Melanie Sayuri Sonntag, Ph.D, recieved her Ph.D in Political Science from the University of New Mexico. She is currently a Research Assistant Professor and the Fellowship Director at the UNM Center for Social Policy. Her work focuses on social, institutional, and political barriers to equity for racial and ethnic minorities and women. She holds a B.A. in International Liberal Studies from Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan, and a M.A. in Political Science from Philipps-University in Marburg, Germany.