At Iowa, we are committed to helping our PhDs find excellent jobs both within academia and beyond it.  We encourage students to start planning their life after graduation from their very first semester in the program, when they take our Introduction to Graduate Studies course, which hosts a discussion panel on career opportunities for PhDs in academic and nonacademic fields.  

Each year, a committee of faculty headed by the Placement Chair provides individual and collective mentoring to graduate students who are on the academic job market. Additionally, the placement committee maintains a detailed job placement guide, replete with deadlines, sample applications, and advice on everything from generating the job application letter to negotiating one’s first job contract.  Placement meetings start in early fall and run through the beginning of spring term; they cover topics such as interviewing, writing samples, and professionalism. In December, the committee holds mock job interviews in preparation for the MLA convention, followed by mock job talks. 

We also encourage our students to explore the expanding array of “alt-ac” and nonacademic careers open to PhDs in the humanities.  As the following list demonstrates, most of our graduates pursue careers in academia, but quite a few have gone on to successful and rewarding careers in nonprofit institutions, business, and law.  The Graduate College Career Services office, which is headed by one of our PhDs, offers excellent programming and advice on the full range of career opportunities for our graduates.  We strongly advise our students to take full advantage of it. 

Current Placements:

Enrico Bruno (ABD)
Visiting Assistant Professor and Assistant Director of the Writing Center, St. Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA
Christopher Dolle (ABD)
Content Specialist, ACT, Iowa City, IA
Jomil Ebro (ABD)
Faculty, English Department, Arapahoe Community College, Denver, CO
Benjamin Kirbach (ABD)
Academic Advisor, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Meredith Stabel (ABD)
Acquisitions Editor, University of Iowa Press, Iowa City, IA
Makayla Steiner (ABD)
Assistant Professor, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT

2021

Heidi Renee Aijala
Professor, English and ESL (Transitional Education), Pierce College, Washington State, Lakewood, WA
Laura Hayes
Academic Coach and ADA Coordinator, Coe College, Cedar Rapids, IA

2020

Alexander Ashland
Assistant Professor, Viterbo University, La Crosse, WI.
Faith Avery
Educational Specialist, Goodwill Industries, Portland, OR
Haley Larson 
Assistant Professor of English for New Media, Dakota State, Madison, SD
Katherine Ostdiek
Instructional Designer, Bellevue University, Bellevue, NE
Annemarie Pearson
Instructor, New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM
Caitlin Simmons
Assistant Professor, Southern University, Baton Rouge, LA
Rachel Walerstein
Learning and Talent Development Manager, AIDS Foundation, Chicago, IL

2019

Matthew Blackwell 
Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of English, The University of Iowa
Benjamin Batzer
Faculty, Missouri Scholars Academy, Columbia, MO
Chelsea Burk 
Director, Iowa Veteran Education Transition, & Support (IVETS),  University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Ian Faith 
TBA, US Justice Dept., New York, NY
Gemma Goodale-Sussen
Product Engineer - Writer, Esri - Geographic Information System Company, Redlands, CA
Corey Hickner-Johnson
Senior Instructional Designer, Wiley Education Services, Minneapolis, MN
Akia Jackson
Instructor, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
Miriam Janechek
Ed-Fi Project Manager, Communications, and Public Engagement, Minnesota Department of Education, St Paul, MN
Katherine Nesbit
Assistant Professor, Department of English, Central College, Pella, IA
Katherine Ostdiek
Instructional Designer, Bellevue University, Bellevue, NE
Annemarie Pearson
Instructor, New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM
Spenser Santos 
RFE Writer, Hudson Business Immigration, Iowa City, IA
Anna Williams
Freelance Radio Producer, Astoria, New York

2018

Nellene Benhardus 
Assistant Professor, Department of English, Clovis Community College, Fresno, CA
Kelly Budruweit 
Visiting Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, WI
Brett DeFries 
Visiting Assistant Professor, St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN
Samuel Fitzpatrick
Adjunct Professor, Spalding University, Louisville, KY
Lisa Jackson 
Development Coordinator, Peace House, Park City, UT
Bethany Johnson Smith 
Fellowships Coordinator, Honors Program, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY
Marija Reiff 
Assistant Professor,  Department of English, American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Lauren Rosales
Adjunct English Instructor, Southeast Community College, Lincoln, NE 
Stefan Schoeberlein
Assistant Professor of English and Digital Humanities, Marshall University, Huntington, WV
Michelle Taylor 
Continuing Instructor, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Angela Toscano
Associate Instructor, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Stephanie Tsank 
Lecturer, Department of Rhetoric, The University of Iowa
Katlyn Williams 
Lecturer, Department of Rhetoric, The University of Iowa

