Kellogg PhD Fellow alumnus Natán Skigin has been recognized with top honors by the American Political Science Association, receiving both the Best Dissertation in Political Psychology Award and the Best Dissertation in Experimental Research for his project, “Challenging Stigma from Below: How Human Rights Movements Contest Repressive States and Shape Democratic Citizenship.”
According to the APSA Political Psychology Section, Skigin’s dissertation is a tour de force that combines theoretical innovation with methodological breadth to illuminate how grassroots human rights movements operate in violent, repressive political environments. Drawing on original field experiments, surveys, survey experiments, in-depth interviews, and focus groups conducted in Mexico, the section praised Skigin for offering a compelling account of how victims’ counternarratives disrupt official stigmatization and mobilize citizen demands for accountability.
The citation further noted that his findings advance understanding of how affective, cognitive, and normative barriers to solidarity can be overcome, calling the dissertation bold in scope and rich in insight, exemplifying the very best of political psychology: empirically grounded, theoretically sophisticated, and deeply relevant to pressing global challenges.
In addition to his APSA accolades, Skigin also received an honorable mention for Best Dissertation from the International Society of Political Psychology, further highlighting the significance and international reach of his research.
Skigin, who completed his PhD in political science from Notre Dame last year, also was awarded the 2024 Kellogg Institute Award for Distinguished Dissertation on Democracy and Human Development.
He now serves as an assistant professor at the University of Georgia, continuing to advance the reputation for excellence established during his graduate studies.