I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of California, Berkeley.

My research examines how Americans have theorized and contested representation, emotional attachment, morality, and their relationships to political institutions. As a result, I write and teach about political theory, American politics, and institutions.

Originally from Seattle, I obtained my undergraduate education and first MA from the University of Houston. I intend to defend my dissertation at UC Berkeley in the spring of 2026.

You may contact me at: douglasvan@berkeley.edu.