Alexandra L
- Research Program Mentor
PhD at University of California San Diego (UCSD)
Expertise
politics, international relations, public opinion, quantitative social science, political psychology, data visualization
Bio
In addition to mentoring students on their independent research projects, I am also a college counselor and help families navigate the crazy world of college admissions. In 2023, I defended my dissertation at the University of California, San Diego where I used insights from psychology to understand public opinion about foreign policy. While at UCSD, I also explored how e-learning tools influenced student learning during the covid-19 pandemic. Teaching and mentorship were my favorite parts of working at UCSD, and I'm excited to help students at Polygence identify and develop their academic passions. Before UCSD, I attended Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH where I pursued a major in Government and a minor in History. In my free time, I love reading and am currently working on my first novel. I look forward to working with you!Project ideas
Does the truth matter in politics?
Do voters care when politicians lie? Why is there so much misinformation in politics? And is there anything we can do about it? This project would involve reviewing relevant scholarly literature, gathering and analyzing data, and presenting results in the form of a scientific research paper, blog, social media account, or other platform of your choosing. If interested, you could use tools such as data visualization, text analysis, machine learning, or survey design to collect and analyze your data.
Why is America so polarized?
Why does political polarization matter? And can we do anything about it? This project could involve reviewing scholarly literature, gathering and analyzing data, and presenting results in the form of a scientific research paper, blog, social media account, or other platform of your choosing. You might identify potential interventions that could help decrease polarization in your school or community. If interested, you could use research methods such as data visualization, text analysis, questionnaire design, or interviews.
Why is the U.S. supporting the war in Ukraine?
In general, why do countries go to war? And when do other countries decide to help them? This project might entail reading scholarly literature, gathering and analyzing data, and presenting results in the form of an essay, op-ed, or other platform of your choosing. If interested, you could explore these questions from a historical perspective using online archival resources.