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Welcome!
I'm Karra (keh-ruh), an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of South Carolina. I study race, representation, political behavior, and caucuses.
My research agenda can be categorized into three broad interests – race, gender and ethnic politics, legislative studies, and political behavior. Encompassing these themes, my current book manuscript aims to present a multidimensional analysis of Black representatives that pushes us beyond traditional theories of descriptive representation. I envision my work as an opportunity to learn more about how Black representatives navigate agenda-setting amid growing internal and external ideological pressures and the political implications for future generations of Black leaders.
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I am a 2023 Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellow and an inaugural Ruth B. Mandel Dissertation Research Award winner. My work has also been supported by Brown University's Office of the Dean of the Faculty - Department of Political Science, and the Taubman Center for American Politics and Policy.
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In addition to my academic studies, I am committed to producing work for public audiences, as evidenced by my past work with the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies and my service as an APSA Public Scholarship fellow.
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