2017

Jacob Bender 
English Instructor, Middlesex County College, Edison, New Jersey
Nicholas Borchert 
English Faculty, Liberty High School, North Liberty, IA
Nicholas Cooley 
Assistant Professor, Department of English, Great Basin College, Elko, NV
Justin Cosner 
Lecturer, Department of Rhetoric, The University of Iowa
Jennifer Janechek 
Director of Content Strategy, Sound Wisdom, Cedar Rapids, IA
Brent Krammes 
Assistant Professor, Grace College, Winona Lake, IN
Laura Kuhlman 
Assistant Professor, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 
Jillian Linster 
Online Instructor, Department of English, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
Annmarie Steffes 
Assistant Professor, University of Saint Frances, Fort Wayne, IN

2016

Nicholas Kelly 
Assistant Professor, New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM
Zachary King 
Assistant Director Of Annual Giving, Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, IN
Sarah Livesay 
Senior Compliance Officer, Univesity of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA
Christine Norquest 
Academic Advisor, Academic Advising Center, The University of Iowa
Jennifer Shook 
Visiting Assistant Professor, Theatre Arts and American Studies, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 
Jennifer Stone 
Lecturer, Department of Rhetoric, The University of Iowa

2015

Raquel Baker 
Assistant Professor, California State University Channel Island, Camarillo, CA
Cassandra Bausman 
Lecturer, Department of Rhetoric, The University of Iowa
Shuhita Bhattacharjee 
Professor, Presidency University, Kolkata, India
Dorothy Giannakouros 
Lecturer, Department of Rhetoric, The University of Iowa
Robert Gillespie
Lead AVR Programmer, Instructor, Writer and Product Specialist, Technology Environmental Education Center, Davenport, IA
Jessica Lawson
Lecturer, University of Colorado-Boulder, Boulder, CO
Elizabeth Lundberg 
Senior Academic Advisor, Academic Advising Center, The University of Iowa
Sonja Mayrhofer 
Lecturer, Department of Rhetoric, The University of Iowa
Benjamin Miele 
Assistant Professor, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, TX
Joshua Miner 
Assistant Professor, Department of Film and Media Studies, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
Rebecca Roma Stoll
Center Director, Huntington Learning Center, Portland, OR
Gemmicka Piper 
Humanities Librarian, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 
Timothy Robbins 
Instructor of English, Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids, IA
Elizabeth Sanders 
Writer and Editor for Academics and Nonprofits, St Louis, MO
Michael Sarabia 
Associate Attorney, Edward & Culver, Billings, MT 
Andrew Williams
Plilosophy, Humanities, and Religion Instructor, Scott Community College, Bettendorf, IA

2014

Katherine Bishop 
Editor, Los Angles, CA
Thomas Blake 
Assistant Professor and WIT Program Director , Austin College, Sherman, TX
Blake Bronson-Bartlett 
Associate Editor, Mark Twain Project, University of California-Berkeley, CA
Jacob Horn 
Assistant Professor in Residence: Writing Center Coordinator, University of Connecticut, Hartford, CT
Kelly Franklin 
Associate Professor, Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, MI
Robert Gillespie
AVR Programmer, Instructor, Writer and Products Specialist, Advanced Technology Environmental Education Center, Davenport, IA
Jennifer McGovern
Graduate Writing Instructor, Baylor University, Waco, TX
Katherine Montgomery 
Teacher, The Urban Assembly School For Green Careers, The Bronx, NY 
Anna Newnum 
Senior Academic Advisor,  Liberal Arts & Sciences, The University of Iowa
Eve Rosenbaum
Editor, Leapfrog Tecnologies, Iowa City, IA
Taryne Taylor 
Assistant Professor of Humanities and Communication, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL
Angela Watkins 
Visiting Assistanct Professor, University of Louisiana of Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 

2013

Daniel Boscaljon 
Couples Coach, Iowa City, IA 
Craig Carey 
Associate Professor and Undergraduate Studies Coordinator, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS
Judith Coleman 
Assistant Professor, Delta State University, Cleveland, MS
Eric Conrad 
Prep School Assistant Director, Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School, New York, NY
Andrew Crooke 
Adjunt English Instructor, Department of English, Moravian University, Bethlehem, PA 
Kerry Doyle 
Library and Public Relations Coordinator, Swathmore Public Library, Swathmore, PA 
Sarah Fay 
Adjunct Faculty, DePaul University, Chicago, IL
Nicole Gainyard 
English Teacher, Georgetown Day School, Washington, DC
Sunghyun Jang 
Assistant Professor, Korea University, Seoul, Korea
Bryan Mangano  
Language Arts High School Teacher, Lin-Mar School District, Marion, IA 
Robert McLoone
Lecturer, Lansing Community College, Lansing, MI
Wanda Raiford  
Associate Teaching Professor: Director of Liberal Studies , Florida International University, Miami, FL
Chris Vinsonhaler
Assistant Professor, Borough of Manhattan Community College - CUNY, Manhattan, NY

