Biography
Alessandra Pappalardi is a junior studying political science and the history of science, medicine and public health. Passionate about community-building, she is spending her time as a Dahl scholar alongside her research partner Sabbi Gale-Donnelly studying discussion as a means to achieve social cohesion. The pair is investigating the efficacy of two kinds of dialogue structures — the mock citizen assembly and the pluralist lab — in shaping ideological trust and openness. Pappalardi 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 her college experience. This past year, she has served as chairwoman of the Party of the Left, 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, she served as a 2024-2025 community response fellow, mentorship liaison for the Public Health Coalition, and the hall’s lead service coordinator.