Our PhDs will deliver
The following contains information about our advanced doctoral students and recent PhDs currently on the academic job market.
If you would like more information, please contact our Director of PhD Placement, Professor Frederick Solt. A candidate’s confidential placement file, consisting of curriculum vitae, unofficial transcripts, letters of recommendation, and a summary of student evaluation or writing samples, may be requested by a prospective employer by contacting our graduate program coordinator.
Alex Bezahler
Title/Position
Doctoral Candidate
Teaching Assistant
Ahmed Bulbul
Title/Position
Doctoral Candidate
Teaching Assistant
Sami DeRagon
Title/Position
Post Comp Fellow
Doctoral Candidate
Simal Gerot
Title/Position
Doctoral Candidate
Teaching Assistant
Chase LaSpisa
Title/Position
Doctoral Candidate
Research Assistant
Eric Ngo
Title/Position
Doctoral Candidate
Stephanie Schmitt
Title/Position
Ballard and Seashore Fellow
Doctoral Candidate
Tianhui Wu
Title/Position
Teaching Assistant
Our graduates succeed
Iowa PhDs 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 PhDs 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.
Placements
Class of 2025
Class of 2025
| Graduate | Field of study | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Nathan Timbs | International relations | University of Virginia |
| Carly Millerd | International relations | University of South Dakota |
| Samuel Harper | American politics | University of Tampa |
| Jeongho Choi | Comparative politics | Leibniz University, Hannover Germany |
| Nathan Micatka | American politics | University of South Alabama |
| Haofeng Ma | Comparative politics | The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen |
Class of 2024
Class of 2024
| Graduate | Field of study | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Weidong Zhang | International relations | University of Texas El Paso |
| Tracee Saunders | American politics | Penn State |
| Addison Huygens | International relations | Tulane University |
| Joseph Coll | American politics | Texas Tech University |
| Bomi Lee | International relations | University of Arkansas |
Class of 2023
Class of 2023
| Graduate | Field of study | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Daria Kuznetsova | Comparative politics | University of Canterbury-Christchurch |
| Erico Yu | Comparative politics | University of Massachusetts-Amherst |
| Saera Lee | International relations | Northwestern University |
| Hoshik Nam | International relations | Jacksonville State University |
| Hyein Ko | Comparative politics | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign |
| Willow Kreutzer | International relations | U.S. State Department |
| Christine Bricker | American politics | University of Iowa |
Class of 2022
Class of 2022
| Graduate | Field of study | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Lindsey Allemang Goldberg | International relations | University of Florida |
| Ahmad Qabazard | Comparative politics | Kuwait University |
| Cassandra Tai | Comparative politics | Pennsylvania State University |
| Yufan Yang | International relations | Augusta University |
| Byung-Deuk Woo | Comparative politics | Incheon National University |
Class of 2021
Class of 2021
| Graduate | Field of study | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Rachel Torres | American politics | University of Nevada Las Vegas |
| Yooneui Kim | International relations | Bentley University |
Class of 2020
Class of 2020
| Graduate | Field of study | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Jungmin Song | Comparative politics | National Assembly Research Service of Korea (2024) |
| Ki Eun Ryu | Comparative politics | Jeju Peace Institute |
| Jielu Yao | American politics | Wesleyan University |
| Aubree Herrin | International relations | Thiel College |
| Courtney Juelich | American politics | University of Wisconsin-Stout |
| Scott LaCombe | American politics | University of Missouri, Columbia |
Class of 2019
Class of 2019
| Graduate | Field of study | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Desmond Wallace | American politics | Alfred University |
| JongHwan Han | International relations | South Korean Navy |
Class of 2018
Class of 2018
| Graduate | Field of study | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Ray Ou Yang | Comparative politics | Southwest Jiaotong University |
| Yue Hu | Comparative politics | Tsinghua University |
| Sojeong Lee | International relations | University of Tennessee, Knoxville |
Class of 2017
Class of 2017
| Graduate | Field of study | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Kyu Young Lee | Comparative politics | Prairie View A&M University |
| Michael Ritter | American politics | Washington State University |
| Kyu Young Lee | International relations | St. Lawrence University |
| Elizabeth Maltby | American politics | University of Nevada, Las Vegas |
| Shuai Jin | Comparative politics | University of Massachusetts Boston |
| Kellen Gracey | American politics | GoDaddy Corporation, Data Scientist |
Class of 2016
Class of 2016
| Graduate | Field of study | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Yang Zhang | Comparative politics | Southwest Jiaotong University |
