Elizabeth "Lizzie" Irlbacher is a graduate student in the Department of Government and Politics. Her research interest includes identity politics, development, and contentious elections with a regional focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. Her current research involves the intersection of gender, ethnic identity, and elections in Kenya. This work took her to Kenya for fieldwork during the 2022 General Election. Lizzie is also a proud first-generation college graduate. She is Vice President of Legislative Affairs with the Graduate Student Government to advocate for other students like her and improve graduate student life for all her peers.