Cal Poly Pomona assistant political science professor Jarred Cuellar was recently named a 2026 emerging scholar by higher education news outlet The EDU Ledger.

“Jarred Cuellar is an exemplary teacher-scholar: the learning experiences he gives students both in and out of the classroom crystalizes political concepts into practice and shapes appetites for lifelong learning and civic engagement,” wrote Cal Poly Pomona Provost Terri Gomez in a statement. “We are very proud that Dr. Cuellar has been recognized on a national level.”

Cuellar teaches political science and a senior thesis course. He’s also the faculty advisor for the university’s political science club and an advisor for the I Am First mentoring program and Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity.

A first-generation college graduate, his research focuses on Latino political behavior, representation and political identity. Cuellar co-authored the “2024 California Elections and Policy Poll” and a study on Prop 50 redistricting and Latino representation.

Cuellar was featured in the 2024 Courier story, “Cal Poly Pomona students, professors attend Iowa caucuses,” about a group of Cal Poly Pomona students and faculty who got an up close glimpse into Iowa’s quirky election system while observing the Republican Party caucuses.