Our Current Grad Students

I entered the department in 2003, and after getting turned around a couple of times, I'm now happily studying the intersection between contentious politics and political economy in South Asia, focusing on the different capitalist cultures of the region and how these generate conflict with other classes and groups. I grew up in Islamabad and London, and graduated from Swarthmore in 2002. When not reading or writing frantically, I enjoy walks in the perpetual sunshine and cool breezes of the Bay Area, losing a friendly game of backgammon at Strada, eating the varied cuisines on offer around here and going to the occasional contra dance. While in graduate school, I've spent charming summers smoking sheesha on the banks of the Nile in Egypt and staring out into the mountains and mists of lower Himalaya in India, and have studied Arabic, Urdu and Hindi with varying degrees of success.

The graduate students in the Berkeley department are the most intelligent, intellectually diverse, imaginative and friendly individuals I could've hoped for as colleagues and friends, and this alone makes graduate study here a wonderful experience. Please feel free to drop me a line at dnaseem@berkeley.edu if you have any questions.

Amy joined the Political Science Department at Berkeley in 2006. She received an AB in Philosophy from Stanford University in 2000 and an MA in Intellectual History from Columbia University in 2002. Prior to her studies of international relations, political theory and research methodology at Berkeley, Amy spent a number of years working as a neuroscientist, researching decision-making and visual perception. In the interim she sustained a brief but fulfilling career as a professional culinarian, with a strong emphasis on cheese. Currently, her research interests include the intersection of international relations and contemporary political theory; the role of decision-making, risk analysis and intelligence in crafting foreign policy and international security strategy; complex systems and systems theory; and biotechnology and science policy. She is a research associate at the Institute of International Studies at Berkeley. Email: ajnelson "at" berkeley.edu

My dissertation examines the development of international institutions and the influence of African states in several areas of international economic law. My primary fields are international relations, political theory, and methodology. Prior to this program I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Ghana. My website: http://www.michaelnelson.info

I graduated from Wellesley in 2003 and found my way to Berkeley via rural North Carolina, where I taught middle school as part of Teach For America, and Hong Kong, where I taught literature and current events at a university. My subfields are comparative politics, political theory, and East Asia; I’m particularly interested in identity politics, minority-state relations in China and Southeast Asia, and comparative political theory. I spend much of my “free” time studying Chinese, but can on occasion be found hiking, comparing the relative merits of the sourdough baguettes at Acme Bakery and La Farine, and hunting down obscure food products in Oakland’s Chinatown. Feel free to email me at snewland[at]berkeley.edu.

I joined the department in Fall 2007. My interests are in welfare state retrenchment and immigration in the advanced industrialized economies with a special focus on Germany. Prior to graduate study, I held positions in philanthropy and corporate communications at the Russell Sage Foundation, the German Marshall Fund and Deutsche Telekom. I have a B.A. in History from Columbia University and an M.A. in Political Science with a minor in Transatlantic Relations from UNC-Chapel Hill. I have also completed graduate coursework in Political Science at the Freie Universitaet and Humboldt Universitaet zu Berlin. Please feel free to contact me with any questions about the PHD program or life in the Bay area by sending an email to akasemi ‘at’ berkeley ‘dot’ edu.

My primary fields of interest are Comparative Politics and Latin America, with a focus on inequality, poverty, and the political participation of marginalized groups. A son of cultural anthropologists, I lived in rural villages in India and Sri Lanka for much of my childhood. After studying Economics at Carleton College, I worked for three years in the U.S., Greece and India with Monitor Group, a business strategy consulting firm. Then shifting to international development, I conducted research with the World Bank in Brazil, USAID, and Brazil’s national microfinance program. Prior to entering Berkeley’s doctoral program in Political Science, I received an MPA in International Development from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. When not doing research, I enjoy learning new languages, surfing, swimming and running. I would be happy to discuss Berkeley’s program with any prospective students. I have been particularly impressed by the camaraderie of both students and faculty, as well as by the breadth of multidisciplinary opportunities available.

