Graduate Alum Updates and Reflections

Reflections on Time at KU

Sammy Badran

Sammy Badran (PhD, 2018) is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the American University of Sharjah (UAE). Sammy's current research interests surround contentious politics and social movements within the MENA region.

"I received an outstanding education at the University of Kansas. I was exposed to many teaching methodologies and given the opportunity to independently teach a variety of courses at KU. I am indebted to my advisors who assisted me with research grant applications, dissertations revisions, and job market preparation. With their help I was fortunate to receive a Fulbright Fellowship for dissertation research along with various Foreign Language Area Study (FLAS) fellowships for language acquisition through the Kansas African Studies Center. The support I received from advisers and professors helped me make a smooth transition from graduate school to the job market."

Alexandra Middlewood

Alexandra Middlewood (PhD, 2019) is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Wichita State University. Alexandra's current research interests are public opinion, political behavior, gender, gun ownership, and political attitudes.

"My time as a PhD student and graduate teaching assistant at KU prepared me well for the academic job market. My advisor, Mark Joslyn, was dedicated to helping me be prepared to succeed in a difficult job market. I was encouraged to get both teaching and research experience which ultimately landed me a tenure-track job in a teaching-oriented department at a research university – the best of both worlds! Even after changing subfields during my first year in the PhD program, by the time I graduated from KU I had co-authored a forthcoming publication in Social Science Quarterly, I had experience teaching courses at several institutions, and I had a tenure-track job offer at WSU. Dr. Joslyn’s guidance was invaluable to me as a first-generation college student, and I really couldn’t have asked for a better advisor. Getting time and attention from the faculty is what sets KU apart from other PhD programs."

Brian Turnbull

Brian Turnbull (PhD, 2018) is a Visiting Instructor in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences at the University of South Florida. Brian's current research interest is gender quotas in the Global South. Brian is particularly interested in determining whether gender quotas lead to real gains on the group in desriptive and substantive representation for women, particularly outside of the quota institution itself.

"KU political science provided me with a solid grounding in both teaching and scholarship. I credit my graduate training with providing me with valuable teaching experience and assessment, which really gave me a head start in leading my own courses as an instructor. I started teaching with syllabi that were ready to go and classroom activities that I knew worked. Furthermore, the guidance and feedback provided by my mentor and dissertation committee helped me build a solid research agenda that enabled me to submit several projects and a book manuscript for peer review shortly after graduation. These publications have given me a strong foundation to take into job interviews and request funding. Go Hawks!"

Recent Publications

Robert Rodriguez

Robert Rodriguez (PhD 2005), Associate Professor at Texas A&M University-Commerce has a book chapter in the Routledge Handbook of Tennis: History, Culture and Politics, edited by Robert J. Lake. The chapter is entitled, "A brief historal, political, and social analysis of Argentine tennis".

Patrick Asingo

Asingo, PO. 2018. “Ethnicity and Political Inclusivity in Kenya: Retrospective Analysis and Prospective Solutions.” Ethnicity and Politicization in Kenya: The National Study. , Nairobi: Kenya Human Rights Commission Ethnicity and Politicization in Kenya
Asingo, PO. 2018. “Relative Deprivation, Protests and Voting in Kenya.” Commonwealth and Comparative Politics. 56(1):65-83.
Asingo, PO. 2017. “Policy Salience and Election Outcomes in Contemporary American Presidential Elections (1972 -2000).” Politics and Policy. 45(4):571-593.

Dan Chen

Dan Chen with John James Kennedy, and. 2018. “State Capacity and Cadre Mobilization in China: the Elasticity of Policy Implementation.” Journal of Contemporary China 27 (111):393-405.
Chen, Dan. 2017. “‘Supervision by Public Opinion’ or by Government Ofﬁcials? Media Criticism and Central-Local Government Relations in China.” Modern China 43 (6): 620-645.
Chen, Dan. 2017. “Local Distrust and Regime Support: Sources and Effects of Political Trust in China.” Political Research Quarterly 70 (2): 314-326.
Chen, Dan. 2017. “Facilitating Public Service Provision: The Emerging Role of Municipal Television News in China.” The China Quarterly 229: 130-149

Placement information

2019 Graduates

Ryan Daugherty, Concordia University Wisconsin
Alexandra Middlewood, Wichita State University
Colonel Todd A. Schmidt, U.S. Army

2018 Graduates

Sammy Badran, Saint Martin’s University
Bronson Herrera, Northwest Missouri State
Brian Turnbull, St. Petersburg College
Marcus Williamson, Purdue University Northwest
Kristina Youngblood, AEM Corporation

2017 Graduates

Ranya Ahmed, Harvard University FXB Center for Health and Human Rights
Adam Brown, Saint Joseph, MO School District
Brittnee Carter, University of Kansas
Ben Rogers, Norfolk State University
Lidiya Zubytska, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

2016 Graduates

Terilyn Huntington, Mount Vernon Nazarene University
Jacob Longaker, Bates College
Saatvika Rai, University of Toledo
Steven Sylvester, Utah Valley University

2015 Graduates

KeeHyun Ahn, Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea
Chelsie Bright, Judicial Council of California, Mills College
Luke Campbell, Northwest Missouri State University
Derek Glasgow, Mercer University
Brian Hanson, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
Alex Jorgensen, Missouri State University
Johnathon Kupka, Garrison Commander U.S. Army Virginia
Thomas Ringenberg, Rockhurst University
Steven Torrente, University of Nebraska at Kearney