Our graduates succeed

Iowa Ph.D.s secure employment in a wide variety of academic and non-academic settings. In particular, our graduates work in highly ranked research universities and teaching colleges throughout the U.S. and the world. Over the last decade, almost all graduates seeking academic positions found jobs. Also of note is that our Ph.D.'s ranked third among graduates of all doctoral programs for the number of publications per capita in five of the discipline’s leading journals.* Our graduates use their Iowa training to build distinguished research records that allow them to move to some of the nation’s top institutions. In short, we prepare our students well for academic careers and other appropriate professional positions.

*McCormick, J. and T. Rice. 2001. “Graduate Training and Research Productivity in the 1990s: A Look at Who Publishes.” PS: Political Science and Politics, v. 34: 675-680.

Recent Student Placement

GraduatePh.D.Field of StudyPlacement 
Weidong Zhang2024International RelationsUniversity of Texas El Paso  
Tracee Saunders2024American PoliticsPenn State   
Addison Huygens2024International RelationsTulane University 
Daria Kuznetsova2023Comparative PoliticsUniversity of Canterbury-Christchurch 
Erico Yu2023Comparative PoliticsUniversity of Massachusetts-Amherst 
Saera Lee2023International RelationsNorthwestern University 
Hoshik Nam2023International RelationsJacksonville State University 
Hyein Ko2023Comparative PoliticsUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 
Willow Kreutzer2023International RelationsUS State Department 
Lindsey Allemang Goldberg2022International RelationsUniversity of Florida 
Ahmad Qabazard2022Comparative PoliticsKuwait University 
Joseph Coll2024American PoliticsTexas Tech University 
Cassandra Tai2022Comparative PoliticsPennsylvania State University 
Yufan Yang2022International RelationsAugusta University 
Byung-Deuk Woo2022Comparative PoliticsIncheon National University 
Bomi Lee2024International RelationsUniversity of Arkansas 
Rachel Torres2021American PoliticsUniversity of Nevada Las Vegas 
Yooneui Kim2021International RelationsBentley University 
Jungmin Song2020Comparative PoliticsNational Assembly Research Service of Korea (2024) 
Ki Eun Ryu2020Comparative PoliticsJeju Peace Institute 
Jielu Yao2020American PoliticsWesleyan University 
Aubree Herrin2020International RelationsThiel College 
Courtney Juelich2020American PoliticsUniversity of Wisconsin-Stout 
Scott LaCombe2020American PoliticsSmith College 
Kyu Young Lee2017Comparative PoliticsPrairie View A&M 
Desmond Wallace2019American PoliticsAlfred University 
JongHwan Han2019International RelationsSouth Korean Navy 
Ray Ou Yang2018Comparative PoliticsSouthwest Jiaotong University 
Yue Hu2018Comparative PoliticsTsinghua University 
Sojeong Lee2018International RelationsUniversity of Tennessee, Knoxville 
Christine Bricker2023American PoliticsUniversity of Iowa 
Michael Ritter2017American PoliticsWashington State University 
Kyu Young Lee2017International RelationsSt. Lawrence University 
Elizabeth Maltby2017American PoliticsUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas 
Shuai Jin2017Comparative PoliticsUniversity of Massachusetts Boston 
Kellen Gracey2017American PoliticsGoDaddy Corporation, Data Scientist 
Abigail Matthews2017American PoliticsMiami University (Ohio) 
Yang Zhang2016Comparative PoliticsSouthwest Jiaotong University 
Christopher Anderson2016Comparative PoliticsU.S. State Department 
Charlotte Ridge2016American PoliticsJuniata College 
Joseph Yingnan Zhou2016Comparative PoliticsUniversity of Texas at El Paso 
Dongkyu Kim2015International RelationsUniversity of Texas Rio Grande Valley 
Mi-son Kim2015Comparative PoliticsUniversity of Texas Rio Grande Valley 
Rebecca Kreitzer2015American PoliticsUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill  
Emily Schilling2015American PoliticsWashington University in St. Louis (post doc), University of Tennessee 
Ki Eun Sung2015Comparative PoliticsKorean Military Academy 
Jason Thomas2015Comparative PoliticsSyracuse University 
Jonathan Ring2014International RelationsUniversity of Michigan (post-doc), Cleveland State University 
Olga Chyzh2013International RelationsIowa State University 
Zahid Choudhury2013Comparative PoliticsUniversity of Dhaka in Bangladesh 
Amanda Frost2013American StudiesNon-Profit in Washington D.C. 
Natasha Altema McNeely2013American PoliticsUniversity of Texas - Pan American 
Stephen Nemeth2013International RelationsOklahoma State University 
Mark Nieman2013International RelationsIowa State University 
Spencer Willardson2013International RelationsNazarbayev University  
James Fielder2012International RelationsU.S. Air Force Academy 
Nicholas Martini2012American PoliticsUniversity of Iowa 
William Franko2012American PoliticsWest Virginia University 
Zachary Greene2012Comparative PoliticsUniversity of Mannheim (post doc), Lecture/Chancellor's Fellow, University of Strathclyde, Glasglow, Scotland 
Jae Mook Lee2012American PoliticsYonsei University 
Vanessa Lefler2012International RelationsMiddle Tennessee State University 
Hyeon Seok Park2012International RelationsKorea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology 
Gail Buttorff2011Comparative PoliticsNYU, Abu Dhabi (post doc, Fall 2011). Comparative Politics, University of Kansas (Fall 2012) 
Alex Cohen2011American PoliticsAshford University 
Benjamin Dar2011 One Year Teaching Fellow, Augustana College-Fall 2012, Loras College 
Youngwan Kim2011International RelationsIowa State University 
Robert McGrath2011American PoliticsGeorge Mason University 
Charlotte Ridge2011American PoliticsColby College 
Daniel Bowen2010American PoliticsThe College of New Jersey 
Christopher Clark2010American PoliticsUniv. of North Carolina (post doc 2011), University of North Carolina (Fall 2012) 
Jonathan Day2010American PoliticsWestern Illinois University 
Benjamin Knoll2010American PoliticsCentre College 
Amanda Licht2010International RelationsBinghamton University 
Stephen Nemeth2010International RelationsKansas State (post doc) 
Holley Hansen2009Comparative PoliticsInitial placement: Knox College. Current placement: University of Puget Sound (post doc) 
James Krueger2009American PoliticsUniversity of Wisconsin-Oshkosh 
Howard Sanborn2009Comparative PoliticsVirginia Military Institute 
Brian DiSarro2008American PoliticsCalifornia State University-Sacramento 
Karleen Jones-West2008Comparative PoliticsWest Virginia University 
Hoon Lee2008International RelationsTexas Tech University 
Jill Wittrock2008Comparative PoliticsInitial placement: Oxford University Current placement: University of Michigan IPSR (Research/Admin) 
Christina Bejarano2007American PoliticsUniversity of Kansas 
Andrew Civettini2007American PoliticsKnox College 
Edmond D. Hally2007Political TheoryFerrum College in Virginia 
Sang Shin Lee2007Comparative PoliticsSeoul National University 
Clayton Thyne2007International RelationsUniversity of Kentucky 
Scott Cody2006American PoliticsSaint Louis Comm Coll 
Eric Hines2006Comparative PoliticsUniversity of Montana 
Dong-hun Kim2006International RelationsInitial placement: Oakland University, current placement: Korea University in Seoul 
Ken Moffett2006American PoliticsSouthern Illinois University 
Daniel Morey2006International RelationsUniversity of Kentucky 
Tracy Slagter2006American PoliticsUniversity of Wisconsin-Oshkosh