Alessandra Pappalardi

Alessandra Pappalardi is a junior studying Political Science and the History of Science, Medicine and Public Health. Passionate about community-building, Alessandra’s time as a Dahl Scholar will be spent alongside her research partner Sabbi Gale-Donnelly studying discussion as a means to achieve social cohesion. The pair will investigate the efficacy of two kinds of dialogue structures – the mock citizen assembly and the pluralist lab – in shaping ideological trust and openness. Alessandra truly believes that civic dialogue is the key to assembling more cohesive, sociable and generous communities in which neighbors know each other’s names. This work is supported by the Hannah Arendt Center of Bard College, the Pluralist Lab at George Mason University, and Yale Professor Isabela Mares. Community and dialogue have been absolute tenets of Alessandra’s college experience. This fall, she is the Chairwoman of the Party of the Left, the co-leader of the Yale Political Union’s Women’s Caucus and a Cultivating Conversations Fellow. She is also the 2025-2026 Co-President of the Women’s Leadership Initiative at Yale. Within Dwight Hall, Alessandra is 2024-2025 Community Response Fellow, the Mentorship Liaison for the Public Health Coalition, and the Hall’s Lead Service Coordinator. If you’d like to chat about civic dialogue, reach out to Alessandra (alessandra.pappalardi@yale.edu)!