Dr. Andrew Janusz
University of Florida, Department of Political Science
UF Political Behavior Lab
The UF Political Behavior Lab is composed of graduate and undergraduate students interested in political behavior around the world. The research of lab members focuses on topics including electoral participation and political attitudes to exclusion and violence. The lab meets every two weeks and provides a forum for students to present and receive feedback on their research projects
Lab Members
Graduate Students
Anna Verma
Anna Verma is a PhD student in Political Science at the University of Florida, specializing in Comparative Politics and Political Methodology. Her research interests lie at the intersection of political behavior, gender, and democratic politics, with a geographic focus on India. Using mixed methods, she examines how socially marginalized groups engage in politics, with particular attention to the social and institutional factors shaping women's political preferences, participation, and representation. Her dissertation investigates whether and under what conditions women's everyday agency translates into political engagement in India.
Farès Davion
Farès Davion is a PhD Student in Political Science at the University of Florida. His research examines citizens’ political behavior under military regimes, democratic backsliding, and social movements in Africa and particularly in the Greater Sahelian region. Farès received both his B.A in Politics and Government and M.A in International Security from Sciences Po in Paris, France.
Jain Choi
Jain Choi is a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at the University of Florida, specializing in International Relations and Political Methodology. Jain's research explores how people make sense of their own experiences of suffering and how these experiences shape their political attitudes toward others. In particular, Jain examines why experiences of discrimination and marginalization sometimes foster solidarity across social group boundaries while, at other times, reinforcing exclusion. This research draws on survey data from Europe, the United States, and Africa.
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Undergraduate Students
Maria P. Melo
Maria P. Melo is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Florida, double majoring in Political Science and Criminology with a minor in Latin American Studies. Originally from Brazil, her research interests include political violence, women's political participation, and democratization, with a particular focus on Latin America. Her current research examines violence against women in Brazilian politics and its implications for political participation and representation. After graduation, she plans to attend law school, where she hopes to further explore the intersection of law and politics
Gabriella Rios
I am a Political Science and Journalism student at the University of Florida, graduating in May of 2029. My research interests include comparative politics, with a particular focus on Eastern European and Latin American political systems. I am most interested in examining the roles information and legal frameworks play in the democratic decision-making process. In the future, I hope to pursue a career in law while continuing to explore research at the intersection of politics, law, and society.
Maya Laxer
I am a third-year political science major and Japanese minor at the University of Florida. I am interested in Japanese politics and society, both historical and contemporary, as well as comparative authoritarianism, particularly Imperial Japan and Stalinist Soviet Union. I am currently writing on Japanese political attitudes and their relationship to NEET status, examining how young people disengaged from work and education view politics and civic participation. After graduation, I hope to attend law school, with an interest in international law.