Email: nichter[at]berkeley.edu
Website: http://simeon.nichter.googlepages.com

My primary interest is the U.S. Senate and American politics generally. Before Berkeley, I attended Colby College (physics/government) and the College of William and Mary (public policy). In the summertime I worked in the Senate Democratic Policy Committee, but unfortunately for me the boss was recently fired by the voters of South Dakota. Hopefully I can locate my former colleagues for interviews involving a dissertation on leadership in the U.S. Senate. Specifically, I hope to explain changes in Senate leadership through the lens of partisan and procedural strategies and link those changes to the broader political environment. In my free time I rout for the Dodgers, play distorted guitar riffs, and read about natural disasters. Feel free to email me at: oleszek@berkeley.edu

Darius Ornston

My three fields of study are Comparative Politics, West European Politics and Methodology. I entered the department in 2002, after earning my BA at Swarthmore College. Inspired by my education at a small, peripheral liberal arts college, I developed an interest in the comparative political economy of small, peripheral countries. I spent a year at the University of Helsinki, Finland from 2000 to 2001 and my current research focuses on tripartite concertation, institutional evolution and economic restructuring in Finland and Ireland. I am a compulsive traveler and, when not involved with school or field work, I spend most of my time in Romania. Nonetheless, I am always accessible at dornsto1@berkeley.edu. I would be more than happy to talk about large, central issues in Political Science or empathize with others who find themselves studying small, peripheral countries.

Mahendra Prasad

I was born in Tennessee. I grew up on a farm near Memphis that had chickens, goats, sheep, horses, and quails. I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in philosophy and also political science. I entered UC Berkeley's Political Science Ph.D. program in 2007. My research interests are political behavior, quantitative methods, philosophy of social science, and democratic theory. I love silent film, philosophy, mathematics, and basketball. Please feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions.

Ely Ratner

My subfields at Berkeley are international relations, comparative politics, and research methods, and my dissertation is on the long-term strategic implications of US support for non-democracies. Prospective students should feel free to contact me at ely@berkeley.edu. Having worked on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, for the RAND Corporation, in the political office of a US senator, and on a couple of presidential campaigns, I would be happy to speak with people who are interested in bridging a career between policy and academia.

Sarah Reckhow

I study American Politics, with particular interests in urban politics and policy development. Not a California native, I grew up in Durham, North Carolina and graduated from Harvard in 2002. Before I came to Berkeley, I did Teach for America and spent two years teaching high school history and government in Baltimore. Bay Area life suits me very well-- I love running the trails in the hills, exploring San Francisco, and enjoying the wide variety of wonderful restaurants in the area. Email: reckhow@berkeley.edu.

Neal Richardson

My primary fields of study are comparative politics, Latin America, and research methodology. My dissertation focuses on the political economy of commodity exporting in South America, particularly in Argentina and Brazil. In other work, I have examined land conflict in Brazil using quantitative evidence. For more information and working papers, please see my website, http://npr.berkeley.edu.

Peter Ryan

I made the move all the way from Ireland in 2006 to come to Cal - to study American politics of all things! I would describe myself as a something of a political junkie - I can regularly be found scanning blogs and news stories online or debating the strategies of various presidential candidates - typically with my housemates John and Devin. Unsurprisingly, my main research interests revolve around electoral politics, notably political parties, candidate nominations, and public opinion and involvement. I'm not all about politics all the time though. I'm often found out and about in San Francisco, at game nights, bar hopping in Berkeley or having weekend brunches at some of my favorite hang-outs. I always love finding new things to do and new people to meet! I'm also a big rugby and Cal basketball fan, and I enjoy working-out and doing yoga when I can. Feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions about the program or the area, I'd be more than happy to answer your questions!

