Political Science Faculty

Nicole Kalaf-Hughes

Biography

Dr. Nicole Kalaf-Hughes earned her Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California, Davis in 2012. She also holds a BA in Political Science and Russian from UC Davis, and an MA in Russian and East European Studies from the University of Kansas. Dr. Kalaf-Hughes’ research examines the relationship between legislative behavior and racial and ethnic diversity. Specifically, her research focuses on how elected officials represent the interests of the growing Latino population in the United States. 

Fields of Study

• American Politics
• Race and Ethnic Politics
• Latino Politics

Education

• BA – University of California, Davis (Political Science and Russian Language)
• MA – University of Kansas (Russian and East European Studies)
• Ph.D. – University of California, Davis (Political Science)

Presentations

Dr. Kalaf-Hughes has presented her research at meetings of the Western Political Science Association, Midwestern Political Science Association, American Political Science Association, and at meetings of the Politics of Race, Immigration, and Ethnicity Consortium.

Projects

Dr. Kalaf-Hughes’ dissertation examines the positions legislators take on the issue of immigration. Looking at legislative cosponsorship, recorded votes, and floor debate and the state and federal level, this research examines how and why elected officials select certain policy positions in this debate.  Her current research examines extensions of this dissertation, including questions surrounding legislative behavior on immigration over time. Additionally, she is working on other projects that examine legislative behavior across a variety of issues in the United States and abroad.

Courses Taught

• POLS 1100 – American Government
• POLS 3460 – The Presidency
• POLS 4000 – Topics in Political Science: Latino Politics
• POLS 6310 – Seminar in American Government