What did you study in your PhD?
I studied comparative politics and women’s, gender and sexuality studies. Specifically, I studied grave violations against children in armed conflict, building a database of violations from United Nations data and evaluating the relationship between women’s empowerment programs and child recruitment from displaced communities.

What is your current position and where do you work?
I am a political scientist with the RAND Corporation, working remotely from my home in Satellite Beach, Florida.

What does your work involve?
I conduct policy research supporting the Department of the Air Force and other sponsor organizations. I develop and lead research projects, working with a multidisciplinary team of researchers to assess policy questions and present recommendations for practical, tangible policy solutions impacting U.S. government and private sector sponsor offices.

What do you enjoy most about your work?
The people at RAND are the best part of this work! I appreciate working with smart, driven, and kind people – everyone at RAND is genuinely interested in their work, in learning new skills, and in teaming with colleagues to apply innovative research approaches to challenging puzzles.

How did you get into this line of work?
I served for 15 years as an active duty intelligence officer in the Air Force and continue serving in the Air Force Reserve. Before joining RAND I was teaching political science at the U.S. Air Force Academy, and when I decided to transition from active duty to the Reserve I leveraged personal networks to learn about RAND and apply for this position.

What transferable skills from your graduate studies are you using in your current career?
I am primarily a qualitative researcher, and at Ohio State I worked with wonderful faculty, advisors, and committee members who taught me research design, interview methodology, and comparative analysis. I use all of these skills on a daily basis in my current work, and I’m forever grateful to the faculty at Ohio State who taught me these competencies.

How has your background in political science influenced your work?
Since I work as a political scientist, my political science graduate studies background has directly influenced my current work. Additionally, I completed a graduate studies minor in the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies department, and this influences my work now because my company is inherently multi-disciplinary. Establishing multi-disciplinary skills in graduate school has equipped me to work across disciplines now.

Any advice for those looking to enter your field?
For my field – and really, for any field – personal networks are key to getting hired and to succeeding in your role. Practice networking and asking for office calls and information interviews now. The more comfortable you are in talking with others and building relationships, the more successful you’ll be in the professional world.

Anything else you’d like to share?
Priorities change and grow as you move through life. Maintain self-awareness and flexibility, since what you thought you wanted when you entered graduate school may not be what you want when you graduate. Be open to new opportunities, always be ready to learn new things, and stay authentic to yourself.