Paige Bollen is a Doctoral Candidate in the Political Science department at MIT. She is a Graduate Fellow at the Global Diversity Lab and the MIT GOV/LAB, as well as a 2016-2017 MIT Presidential Fellow. Her research explores the intersection between urban geography, ethnic identification and political behavior in Sub-Saharan Africa. Her dissertation project centers on understanding how ephemeral exposure to out-groups can shape perceptions of political equity. Relying on methods and insights from geographers, she focuses on how the configuration of urban space constrains and facilitates the sights and sounds to which individuals are privy. In turn, these quotidian experiences can act as a conduit of politically-relevant information on which citizens base their political perceptions and behavior. Before coming to MIT, Paige worked as a Project Manager and Research Support Associate at the MIT Governance Lab. She graduated magna cum laude with a BA in International Relations from Tufts University.