT Austin’s PRIEC in November of 2022… I was lucky enough for her to be assigned as my poster discussant, and from there, her mentorship has blossomed and nurtured me into the scholar I am becoming. How funny that her research focuses on the politics of belonging, and how perfectly in unison that is with her value set of making others feel welcomed and belonging within the field,” writes Laura Uribe, a graduate student at the University of California, San Diego.
Uribe continues, “I remember calling my parents and explaining to them about this moment that I knew would be absolutely pivotal in my academic career. Only, Angela didn’t stop there. She kept checking in on me to see how I had been doing, academically and otherwise. She remembered I mentioned interest in studying Colombians in the US, given our shared heritage, and she invited me to join her and her sister (another fabulous and generous mentor) on a book chapter. And to this day, she has been a guiding light for me.”
The APSA Committee on the Status of Latinos y Latinas in the Profession once again thanks Dr. Ocampo for her tireless dedication to graduate students and offers its thanks for her commitment to bettering the political science discipline.
TABITHA BONILLA
Tabitha Bonilla is associate professor of human development and social policy and political science (by courtesy). She also is a faculty fellow at the Institute of Policy Research and Faculty Affiliate at the Center for the Study of Diversity and Democracy. Her research agenda examines how political communication and identity shift the public’s understandings of representation, public policies, and social movements. Dr. Bonilla is also a recipient of the 2019 Fund for Latino Scholarship.
“As a Latina scholar in political science, I have been fortunate to experience Tabitha’s outstanding mentorship, which has played a transformative role in my academic journey. Her exceptional dedication to cultivating a supportive environment and her unwavering commitment to supporting students have made her an exemplary mentor. Tabitha’s mentorship style is characterized by her exceptional ability to foster an environment of trust, support, and academic growth. As a Latina scholar, her dedication to empowering underrepresented students like myself has been a source of inspiration and motivation,” writes Nicolette Alayon, a graduate student at Northwestern University.
“Her unwavering support has given me the confidence to explore new research directions, challenge myself intellectually, and pursue ambitious academic goals… Tabitha consistently encourages students to grow as scholars and individuals. She fosters a culture of intellectual curiosity and critical thinking, urging us to explore interdisciplinary perspectives and engage in meaningful scholarly conversations… She is genuinely invested in our success and strives to create opportunities for us to network, collaborate, and showcase our research,” Alayon further reflects.
The APSA Committee on the Status of Latinos y Latinas in the Profession once again thanks Dr. Bonilla for her tireless dedication to graduate students and offers its thanks for her commitment to bettering the political science discipline.
EFRÉN PÉREZ
Efrén Pérez is a full professor of political science and psychology at UCLA. His research centers on political psychology, with specific interests in intergroup politics, group identity, language and political thinking, implicit political cognition, and psychometrics. He has published numerous articles in leading general science, political science, and psychological science journals, including Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, Social Psychological and Personality Science, Political Behavior, and Political Psychology. He is also the author of four books, including Diversity’s Child: People of Color and the Politics of Identity (Chicago University Press 2021) and Voicing Politics: How Language Shapes Public Opinion (Princeton University Press 2022), which received the 2023 Robert E. Lane Best Book Award in Political Psychology from the American Political Science Association. In addition to his research, Efrén directs the Race, Ethnicity, Politics, and Society (REPS) Lab at UCLA.
“Dr. Pérez is an outstanding mentor to both undergraduate, graduate students (just look at his publications with both undergraduate and graduate students), and junior faculty… I know Efrén to be a great mentor for junior faculty. When I was a junior faculty, I reached out to Efrén on numerous occasions for mentorship and feedback and Efrén always made time to provide feedback and advice. Dr. Pérez has also served as an official Russel Sage Foundation mentor for my pipeline grant,” states Yalidy Matos, a faculty member at Rutgers University.
Dr. Matos continues to reflect on Dr. Perez’s tireless dedication and mentorship to students and junior faculty alike, “In looking at his CV, about 10 of his latest publications have been with undergraduate and graduate students. Pérez co-authors with both undergraduates and graduates and these co-authorships for those who want to go into academia are invaluable. Finally, his mentorship of these students, especially, are also increasing the pipeline of academics of color. This level of co-authorship with students is not the norm in political science and should be recognized. Pérez has been a mentor since he was a graduate student (he was my RBSI TA) and has continued to be a mentor to students and faculty even outside his own institution."
The APSA Committee on the Status of Latinos y Latinas in the Profession once again thanks Dr. Perez for his tireless dedication to junior faculty and offers its thanks for his commitment to bettering the political science discipline.
