Another academic year come and gone, and another cohort of talented, intelligent, and determined PhDs graduating from the walls of Seigle Hall and the Political Science department. This year's cohort of graduating researchers have made their mark not only on our department, but on the discipline itself through award-winning work published in major journals and presented at national conferences. Now they're moving on to continue their fantastic work at institutions around the country.
We asked them all to reflect on their time as WashU students, what they'll miss, their biggest highlights, and where they're headed after graduation. Below are their responses. We wish all of them the most success in their next endeavor, and look forward to seeing them again as colleagues.
Amaan Charaniya
What is a highlight of your time as a PhD student in the department?
It is common for WashU students to attend MPSA every year in Chicago because of its proximity and the easy train ride. Unfortunately, taking the train is an infamously difficult process. My favorite MPSA was when our return train was delayed so long (for no clear reason) that Mike Olson rented a car and drove some students back to St. Louis instead of waiting for the train. I think it’s a testament to WashU’s supportive environment as well as the declining state of US transportation infrastructure.
What will you miss about studying here at WashU?
I will miss many things about WashU and St. Louis. The intellectual environment and friendly department have been some of my favorite things about being here. However, it’s hard to beat living and working by a 1,300-acre park that’s accessible from the office. I’m not sure anything will ever come close to that.
What are your plans post-graduation?
I’m going to be spending some time as a postdoc at Emory University in the Security and Conflict lab before starting as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte!
Rex Weiye Deng
What is a highlight of your time as a PhD student in the department?
I would say my highlight is the successes of producing two of my solo articles. The first one, my third-year paper, has just been accepted at the Journal of Politics, and the second one, my job market paper, has won several awards both internally and externally. I will not be able to achieve these without the support from my Chair, Margit Tavits, and my dissertation committee members, David, Carly, Ted, and Haifeng.
What will you miss about studying here at WashU?
All the people here. We have a fantastic cohort that supports each other both academically and mentally. We have great faculty members that have rigorously trained us to be a professional, independent, and competent scholars. We have fantastic staff that have been supporting all the logistics and administrations so that our work can progress efficiently.
What are your plans post-graduation?
I am joining New York University - Abu Dhabi as an Assistant Professor of Political Science.
Annie Jarman
What is a highlight of your time as a PhD student in the department?
I am grateful to have worked with Diana Z. O'Brien, Lucia Motolinia, Taylor Carlson, and Dan Butler. I especially enjoyed the weekly research labs at WashU.
What will you miss about studying here at WashU?
I will miss Forest Park, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the people at WashU.
What are your plans post-graduation?
I am joining the Representation and Politics in Legislature Lab at Notre Dame as a Postdoctoral Research Associate.
Ryan Johnson
What is a highlight of your time as a PhD student in the department?
A highlight of my time was running both the Political Data Science Lab and the Formal Theory Workshop for two years. Coordinating presentations for faculty, visitors, and graduate students gave me the opportunity to see how research developed into publication and exposed me to ideas I would not have encountered otherwise.
What will you miss about studying here at WashU?
I will miss the interdisciplinary atmosphere. WashU houses world class scholars across many schools and departments.
What are your plans post-graduation?
(No response; this is unfortunately still up in the air.)
Jordon Newton
What is a highlight of your time as a PhD student in the department?
The highlight of my time in graduate school was the State Politics conference last year; between connecting with so many members of the academic community, getting great feedback on my research, and winning an award for best presentation by a graduate student, it was the first time I felt like a full member of the academic community.
What will you miss about studying here at WashU?
I'll miss the academic community at WashU, particularly the American politics group. Engaging with the work of and getting feedback from the faculty and my fellow students has developed my work far beyond where it would be on its own.
What are your plans post-graduation?
Next year, I will be a postdoctoral associate with the Center for Effective Lawmaking at Vanderbilt University.
