Political Science

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Your Berkeley Connect in Political Science and Yardi Scholars Experience

Berkeley Connect in Political Science provides students with a cohort of peers interested in democracy, social change, and technology, and with a mentor to facilitate discussions and provide support for navigating UC Berkeley and Political Science. If you are interested in meeting others with similar intellectual interests in a setting that does not involve grades and homework, this is the class for you! In this course you will have the opportunity to connect not only with peers and a mentor, but with others in the department and across campus. Join us!

Graduate Mentor Role 

At the heart of Berkeley Connect is the relationship between you and your mentor. They:

  • Build community by leading small, discussion‑based sessions

  • Provide one‑on‑one support with personalized guidance and resources

  • Demystify the major by sharing skills, strategies, and tips on research and grad school

About Your Graduate Mentor:

A person with curly hair and cornrows wearing a black windbreaker smiling.

Sarah Daniel

I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Political Science department. My research centers on urban politics, with a particular focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. In my dissertation, I study the concept of the “neighborhood” and examine how they function as meaningful political contexts in rapidly urbanizing settings. In addition to my research, I sometimes serve as a mentor to undergraduate students. Many of the questions I help students navigate concern how to gain research experience as an undergraduate and how to prepare for life after graduation, whether that involves applying to graduate programs or pursuing careers in other fields. I have always appreciated the number of students who actively seek out graduate students as mentors, something I wish I had known I could do more of as an undergraduate myself. Outside of school, I enjoy playing the cello.