Political Science Majors and Professors Present Research at Regional Political Science Conference

Several students and faculty members gathered in San Diego for the annual meeting of the Western Political Science Association. The Western Political Science Association (WPSA) is the regional association of political scientists on the west coast of the United States. Cal Poly Pomona has a regular presence at the WPSA yearly meeting, in addition to two students who presented at the conference this year.



Marisol Ibarra (’19) and Evelyn Vazquez (’19) both presented their senior thesis projects as part of the undergraduate posters session. Marisol presented her thesis titled, “Does the way city administrators and police view immigration affect their interaction with the community?” Marisol conducted interviews with police and elected officials in South Gate to assess their opinions and attitudes toward undocumented people. Evelyn presented her thesis titled, “Political Engagement in High School Students”. Evelyn surveyed high school students in Chino to assess their levels of political engagement and knowledge at two time periods. The WPSA tweeted out a photo of Evelyn’s poster presentation.



Our faculty also maintain a strong presence at WPSA each year. Neil Chaturvedi presented on several panels and served as a discussant for his work on Congress, agenda-setting, and representation. Brady Collins presented on the effectiveness of his service learning course that he offered alongside the Center for Community Engagement. Robert Nyenhuis presented a paper on Africans’ perceptions of China. The faculty have a strong research tradition, leading our undergraduates in their own research work.

Next year’s conference is even closer to home, when WPSA will arrive in Downtown Los Angeles.