Jalen Ward

Jalen Ward (he/him) is a PhD student in Political Science with a DE in Computational Social Science. He specializes in American politics, media, and voter behavior. Jalen currently serves as the 2025-2026 External Vice President of the UC Davis Graduate Student Association. He previously served as the GSA’s Legislative Affairs Director, leading state and federal advocacy initiatives and producing policy briefings and newsletters on higher education funding and policy. His research and public service activities focus on political communication, political psychology, and race and ethnic politics, with an emphasis on how political messaging in elections.

Jalen has also served in UC systemwide governance as a graduate student representative on the UC Davis Academic Senate’s Academic Planning and Development (APD) Subcommittee, the UC Office of the President Academic Planning Council (APC), and the systemwide Coordinating Committee on Graduate Affairs (CCGA). Before beginning his PhD, he worked in health administration at a healthcare startup, where he managed policy compliance, corporate development, and project management. Across his academic and professional roles, his work focuses on strengthening student advocacy, engaging with institutional policies, and demystifying processes in higher education. As EVP, he hopes to bridge the gap between graduate students and political awareness and engagement.