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Give Day, April 9th

Colloquium - Dan Slater, March 5

Dan Slater is the James Orin Murfin Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Emerging Democracies (@umichDemocracy) at the University of Michigan. He has recently been a visiting scholar at the London School of Economics (LSE), University of Cape Town, and with the Contestations of the Liberal Script (SCRIPTS) program in Berlin.

Congratulations to Dan Masterson!

Congratulations to Dan Masterson for being selected as the newest Pahl Scholar!

The Political Science Post: Meet Professor Morse

Professor Julia Morse studies the politics of information, focusing on how legitimacy, compliance, and communication shape political behavior. Drawing on experience working within the FBI and federal bodies, her research examines how information is presented, interpreted, and manipulated in the digital age. From banking regulation to the role of disinformation in the international arena, Morse explores how narratives shape power and policy. Learn more about how her work connects international governance and 21st century political communication.

The Political Science Post: Meet Professor Mahdavi

Professor Paasha Mahdavi is a leading political scientist challenging how scholars understand energy politics. Shaped by his upbringing and early exposure to extractive economies, Mahdavi’s work bridges economics, electoral politics, and climate policy. Through global research and local environmental advocacy in Santa Barbara, he examines how industry, power, and governance shape environmental outcomes. Learn more about how his personal journey informs his work toward a cleaner, more equitable future.

The Political Science Post: Meet Graduate Student Daniel Cervantes

Daniel Cervantes is a PhD candidate in UC Santa Barbara's Department of Political Science whose research examines political communication, conspiracy theories, and elite behavior in digital age. Drawing on experiences in the performing arts, public policy, and political communication, Cervantes studies how Congress members strategically engage with misinformation on social media.

The Political Science Post: Meet Graduate Student Taylor Trummel

Taylor Trummel is a political scientist whose research explores immigration, perceptions of fairness, and political identity in the United States. Through her work on state-level immigration policy, she challenges the idea that Latino communities can be treated as a single political bloc. Inspired by personal experience, Trummel’s research examines how policies shape belonging, linked fate, and public attitudes.

The Political Science Post: Meet Recent Alumni Julien Labarre

Julien Labarre is a 2024 PhD graduate whose work examines disinformation, populism, and the psychological foundations of illiberalism. Shaped by his upbringing in a conservative region of France, Labarre studies how media, misinformation, and feelings of devaluation shape democratic attitudes. His research introduces the idea of epistemic vulnerability, the weakening of trust in political information that makes it difficult for people to distinguish truth and misinformation.