The Duke Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) is pleased to welcome the newest cohort of PARISS Fellows, a program that supports emerging scholars conducting innovative, interdisciplinary research across the social sciences.
The Program for Advanced Research in the Social Sciences (PARISS) provides Ph.D. students with funding, mentorship, and opportunities to engage with researchers across disciplines while advancing research that addresses complex social challenges. PARISS Fellows represent a diverse range of fields and perspectives, using rigorous social science methods to better understand the forces shaping our communities, institutions, and world.
This year’s PARISS Fellows bring expertise spanning social inequality, public health, political conflict, identity, and social structures:
Ilayda Orhan Orhan is a PhD candidate in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience. Her research examines how people conceptualize social inequalities and the factors that influence whether individuals take actions that mitigate, maintain, or exacerbate those inequalities.
AP Pittman is a Ph.D. candidate in Sociology at Duke University. Their research explores how state-level differences in policies and programs contribute to disparities in population health, with a particular focus on gerrymandering, anti-trans legislation, and abortion protection amendments. Their work also examines how social structures shape health outcomes and how research can inform efforts to improve lives.
Stephanie Wright is a Ph.D. candidate in the Security, Peace, and Conflict subfield of Duke’s Department of Political Science. Her research investigates how recognition of subnational groups influences state identity and political participation in conflict-affected countries, with additional work exploring identity formation, economic interventions, and peace-building.
Through PARISS, these scholars join a community of researchers committed to advancing social science that is collaborative, impactful, and responsive to today’s most pressing challenges.