Karla Magaña

Welcome!

I am a joint Ph.D. Candidate in Public Policy and Political Science at the University of Michigan and a National Academies Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellow. My research broadly focuses on the racialization of the United States bureaucracy, with particular attention to federal agencies, rulemaking, representation, and the ways bureaucratic institutions shape policy outcomes.

My dissertation examines racial and ethnic identity within federal agencies and considers how these identities influence policymaking, especially in the rulemaking process. I am interested in how bureaucrats understand their roles within government institutions, how representation matters within administrative spaces, and how race and ethnicity shape the development of public policy.

More broadly, my scholarship sits at the intersection of public policy, political science, race and ethnicity politics, and public administration. I aim to better understand how public institutions reproduce, challenge, and transform racial inequality through the everyday practices of governance.

I also serve as the Assistant Research Coordinator for the Restorative Democracy Project, a research initiative focused on women of color,  their narrative building, and experiences in public office. In this role, I contribute to work that highlights representation, leadership, challenges, and institutional experiences of women of color in American politics.

Fields of Study:

• American Politics (Institutions)

• Public Policy

• Race, Ethnicity, and Politics