WP Junior Emily Martinez is 1 of 20 Students Nationwide to be Accepted to Prestigious Pre-Doctoral Summer Program

William Paterson University junior Emily Martinez, an Honors College student majoring in political science with minors in legal studies and philosophy, is one of 20 students nationwide to be accepted to a prestigious pre-doctoral summer program, the American Political Science Association’s Ralph Bunche Summer Institute (RBSI).

Established in 1986, the RBSI is an intensive five-week program intended to simulate the graduate school experience, aiming to inspire and prepare undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue doctoral study in political science. Since 2000, it has taken place on the campus of Duke University.

Martinez, who has selected the social sciences research track in William Paterson’s Honors College, says she dreams of earning a doctorate in political theory and then becoming a professor. The RBSI, she adds, subsequently seems like the “perfect” program for her.

“I feel so immensely proud and grateful to God, my family, and my professors for their support,” says Martinez, a native of Totowa, New Jersey. “I definitely doubted myself, but I am so excited to learn, grow, and excel in this Institute and in my career.” 

Representatives from some of the leading PhD-granting institutions from across the country participate in a recruitment fair at RBSI. Additionally, students who excel at the Institute and on the final research project are invited to present research posters at the American Political Science Association (APSA) Annual Meeting.

04/11/23