Sydney V. Brake

• M.A. in Research Psychology, UMass Dartmouth
• B.A. in Psychology, UMass Dartmouth
• B.F.A in Art & Design - Illustration, UMass Dartmouth

Sydney V. Brake is a third-year Ph.D. student in political science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she also works as a graduate assistant. She holds an M.A. in research psychology from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth as well as a B.A. in psychology and a B.F.A. in illustration from UMass Dartmouth. Her research lies in political psychology, with a focus on political polarization, American politics, and political science research methods.

Kirshbaum, S., Brake, S., Cuthbert, L., Eichen, A., La Raja, R., Mohanty, J., Nteta, T., Rhodes, J., Snyder, D. & Theodoridis, A. (2024). The 2024 U.S. Presidential Election: Public Opinion on the Economy and Immigration Helped Return Trump to the White House, but with No Clear Policy Mandate. The Forum, 22(2-3), 343-368. https://doi.org/10.1515/for-2025-2012

Hojjat, M., Moyer, A., Brake, S., Nelson, B., Richmond, B. D., Schleider, J. L., & London, B. (2024). Friendship in the time of COVID-19. In M. Hojjat & A. Moyer (Eds.), Modern Relationships: The Evolution of Romance, Friendship and Family (pp. 232-250). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197655504.003.0014