Byran Jackson Dissertation Research Award

The Byran Jackson Dissertation Research Award recognizes the outstanding
scholarship by a graduate student studying racial and ethnic politics in an urban setting (Studies can be comparative or focused on the U.S.). The award is for a dissertation that is in progress, rather than a completed dissertation. The award comes with a $500 prize.

Nomination Instructions:
To nominate, a dissertation proposal/ outline (5-10 pages) and a nomination letter should be sent to each committee member. Applicants may self-nominate.

Award Committee (2026):

Justin de Benedictis-Kessner, Harvard University, (jdbk@hks.harvard.edu)

Sharon Denise Austin, University of Florida (polssdw@ufl.edu)

Michael Hankinson, George Washington University (hankinson@gwu.edu)

Deadline for nominations: March 15, 2026

Recipients:

2025	Antonia Gordon (Michigan State University), “The Urban School Ecosystem” Honorable Mention: Jeremiah Cha (Harvard University), “Racial Representation in American Local Politics”
2024	Anum P. Syed (George Washington University), “Ethnicity Across Borders: The Political Mobilization Against Dalit Discrimination in the United States”
2023	LaRaven Temoney (University of Florida), “The Lasting Impact of the Voter Education Project on Black Political Participation in the U.S. South”
2022	Andrene Wright (Northwestern University), “Black Women’s Politics in U.S Urban Cities: A 3-Part Paper Centering the Role of Black women Mayors in African American Politics”Ana Oaxaca (UCLA), “All Politics is Local? The Impact of Nationalization on Local Elite Decision Making on Immigration”
2021	No award given
2020	Kiela Crabtree, University of Michigan “Racially Targeted Violence and Implications for Politics in the United States”Honorable Mention: Gabrielle L. Gray, Howard University “Political Responsiveness to Police Shootings: Explaining the Role of Sympathy, Black Organizational Investment and White Allies”
2019	Hajer Al-Faham, University of Pennsylvania “Contingent Citizenship: Muslims in America.”
2018	No award given.
2017	Patricia Posey, University of Pennsylvania “Refinancing the American Dream: the Consequences of Targeted Financial Policy for Political and Radical Inequality in the United States.”
2016	Diane Wong, Cornell University “Disappearing Chinatowns: The Struggle Against Gentrification in San Francisco, New York City, and Boston.”
2015	Brad Fulton, Duke University “Bridging and Bonding: How Social Diversity Influences Collective Political Action.” Duke University
2014	Zinga Fraser, Northwestern University “Catalysts for Change: A Comparative Study of Barbara Jordan and Shirley Chisholm.”
2013	Marquita Bowers-Brown, University of Missouri, Saint Louis “The St. Louis Desegregation Transfer Program: Does Participation Lessen the Educational Disparity between the City of St. Louis County Students?”
2011	Emily Farris, Brown University “Pathways to Power: An Examination of Latino Local Elected Officials”
2010	Jamila Michener, University of Chicago The Politics of Help Seeking in Marginalized Populations
2009	Carlos Cuellar, Rice University “The Latino Empowerment Process: An Examination of the Causes and Consequences of Latino Representation in Local Politics”
2006	Angela Hagan PhD, University of Louisville Race, Consolidation, and Regionalism
2005	Paru Shah, Rice University
2004	Kristin Good, University of Toronto “Multiculturalism in the City: A Comparative Analysis of Municipal Responsiveness to Immigration in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and the Greater Vancouver Regional District”
2003	Michelle Camou, University of Colorado “Managing Conflict without Contracts: Achieving Economic Justice in the Informal Economy”
2000	Joshua Behr, University of New Orleans “An Explanation for the Presence of Minority-Opportunity Districts and the Election of Hispanics and Blacks to the City Council within Single Member District Election Systems”
2000	Mara Sidney, University of Colorado “Social Constructions of Race and Class in Fair Housing Policy”