The Social & Political Change Lab is a research group led by Dr. Burrel Vann Jr, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at San Diego State University.

Established in 2020, the Social & Political Change Lab is committed to understanding and affecting social change through the study of public and social policy, voting, discourse, social movements, policing, and drugs. This work brings together topics in sociology, public administration, political science, criminal justice, city planning, and law, among others.

We are now accepting applications for Research Assistants. You can fill out an application here: RA Application.

Current Students

	Skylar Weatherford Masters of Public Administration, 2028 Skylar is developing a thesis project investigating the impact of geographic and structural factors on the effectiveness of social assistance programs.
	Ester Moreno Masters of Public Administration, 2027 Ester is developing a thesis project on the impact of leadership type on governmental effectiveness.
	Reyna Blakeman Masters of Public Administration & MA in Latin American Studies, 2028 Reyna's thesis investigates the impact of bilingual ballots on voter participation amongst Latinos in California.

Former Students

	Jackson Perry MS in Criminal Justice & Criminology, 2026 Jackson's thesis investigated the impact of head injury, alcohol use, and offending behavior amongst youth. We also collaborated on a project investigating the relationship between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and aggressive behavior amongst NFL players. In Fall 2026, Jackson will begin pursuing his PhD in Criminology & Criminal Justice at Florida State.
	Sara Posadas Masters of Public Administration, 2026
	Nyla Sammak Masters of Public Administration, 2026
	Orestes Vazquez Masters of Public Administration, 2026 Sara, Nyla, and Orestes collaborated on a capstone project investigating public defenders' perceptions of and experience with the California Racial Justice Act.
	Samantha Bosch Masters of Public Administration, 2026
	Shruti More MS in Criminal Justice & Criminology, 2026
	Lia Luyties MS in Criminal Justice & Criminology, 2026 Sam, Shruti, and Lia collaborated on a capstone project investigating program team members' perceptions of crisis response in California.
	Madison Ruffin MS in Criminal Justice & Criminology, 2025 Madison's thesis investigated how the presence of criminal allegations shapes perceptions of support for celebrities. In Fall 2025, Madison began pursuing her PhD in Criminal Justice and Criminology at Washington State University.
	Lauren Koenig MS in Criminal Justice & Criminology, 2025 Lauren's thesis investigated variation in pre-trial release decisions as a result of judges' decision making and focal concerns.
	Samara Camarillo MS in Criminal Justice & Criminology, 2025 Samara's thesis investigated temporal changes in Title IX procedures, post-COVID and post-#MeToo, at institutions of higher education in California. In Fall 2025, Samara began pursuing her PhD in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of South Carolina.
	Aby Sosa MS in Criminal Justice & Criminology, 2024 Aby, a former research assistant, completed a capstone project in the School. Aby is currently applying to law school.
	Moriah Gaynor Masters of Public Administration, 2023 Moriah's thesis investigates how state-level restrictions in abortion policy affect maternal mortality.
	Sheridamae (Sheri) Gudez MS in Criminal Justice & Criminology, 2023 Sheri's thesis investigated how social disorganization affects policing in and around communities of color in San Diego. In Fall 2023, Sheri began pursuing her PhD in Criminology at Penn State.
	Noah Cohen, PhD MS in Criminal Justice & Criminology, 2022 Noah, a former research assistant, completed his thesis, which is a comparative analysis of international human rights organizations' effectiveness in bringing about justice for human rights abuses in Darfur. In Spring 2026, Noah earned his PhD in Criminal Justice from John Jay.
	Penelope Oseguera MS in Criminal Justice & Criminology, 2021 Penelope's thesis investigated the evolution of discourse around "Defund the Police," highlighting when, why, and how changes in discourse around contentious issues occur.
	Nicole DeFelicis MS in Criminal Justice & Criminology, 2021 Nicole, a former research assistant, completed a capstone project in 2021. She is currently working as a legal processing specialist for Orange County Department of Human Resources.