| Christopher Anderson | Comparative politics | U.S. State Department |
| Charlotte Ridge | American politics | Juniata College |
| Joseph Yingnan Zhou | Comparative politics | University of Texas at El Paso |
Class of 2015
Class of 2015
| Graduate | Field of study | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Dongkyu Kim | International relations | University of Texas Rio Grande Valley |
| Mi-son Kim | Comparative politics | University of Texas Rio Grande Valley |
| Rebecca Kreitzer | American politics | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
| Emily Schilling | American politics |
|
| Ki Eun Sung | Comparative politics | Korean Military Academy |
| Jason Thomas | Comparative politics | Syracuse University |
Class of 2014
Class of 2014
| Graduate | Field of study | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Ring | International relations | University of Tennessee, Knoxville |
Class of 2013
Class of 2013
| Graduate | Field of study | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Olga Chyzh | International relations | University of Toronto |
| Zahid Choudhury | Comparative politics | University of Dhaka in Bangladesh |
| Amanda Frost | American studies | Vice President, Research at Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) |
| Natasha Altema McNeely | American politics | University of North Texas |
| Stephen Nemeth | International relations | Oklahoma State University |
| Mark Nieman | International relations | University of Toronto |
| Spencer Willardson | International relations | Nazarbayev University |
Class of 2012
Class of 2012
| Graduate | Field of study | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| James Fielder | International relations | U.S. Air Force Academy |
| Nicholas Martini | American politics | University of Iowa |
| William Franko | American politics | West Virginia University |
| Zachary Greene | Comparative politics | University of Strathclyde, Glasglow, Scotland |
| Jae Mook Lee | American politics | Yonsei University |
| Vanessa Lefler | International relations | Middle Tennessee State University |
| Hyeon Seok Park | International relations | Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology |
Class of 2011
Class of 2011
| Graduate | Field of study | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Gail Buttorff | Comparative politics |
|
| Alex Cohen | American politics | Ashford University |
| Benjamin Dar | American politics | Loras College |
| Youngwan Kim | International relations | Iowa State University |
| Robert McGrath | American politics | George Mason University |
| Charlotte Ridge | American politics | Colby College |
Class of 2010
Class of 2010
| Graduate | Field of study | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel Bowen | American politics | The College of New Jersey |
| Christopher Clark | American politics |
|
| Jonathan Day | American politics | Western Illinois University |
| Benjamin Knoll | American politics | Centre College |
| Amanda Licht | International relations | Binghamton University |
| Stephen Nemeth | International relations | Kansas State (post doc) |
Class of 2009
Class of 2009
| Graduate | Field of study | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Holley Hansen | Comparative politics |
|
| James Krueger | American politics | University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh |
| Howard Sanborn | Comparative politics | Virginia Military Institute |
Class of 2008
Class of 2008
| Graduate | Field of study | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Brian DiSarro | American politics | California State University-Sacramento |
| Karleen Jones-West | Comparative politics | West Virginia University |
| Hoon Lee | International relations | Texas Tech University |
| Jill Wittrock | Comparative politics |
|
Class of 2007
Class of 2007
| Graduate | Field of study | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Christina Bejarano | American politics | University of Kansas |
| Andrew Civettini | American politics | Knox College |
| Edmond D. Hally | Political theory | Ferrum College in Virginia |
| Sang Shin Lee | Comparative politics | Seoul National University |
| Clayton Thyne | International relations | University of Kentucky |
Class of 2006
Class of 2006
| Graduate | Field of study | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Scott Cody | American politics | Saint Louis Comm Coll |
| Eric Hines | Comparative politics | University of Montana |
| Dong-hun Kim | International relations |
|
| Ken Moffett | American politics | Southern Illinois University |
| Daniel Morey | International relations | University of Kentucky |
| Tracy Slagter | American politics | University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh |
Career resources for UI graduate students
The Graduate College offers robust professional development services, including career guidance, national grants and fellowships support, and Iowa's Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL).
For more information on graduate student professional development services, visit the Grad Success Center.