August 28, 2023
Rishan Ephrem ’22, a political science major and African American studies minor, has been awarded the 2023-2024 StudyLA Pre-Doctoral Fellowship.
The StudyLA Pre-Doctoral Fellowship focuses on the role of data-informed, action-oriented decisions in the rapidly changing political, economic, cultural context in which Angelenos live, work, and play. Fellows form close ties with senior researchers at StudyLA who guide them through practical research experiences and support them through the application process to graduate programs of their choice. The fellowship is open to recent LMU graduates who share in StudyLA’s mission of advocating for a better, more equitable Los Angeles and wish to pursue graduate studies.
The inaugural fellowship was awarded last year to Henry Kombol ’22, an economics major and philosophy and business administration double minor.
Ephrem will work closely with Dr. Chaya Crowder on the State of Black Los Angeles report, a publication of the Los Angeles County Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiative. The report and the ARDI Initiative were established in response to the nationwide demonstrations for racial justice in 2020 to guide “the county’s commitment to fighting racism in all its dimensions.”
Ephrem, a first-generation Eritrean American born and raised in Southern California, brings years of experience in community organizing and advocacy work to StudyLA. While a student at LMU, Ephrem was the student advocacy coordinator for racial justice at the Pam Rector Center for Service and Action, taking the lead on programs that focused on student leadership and development. She also served as president of the Black Student Union, vice president of the African Student Association, and member of the student-led committee that wrote demands on behalf of Black at LMU. Ephrem plans on attending law school and pursuing a career in entertainment law.
“I believe that data-informed advocacy is the cornerstone of meaningful change, and I'm excited to contribute my passion and experience to the StudyLA research team in pursuit of a more equitable Los Angeles,” says Ephrem.
For more information about the StudyLA Pre-Doc Fellowship, please contact:
Brianne Gilbert, managing director, at brianne.gilbert@lmu.edu