Ivy A.M. Cargile (B.A. California State University, Fullerton; M.A. and PhD Claremont Graduate University) is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at California State University, Bakersfield.
Denise Davis (B.A. University of Redlands; MSc London School of Economics) is the Director of the Women's Resource Center at the University of California, Riverside. Denise has spent her career working in Student Affairs and teaching Gender and Sexuality Studies in higher education. In 2017, she launched the inaugural Persist
Women's Political Engagement Conference at the University of California, Riverside, which was the first of its kind in the region.
Jennifer Merolla (B.A. Boston College; M.A. and Ph.D. Duke University) is Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Riverside. She is co-author of Democracy at Risk: How Terrorist Threats Affect the Public, published with the University of Chicago Press (2009), and Framing Immigrants: News Coverage, Public Opinion and Policy, published with the Russell Sage Foundation (2016).
Rachel VanSickle-Ward (B.A. Pitzer College; M.A. and Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley) is a professor of Political Studies at Pitzer College in Claremont, California. Her first book, The Devil is in the Details: Understanding the Causes of Policy Specificity and Ambiguity (SUNY Press, 2014; winner, Herbert A. Simon Book Award), explores the impact of political and institutional fragmentation on policy wording, focusing on the dynamics of social
policy construction in the states.
Ivy A.M. Cargile (B.A. California State University, Fullerton; M.A. and PhD Claremont Graduate
University) is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at California State University,
Bakersfield. Broadly, her research interests focus on political behavior in the U.S. context. She is
particularly interested in how the intersections of gender, race, and ethnicity affect the electoral
behavior of both political elites, and the electorate at large. Specifically, she is interested in how
diverse political participants perceive a Latina candidate who represents the intersection of
gender, and ethnicity. Likewise, she explores how both Latina political actors, and other female
politicians of color influence policy outcomes, and represent their constituents. She also focuses
some of her research on the public opinion of Latina/o/x voters as a way to develop a better
understanding about how policy issues such as immigration, and women's rights affect the
participation of this community. Her work has appeared in Political Research Quarterly, as well
as in multiple books on the topics of Latina politicians, Latina/o/x voters, and immigration policy.
Denise Davis (B.A. University of Redlands; MSc London School of Economics) is the Director of
the Women's Resource Center at the University of California, Riverside. Denise has spent her
career working in Student Affairs and teaching Gender and Sexuality Studies in higher education.
She is passionate about issues pertaining to social justice advocacy, gender equity, the LGBTQ
community, and women's political participation. In 2017, she launched the inaugural Persist
Women's Political Engagement Conference at the University of California, Riverside, which was
the first of its kind in the region. The 300-person event brought together students, scholars,
elected officials, and those who work in the non-profit arena with a focus on inspiring women to
get more involved at every level of government. Denise is a 2018 graduate of the Emerge
California program, is active in her community as an elected assembly district delegate for the
Democratic Party, and was elected to the Redlands City Council in 2018.
Jennifer Merolla (B.A. Boston College; M.A. and Ph.D. Duke University) is Professor of Political
Science at the University of California, Riverside. Her research focuses on how the political
environment shapes public evaluations of political leaders (with a focus on women leaders),
political engagement and voting behavior, immigration policy attitudes, foreign policy attitudes,
and support for democratic values and institutions. She is co-author of Democracy at Risk: How
Terrorist Threats Affect the Public, published with the University of Chicago Press (2009), and
Framing Immigrants: News Coverage, Public Opinion and Policy, published with the Russell Sage
Foundation (2016). Her work has also appeared in journals such as Comparative Political Studies,
Electoral Studies, the Journal of Politics, Perspectives on Politics, Political Behavior, Political
Research Quarterly, Political Psychology, and Women, Politics, and Policy. Merolla is also field
editor of American Political Behavior for the Journal of Politics. She engages the broader public
through media, including writing in outlets such as CNBC, The Hill (Congress Blog), The
Washington Post (Monkey Cage) and U.S. News and World Report.
Rachel VanSickle-Ward (B.A. Pitzer College; M.A. and Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley)
is a professor of Political Studies at Pitzer College in Claremont, California. Her research interests
include public policy, public law, state politics, and gender and politics. She has published work
on the politics of statutory language, gender and political ambition, and administrative law. Her
first book, The Devil is in the Details: Understanding the Causes of Policy Specificity and
Ambiguity (SUNY Press, 2014; winner, Herbert A. Simon Book Award), explores the impact of
political and institutional fragmentation on policy wording, focusing on the dynamics of social
policy construction in the states. She is a frequent commentator on KPCC's Take Two (Southern
California Public Radio). Her writing has appeared in Talking Points Memo, The Washington Post
(The Monkey Cage), and U.S. News and World Report. She was named the 2012 Pitzer College
Scholar in Residence for her research on contraception politics and policy, and her book on the
subject is forthcoming with Oxford University Press.
