Jackson State University News January 12, 2017 'Model student' named American Political Science Minority Fellowship Program Fellow Jasmine C. Jackson, a senior political science major at Jackson State University, has been named as a 2017-2018 American Political Science Association (APSA) Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) Fellow. "When I was informed I had been selected as an APSA Fellow; I was overjoyed. Being an APSA Fellow is an honor that I do not take lightly," said Jackson. The JSU Dean's List scholar research interests focus on how political issues impact minority communities and the effect these issues have on societal placement. Following graduation, Jackson plans to pursue a doctoral degree and is currently applying for acceptance into a mixture of Ivy League and Big Ten institutions. Initially wanting to negotiate contracts and business dealings as a corporate attorney, Jackson was inspired to teach after taking a class under University political science professor Dr. Byron Orey. "My long-term goals are to teach at the collegiate level while continuing my research. I aspire to one day come back and teach in the political science department at Jackson State," she said. Orey met the savvy undergraduate during an honors colloquium course. The professor was discussing his tedious struggle to learn Adobe Photoshop to aid in research he was presenting to the class when Jackson suggested a more expeditious app. "I said right away that she was definitely a critical thinker not based on just that one episode or bit of advice. Based on her analytical skills and critical thinking skills, it was obvious that she would make a good professor or research professor," Orey said. Moreover, Orey believes that Jackson is more than deserving of her ASPA Fellow designation and describes her as a "model student," "full of personality" and having a "thirst for knowledge." "I hope she will continue our legacy of mentoring people of color to put them in the pipeline to pursue Ph.D.' s in political science," Orey voiced. In 2015, Jackson had the privilege of working with Dr. Geoff Ward at the University of California at Irvine on research that examined historical racial violence. Additionally, she attended the 2016 APSA Ralph Bunche Summer Institute at Duke University. Jackson has presented at various conferences including the 2016 American Political Science Association Annual Meeting, the Pi Sigma Alpha student conference, the 2016 Southern Political Science Association conference, and the University of Michigan's Emerging Scholars Conference. "Dr. Orey introduced me to research, and I love it. It is just a bonus that as a professor I will be able to mold the minds of students as well," Jackson added. The MFP was established in 1969 to increase the number of under-represented scholars in the political science discipline. Since 1969, the APSA Minority Fellowship has designated more than 500 Fellows, both funded and unfunded, and contributed to the completion of doctoral political science programs for over 100 individuals. Fall Fellows are college or university seniors, graduates or master's students who plan on applying to a Ph.D. program in political science. Spring Fellows are first and second year Ph.D. students in political science. APSA Minority Fellows are very active in the discipline as faculty members, researchers and mentors. Visit www.apsanet.org/mfp<http://www.apsanet.org/mfp> to learn more about the APSA MFP program and recent fellows. SANDRA M. PHOENIX HBCU Library Alliance Executive Director Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library 111 James P. Brawley Drive SW Atlanta, GA 30314 404-978-2118 (office) 404-702-5854 (cell) http://www.hbculibraries.org/ sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org%3cmailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org>> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ and Twitter https://twitter.com/HBCULibAlliance Check out "PULSE!" The HBCU Library Alliance's News Source! - https://hbculibraryalliance.wordpress.com/