I came to Berkeley from Oxford, and I have been very happy with the move. My interests are broad, but my research focus is in political economy and European politics. In my dissertation, I compare the diverging national pathways to labor market flexibility in Germany and Denmark. You can contact me at: schulze-cleven@berkeley.edu.

My primary subfields are comparative politics and East Asia. I’m specifically interested in environmental politics and state-society relations in China. I entered the PhD program in fall 2007 after working for several years in Beijing and San Francisco. Originally from the Deep South, I majored in political science and women’s studies at the University of Georgia, and I hold a Master of International and Public Affairs from the University of Hong Kong. Anyone with questions about studying Chinese politics at Berkeley or making the transition to grad school can email me at suzannescoggins at berkeley dot edu

Emily Shaw

My dissertation represents an attempt to characterize and understand the power of political discourse on torture and nuclear power policies across three Western states. My fields are international relations, organization theory, and political behavior, and I have a strong general interest in political psychology. Before returning to grad school, I spent several years in the former Yugoslavia with intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations. I consider myself a charter member of “the new New IR” and will be happy to explain what that means if you ask me.

I’m originally from Maine and you’ll often hear me waxing nostalgic about such things as autumn leaves, moose, and salty lobstermen, but I love the vegetables and sunshine of the west coast too. I also love my Oakland neighborhood, my garden, and the way you can get practically anywhere with Bay Area public transportation. Get in touch if you’d like to discuss any of the above, via e_shaw@berkeley.edu.

Wendy Muse Sinek

After graduating with a B.A. in sociology, I decided to put the “real world” on hold for a while and ended up backpacking around the world for almost three years. Despite countless adventures and interesting brief-yet-brilliant careers (chef, stockbroker, runway model, etc.), I eventually arrived in San Francisco and settled down with a great job in the tech industry as a business analyst. However, when I found myself reading political theory and Latin American history texts on my lunch hour, I realized that going to graduate school might be a good idea after all. After getting an M.A. in International Policy Studies from the Monterey Institute of International Studies, conducting field research in Cuba, and working with the UN in the Dominican Republic, I entered the doctoral program at Berkeley in the fall of 2002. My fields of study are comparative politics, Latin American politics, and methodology (with an emphasis on qualitative field research techniques.) I love living in Berkeley and spend my time cooking, birdwatching, riding my vintage Vespa, taking as many dance classes as I can (mainly jazz and samba), skiing whenever I get the chance, and oh yeah, working on my dissertation—which concerns how poor people in Brazil are using community-based organizations to make their voices heard within the political arena. Although I’m as likely to be in Rio as I am in Berkeley for the next year or two, I’m always happy to be contacted by prospective graduate students at wsinek@berkeley.edu.

Vasundhara Sirnate

I joined the department in the fall of 2004, studying comparative politics (South Asia). I have previously studied Hindu-Muslim conflict in India with a focus on gender. Recently, I have immersed myself in the political economy of the subcontinent and student politics/youth movements in South Asia. I have a Master's and an M.Phil in political science from JNU, New Delhi. I acquired an additional MA from Berkeley last year and am now rapidly running out of space on my wall. Having worked with a few NGO's and the UNDP in India before, I plan on initiating an independent South Asian women's collective in the future. I live in San Francisco, practice elementary yoga and can be found brooding over coffee at Que Tal or marching around Berkeley. In my spare time I work on my novel. Since 'spare time' means summer and winter breaks, the novel's progress is slow and the plot keeps changing in response to subcontinental political dramas. You can email me at vsirnate@berkeley.edu.

My research interests include political economy and state-society relations in the former Soviet Union. In particular, I am studying bazaars and traders in Central Asia, with a particular emphasis on the political and social implications of bazaar economies. Before coming to Berkeley in autumn 2002, I worked in Washington, DC at the Brookings Institution for two years and spent one year before that in Berlin, Germany. My love for travel started back at Stanford, where I majored in International Relations (BA) and International Policy Studies (MA). I've since spent a number of summers and semesters in various European and Eurasian cities. Back at home in Berkeley, I enjoy music - attending concerts, playing piano, and salsa dancing - and cooking and hiking in the bay area whenever I have the chance. Feel free to contact me at rspector@berkeley.edu.

