Dr. Ignacio Arana Araya

Assistant Professor

Build a Statement of Purpose

Generate a tailored SOP for Dr. Ignacio Arana Araya. Improve your application with a focused, well-structured draft.

Biography

Ignacio Arana Araya is an Assistant Professor at the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology. His research interests revolve around comparative politics, with a specific focus on elite behavior and the impact of individual personality traits on governance. His work examines the consequences of varying political institutions, with an emphasis on Latin America. Arana investigates executive-legislative relations, informal political institutions, gender dynamics in politics, and judicial politics. He is currently writing a book titled 'Psychology of Presidents,' which is under contract with Cambridge University Press, along with a forthcoming publication from Oxford University Press titled 'Presidential Personalities and Constitutional Power Grabs in Latin America, 1945-2021.' His research has been published in prestigious journals such as The American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, and Political Psychology, among others. Arana has also contributed to various book chapters and has held affiliations with CMU’s Center for Informed Democracy & Social Cybersecurity (IDeaS). He is known for his active engagement in the Pittsburgh Latino community and has received recognition for his inclusive teaching practices.

Research Interests

Experience

Assistant Professor

2021-08-01 — Present

Carnegie Mellon Institute Strategy & Technology • Pittsburgh, PA

Engage in research and teaching focused on political behavior and institutions.

Courses

Research Design in Political Science Comparative Politics Latin American Politics

Requirements for Carnegie Mellon University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.5
GRE General
Verbal
Required:158
Quantitative
Required:149
Analytical Writing
Required:4
Overall
Required:4
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in Psychology or related field Research experience/publications
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Transcripts
  • GRE scores (optional but reported in profile)
  • English Proficiency (TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo)
Specialization Notes

Admission is extremely competitive with no strict GPA cut-offs; holistic review is used.