Congratulations to Julio Cedillo for being named a Haas Scholar for the ‘25-’26 cohort! Julio was among twenty students selected to build a supportive intellectual community during his final year at UC Berkeley. Haas Scholars are evaluated on the merit and originality of their proposal for independent research or creative projects that will serve as the basis for a senior or honors thesis. Alongside research, Julio will receive close mentoring from members of the UC Berkeley faculty, seminars, and workshops to assist him in the research and writing process, the opportunity to present their work at a conference, and up to $14,500 in financial support.
How did you hear about the Haas Scholars Program?
I remember in a random meeting at Miller’s, Luisa had mentioned Haas and how much support they received. It was very similar to Miller Scholars, but I felt intimidated because of their reputation on campus. Over time, while doing research both in Miller’s and in the LRC’s FMURF program, I felt that I gained more research experience and felt ready to tackle on the application. I told my cohort and Luisa I was going to apply and they supported me and here I am!
How did Miller Scholars prepare you to apply and join Haas Scholars?
I actually mentioned Miller Scholars in my application! Towards the end of the big formal questions, they were questions about working alongside a cohort: what can you do to support others and how can others support you. Reflecting back, my cohort came from different disciplines and at first, our projects were foreign to one another. But as soon as time went on, we shared our progress. We were able to learn together and support each other in every way.
I remember Briana would ask me for any tips on interviewing or literature reviews, and I would happily help her, even sharing the lecture slides from my Sociology 5 class. At the same time, Esme & Noel would share multiple opportunities for us to take advantage of. In a way, we all created this supportive environment where we not only learn but grow academically and professionally together.
In terms of research, Miller’s gave me my first actual research project to conduct on campus. I was able to state that and gained experience. It was kinda the foundational piece for me to begin my journey as a researcher at Berkeley.
What are you planning on researching in Haas?
My research is currently looking at Latinos in the military. Primarily, I am interested in how military service is used as a “pseudo-naturalization” process; proving or justifying citizenship with the ultimate honor given in the military. In turn, I want to analyze the homogeneity and the deindividualization of the Latino soldier to transfer loyalty to larger units, such as the nation, branch of service, unit, and comrades. It’s been noted that the military holds high deference to authority to its members, because recruits seek to emulate their leaders. The military is another way Latinos commit assimilation due the military being a catalyst for social mobility.
Julio will be mentored by Dr. Michael Rodríguez-Muñiz for the next academic year. He is an associate professor of sociology and co-directs the Latinx Social Science Pipeline initiative. He received his PhD (Sociology) from Brown University, his MA (Sociology) from the University of Illinois-Chicago, and his BA (Political Science and Mexican and Caribbean Studies) from Northeastern Illinois University. His research and teaching explore the politics of race, knowledge, and temporality, primarily in Latinx communities and movements. Michael's current research focuses on Puerto Rican diasporic anticolonialism and state repression, demographic imaginaries and population politics, race and political trust, and Du Boisian sociology. With colleagues in Chicago, he co-leads Digitizing the Barrio, a Puerto Rican-focused community archive.
Julio would like to thank Assistant Professor Ricarda Hammer for providing her ever-continuing support and connecting him with Professor Rodríguez-Muñiz. His inspiration from this research stemmed from Hammer’s Sociology 102: Sociological Theory II last semester.