I've recently returned to Berkeley after 17 months of fieldwork in New York and China, which left me with a new appreciation for blogs, clean air and Korean soap operas. IÕm now writing my dissertation on Chinese environmental litigation with a focus on lawyers and international exchange. More broadly, I'm interested in globalization, legal development and contentious politics. For more on my research, check out my website at http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~rstern. Research-related inquires, tips on good cycling routes and killer brownie recipes also welcome at rstern@berkeley.edu.

I started in the fall of 2005. I'm interested in the politics of migration, especially in richer regions like North America and Europe. Before Berkeley I spent a couple of years studying in Berlin, and three in Oxford. This may qualify me to offer advice to students from Europe who are thinking of coming to Berkeley, but really it is pretty simple (and also worth the trip). My email address is alexstreet@berkeley.edu.

I arrived at Berkeley in the Fall of 2001 with varied interests that have mutated over time. My primary field is international relations, with subfields of East Asia and comparative politics. I am currently off-campus, working on my dissertation on international NGOs and missing my favorite things about Berkeley: running in the hills, the Berkeley Bowl, the department's softball team, quick trips up to Tahoe. Originally from San Antonio, TX, I majored in government and Asian studies at Dartmouth and did short stints at the Atlantic Council and the National Security Council before moving to Berkeley. Feel free to contact me at sarahsnip@hotmail.com.

I entered Berkeley's doctoral program in 2005 after earning a Master's in Public Policy at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. My research interests are in American political behavior, particularly campaigns, elections, voting behavior and political participation. I received a BA in English and Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia in 1998, after which I served for six years as Chief of Staff at the UVa Center for Politics. I spent most of my free time in college working in political and campaign offices, including a stint in 1997 as Research Director for a Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial campaign. My wife, Chrissie Switzer Theodoridis, and I live in beautiful North Berkeley, where we appreciate the spectacular views, the access to an amazing variety of outdoor activities, fantastic and diverse cuisine, as well as the relative inactivity of the Hayward fault. E-mail: theodoridis@berkeley.edu

I came to Berkeley in fall 2007 after living in New Haven and Baltimore. I'm primarily interested in issues involving comparative and American political economy, particularly on the ways in which internal migration, immigration and different forms of diversity interact with the design, performance and contestation of various welfare state institutions. Before coming to Berkeley I studied economics and political science at Johns Hopkins University and spent a semester in the department of Scandinavian Studies at University College London. I also worked for an educational non-profit in Baltimore for three years, as well as for a handful of local and national political campaigns.

When I'm not at the Institute for Governmental Studies, I can be found listening to bluegrass in San Francisco, looking for new running trails in the Easy Bay, or playing for the department's softball team, on which I hold the coveted "most improved player" award. For reasons besides the obvious draw of the bay area, I find the quality of life for Berkeley grad students to be extremely high. I'm more than happy to answer any questions prospective students may have about the program, life in the bay area, or political science grad school in general. Email: chlo@berkeley.edu

I work on environmental politics and political economy in southern Africa. I advanced to candidacy in summer 2004 and will conduct dissertation research on nature-based tourism in South Africa and Botswana starting in December 2004. I will examine how engagement in the tourism sector affects contemporary rural politics. I also have research interests in political ecology, in environmental justice, and in race and racism. I have participated in graduate working groups on Africa and on constructions of race, nature, and the environment. Outside of school, I love to cook, to dance, and to play capoeira. If you have questions, please e-mail me at rlturner@berkeley.edu. It may take me a while to respond as I use voice recognition software.

