Professor Ocampo received her Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles. She holds an MA in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles and a BA from Brown University in International Relations and Ethnic Studies (with Honors).
Professor Ocampo specializes in the study of race and ethnicity in U.S. politics, with a specific focus on the Latina/o/x community. She teaches courses on political behavior and representation, minority politics, immigration and citizenship and Latina/o/x politics. Her research agenda examines the sociopolitical incorporation of racial, ethnic, and religious minorities both as every-day participants and as political leaders in American institutions. More specifically, she examines the social and psychological factors that mobilize Latinas/os/xs to engage politically, as well as those that propel them or deter them from running for elected office.
Professor Ocampo’s current book project “Truly home?: The Politics of Belonging and Latino Political Incorporation,” which received the 2019 American Political Science Association’s Best Dissertation Award in Race, Ethnicity and Politics, examines the notion of perceived belonging to U.S. society and its influence on political interest and political engagement among Latinas/os/xs. Her research has been published in Political Research Quarterly, Social Science Research, Politics, Groups and Identities, The Forum, and Latino Studies.