Gabriella Colello
PhD Candidate, Department of Political Science
University of California, Irvine
Teaching
I am currently an adjunct professor at Fullerton College, where I primarily teach Introduction to Comparative Politics (30–50 students). Pedagogically, I’ve chosen to incorporate a semester-long simulation game that brings core concepts to life. Within the simulation, students work in groups to navigate domestic state-building while also responding to regional and international geopolitical pressures. The image to the right (or above, on mobile devices) shows the map I created for the upcoming Spring 2026 semester.
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During Summer 2026, I will also teach a module I designed (The Ethics of Nuclear Risk and Responsibility) for the UCI Ethics Institute's Summer Intern Program.
Mentorship
In 2023, I was the sole NSF GRFP awardee in the International Relations category. Following this award season, I began to train to work as a GRFP application coach. I have since been employed by the UCI Graduate Division to mentor students through this process, working with 150+ students over three years.
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I now work as a lead mentor and training facilitator for this program, helping to coordinate hiring, training, and management of 6-8 fellowship mentors each season.
In the 2025 award year, our program participants made up 50% of UCI's NSF GRFP awardees and 38% of Honorable Mentions, achieving a 20% success rate despite historic federal funding cuts.