My focus is on Chinese politics. My fields are East Asia, Comparative, and Methodology. I'm interested in repression, international development issues, and social movements (among other things). As a returned Peace Corps Volunteer in the Amazon jungles of South America, I got a taste of one kind of "fieldwork" - rural community development. I earned a master's degree in Chemistry from Berkeley and got interested in the science and technology issues, which led to my initial interest in the development of the Internet in China. That's led to my current dissertation ideas: mass campaigns in China against social groups (some of whom use the Internet to communicate). My secret hobby is ornithology (not a special form of orthodontics!) and I love playing basketball and soccer. Languages are also a great interest, especially since I grew up speaking Danish and then learned a Carib Indian language in Peace Corps. Recently I've started taking Wushu, a Chinese martial art form. My email is: carstenv@uclink4.berkeley.edu.

I work on immigrant social movements at the intersection of Political Theory, American Politics, and Comparative Politics. My interests include theories of violence, theories of freedom, social movements, critical theory, and queer theory. I received my M.A. in Political Science from the New School for Social Research. Before graduate school, I spent many years in policy, advocacy, and organizing in New York City, where I worked at HIV/AIDS, public health, anti-poverty, and immigrant rights organizations. I've also done research in the suburbs of Paris and Argentina, where my family is from. I'm always on the lookout for Argentines or their admirers to chat with over mate. Contact me at: jvimo *at* berkeley.edu.

I am interested in the comparative political economy of advanced democracies. My work focuses on the politics of the welfare state and how institutions and actors interact to create unique national outcomes. Specific areas of interest include corporatism, welfare retrenchment, government coalitions, the EU, and West European politics.

I started my Ph.D. at Berkeley in 2003. I came to the department with an undergrad from the London School of Economics, a Masters from Columbia University and some ³real² work experience on several short-term contracts with development agencies and international organizations. After completing the requirements in my three fields (comparative politics, Eastern Europe/FSU and Political Theory), I advanced to candidacy in spring 06. I am interested in political economy of transition and developing countries, in particular in the processes and consequences of introducing markets in public and social service provision. I am working on a dissertation about electricity privatization in post-Soviet economies, a project that is situated somewhere at the intersection between the politics of institution building and the politics of welfare reform in the post-Soviet market transition. Besides being an aca-dork, I am also known for being somewhat talented in language acquisition, for being europhile (or alternatively, a eurosnob, or suffering from euro-nostalgia), for being a decent cook and for driving a decrepit little green VW. I live in Oakland, when I am not on fieldwork in Russia. Feel free to email me with any questions or for reasons why you should live in Oakland rather than Berkeley.

I joined the department in Fall 2007. My subfields are Public Law, Comparative Politics, and Methods. I received a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a M.A. in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School at Tufts in 2007. Comparative public law fascinates me, and my primary research interest is government corruption in developing countries.

I’m a comparativist interested in the political economy of middle income countries heavily integrated into regional production systems. I try to blend a comparative and IR approach in looking at these phenomena, with a special interest in post-Communist Central and Eastern Europe as well as East and Southeast Asia. I entered the department in 2003, after finishing an A.B. in History at Harvard and spending a year traveling and working in Poland, Egypt and Japan. Apart from the politics and economics of my regions, I’m also interested in their cultures and languages – I speak French and Polish well, but I’m always looking for chances to practice my Indonesian and Japanese. I’ve got eclectic, even eccentric, interests, and am happy to inflict them on anyone who cares to listen.
Email: jwrzesn@berkeley.edu

My main field is political theory. My interests stretch from contemporary debates about justice to problems of judgment and social criticism, and still beyond to questions of conceptualization in political theory. I also have a settled fascination with the canon, in particular with ancient, late modern and contemporary political thought. My email: cyumatle@uclink.berkeley.edu.

I am a Jesuit priest from Argentina and I joined the department in 2006. My three fields are comparative politics, Latin America, and methods. I am particularly interested in poor people politics in Latin America, especially on Peronist clientelism in Argentina. My e mail is: rzarazaga@berkeley.edu