The Undergraduate Journal of Contemporary Affairs (UJCA) is a student-run academic journal publishing undergraduate work in the social sciences and humanities based out of Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. The Journal aims to shed light on contemporary global issues and give undergraduate students a platform to voice their perspective. UJCA is interested in work that analyzes rising issues in the fields of political science, international relations, economics, history, religion, psychology, sociology, philosophy, and more.
The Journal is rooted in the belief that pursuing research as an undergraduate student provides incomparable experience for future endeavors such as attending graduate school. Because of this, the Editorial Board hopes that UJCA can meaningfully contribute to undergraduate students achieving their future goals.
The Journal publishes one autumn and one spring issue per year. We only accept submissions from undergraduate students attending college in Texas. All publications selected from our submission pool will have demonstrated intellectual competence and insightful content. Opinions expressed in the selected publications reflect the views of the author in question, and do not reflect the views of the Editorial or Advisory Board.
As the Journal is still new and evolving, we welcome any constructive feedback you may have for us. Please send any comments or suggestions to ujca@trinity.edu.
Editorial Board
- Beyza Yildirim, Founder & Editor-in-Chief
Beyza is a senior from Houston, Texas studying Political Science and Film Studies. Her areas of concentration are international relations, non-state actors, human rights, and development, with a regional focus on the Middle East and North Africa. Beyza has worked as a Research Assistant with Rice University’s Baker Institute, the Department of Political Science at Trinity, and the Institute for Migration Studies at Lebanese American University. Through these experiences, she presented at the 2025 Southern Political Science Association Conference and published on Syrian refugees in Türkiye.
- Jay Salter, Editor-in-Chief
Jay is a senior from Katy, Texas studying Political Science. He specializes in international relations with a focus on genocide memorialization and legal exceptionalism. Jay was a student presenter at the 2024 and 2025 Pi Sigma Alpha Student Research Conferences, and served as a Presidential Fellow for the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress during the 2024-25 academic year. He is currently working on research into denial of the Bosnian Genocide with Dr. Rosa Aloisi for the University of Sarajevo.
- Nina Pollak, Editor
Nina is a senior from Bethesda, Maryland studying Political Science and Spanish. She specializes in international law, foreign affairs, and voting rights issues. Nina is a student-athlete on the Trinity Women’s Soccer Team and is President of MOVE Texas at Trinity, a non-profit, non-partisan organization that focuses on voter registration and civic engagement among marginalized youth communities.
- Dylan Wilford, Editor
Dylan is a senior from Flower Mound, Texas studying History and Political Science. He specializes in nationalism and labor history’s intersection in the Americas and Europe. Dylan has written for Trinitonian, worked at the Sharpsteen Museum and was a student presenter at the 2025 ASIANetwork Conference.
- Monze Muñoz, Editor
Monzerrat is a junior from Needville, Texas, studying Philosophy and English with a minor in Spanish. She has a particular interest in political philosophy, philosophy of race, and philosophy of the Americas. Aside from these academic pursuits, she is also concerned with labor laws in Texas and nationwide. Monzerrat is the Vice President for Trinity University’s Philosophy Club.
- Julia Williams, Editor
Julia is a junior from St. Paul, Minnesota, studying International Studies, Strategic Communications, and Philosophy. Her academic work focuses on diplomacy, human security, and technology governance. She has studied international relations and multilateral diplomacy in Geneva. Julia currently serves as a Digital Watch Knowledge Fellow with DiploFoundation, where she writes on digital diplomacy, cybersecurity, and AI governance.
- JC Canlas, Shadow Editor
JC is a junior from Alexandria, Virginia, studying Political Science and International Studies, with a concentration in Diplomacy, Security, and War and Peace Studies. Her academic interests include human rights, public policy, and racial and ethnic politics. She has studied abroad in Nepal, Jordan, and Chile through the School for International Training’s International Honors Program for Human Rights. JC currently serves as President of the Filipino Student Association.
- Macey Chandler, Shadow Editor
Macey is a junior from Austin, Texas and Gilbert, Arizona studying Sociology and Political Science. Her academic work focuses on firearm violence, public policy, and the intersection of religious and political identity formation. Macey serves as the Vice President of Arizonans for Gun Safety and is a former GIFFORDS Courage Fellow. She currently conducts research on LGBTQ+ youth as an undergraduate researcher on the Family, Housing, and Me (FHAM) Project.
- Riya Vankamamidi, Layout Editor
Riya is a senior from Frisco, Texas, studying psychology with a minor in biology. She is particularly interested in the medical field and psychiatry. Riya currently serves as Opinion Editor for the Trinitonian and Vice President of Trinity’s Rotaract chapter. She is also a part of Dr. Michele Johnson’s Lizard Lab at Trinity.
External Advisor
- C. Judith Fuentes
Judith recently graduated from Trinity University as part of the Class of 2025. She is currently working at Baylor College of Medicine as a research assistant under Dr. Eric Storch, focusing on depression and trauma. She aims to obtain a doctorate in clinical psychology.
Advisory Board
- Dr. Lauren Turek, Associate Professor in the Department of History
- Dr. Rosa Aloisi, Department Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science
- Dr. Sussan Siavoshi, Una Chapman Cox Professor of International Affairs in the Department of Political Science
- Dr. Habiba Noor, Lecturer in the Departments of Education and Urban Studies
- Dr. Sarah Beth Kaufman, Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Sponsorship
The Journal is primarily sponsored by the School of Social Science and Civic Engagement at Trinity University.
Additionally, it is sponsored by Academic Affairs of Trinity University, the Dean of the Library at Trinity University, the Departments of History, Economics, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology/Anthropology, Modern Languages and Literatures, Communication, Religion, and the International Studies, Women’s and Gender Studies, Global Latinx Studies, and Mexico, the Americas, and Spain (MAS) programs at Trinity University.
We would like to thank our sponsors for their generous contributions.
The Undergraduate Journal of Contemporary Affairs 