Breannah Small, a student of African and African American studies and journalism/political science, has been accepted into the American Political Science Association's Ralph Bunche Summer Institute at Duke University and the University of Pittsburgh's 2024 Mobilization and Political Economy Summer Research Program.

"I am so grateful to have the opportunity to participate in a program where I can have hands-on experience with political science inquiry, scholarship and research methodology," Small said. "Programs like these are important in fostering doctoral growth as only about 4% of doctoral degrees are earned by Black women."

Small has been an undergraduate research assistant with Najja Baptist, assistant professor of political science and the director of African and African American studies. With Baptist, Small has participated in studies focusing on the Black American experience through his National Science Foundation Transformational American Politics grant research. Small says that Baptist's mentorship has been critical for building strong scholarly foundations.

"I greatly thank Dr. Baptist and the UART team for preparing me with political research skills, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. for advancing my scholastic achievements," she said, "and every other organization and department I am a part of for contributing to my overall academic success."

This weekend, Small will present the NSF grant research team's findings at the National Conference of Black Political Scientists with Baptist and four other student researchers.