Williams College Political Scientist Wins Best Dissertation Award

Candis Watts-Smith, an assistant professor of political science at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, has been selected to receive the Best Dissertation Award from the race and ethnic politics section of the American Political Science Association. She will receive the award at the association’s annual convention in September.

Dr. Watts-Smith earned bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees at Duke University. Her award-winning dissertation was entitled, “Black Mosaic: Expanding Contours of Black Identity and Black Politics.” The research compared African American and Black immigrants’ identities, attitudes and behaviors.

An expanded version of her dissertation will appear in a book that will be published by New York University Press.