2012

Stephanie Horton 
Chair of English Department and Associate Professor (TT), Harper College, Palatine, IL
James Lambert 
Associate Professor and Director of The Writing Center, Southern Virginia University, Buena Vista, VA 
Matthew Lavin 
Assistant Professor  - Data Analytics, Denison University, Granville, OH
Joshua Matthews 
Associate Professor, Dordt College, Sioux Center, IA
Joseph Rodriguez 
Assistant Professor, Haskell Indian Nations University, Lawrence, KS
Elisabeth Shane 
Judicial Law Clerk, United States District Court, New York, NY

2011

Stephanie Blalock 
Digital Humanities Librarian; Associate Editor, Walt Whitman Quarterly Review; and Associate Editor, Walt Whitman Archive, The University of Iowa
Bridget Draxler 
Associate Professor of Writing, Speaking, and Academic Support; Adjunct Assistant Professor of Writing, St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN
Richard Garrett 
Assistant Professor of English Language and Literature, Divine Word College, Epworth, IA
Marta Holliday-Larkai 
Assistant Professor, Alabama State University, Montgomery, AL
Travis Johnson
Chair of Humanities Division and Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of English, Central Methodist University, Fayette, MO
Matthew Low 
Lecturer, Department of English, Creighton University, Omaha, NE
Erin Mann 
Dean of Humanities,  Volunteer State Community College, Gallatin, TN
Anne Peterson
Contract Content Specialst II, Cognia, Washington, D.C. 
Ann Pleiss-Morris 
Associate Professor of English, Ripon College, Ripon, WI
Lindsey Row-Heyveld 
Associate Professor, Luther College, Decorah, IA

2010

Amit Baishya 
Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Program, University of Oklahoma, Normal, OK
Heidi Bean 
Associate Professor, Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, MA
Gunnar Benediktsson 
Senior Assocaite Attorney, Norton Rose Fulbright Global Legal Practice, Calgary, Canada
Adam Bradford 
Dean, Graduate College and Professor of English, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID
Laura Capp 
Owner and Purveyor of Noteworthy Paper Goods & Notions - Postscript, Ashland, NE
Joanna Davis-McElligatt 
Assistant Professor, University of North Texas, Denton, TX
Douglas Dowland 
Associate Professor, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH
Joshua Gooch 
Assistant Professor, D'Youville College, Buffalo, NY
Katherine Gubbels
Basic Writing Coordinator, Metropolitan Community College, Omaha, NE
Chad Hines 
Freelance Writer,  Stillwater, KS
Cory Hutchinson-Reuss 
Poet, Iowa City, IA
Joanne Nystrom Janssen 
Associate Professor, Baker University, Baldwin City, KS
Thomas Keegan 
Head, Digital Research & Publishing, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Heidi Lavine
Associate Professor, Department of English, Westminster College, Fulton, MO
Deborah Manion 
Acquisitions Editor, Syracuse University Press, Syracuse, NY
Lynne Nugent 
Editorial Manager, The Iowa Review, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Joshua Raulerson 
Director of Communications, Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC), Pittsburgh, PA
Chad Wriglesworth
Associate Professor, St. Jerome's University, Ontario, Canada

2009

Lisa Angelella 
Assistant Professor, Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids, IA
Mark Bresnan 
Instructor of English, Colorado State University, Lafayette, CO
Patricia Brogan
Lecturer, University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, WI
Nicole (Nicki) Buscemi
Assistant Professor, North Shore Community College, Lynn, MA
Sucheta Choudhuri 
Associate Professor, Department of English, University of Houston-Downtown, Houston, TX
Kimberly Cohen 
Course Instructor II, Language Arts, Western Governors University, Accord, NY
Erica Daigle
LMS Administrator, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
Vicki Larsen
Associate  Professor, English Department, University of Michigan, Flint, MI
Angie Warfield
Principal Consultant, Compas Academics, St.Louis, MO

2008

Steven Almquist 
 Professor and Co-Provost, Department of English and Writing, Spring Hill College, Mobile, AL
Jennifer Banash 
Ghost Writerr, Hope, ME
John Craig 
Associate Professor, Department of Languages and Literatures, Alabama State University, Montgomery, AL
Jessica DeSpain 
Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Southern Illinois University Interdisciplinary Research and Informatics Scholarship Center, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, IL
Melissa Donegan 
Lecturer, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA
Jeffrey Doty 
Associate Professor, Department of English and Director of Undergraduate Studies, University of North Texas, Denton, TX
Everett Hamner 
Professor, English Department, Western Illinois University, Moline, IL
Kate Krueger 
Director of Clarkson Honors Program and Professor of English, Clarkson University, Schenectady, NY
William Ness 
Adjunct Professor, ESL,  Avila University, Kansas City, MO
Sean Scanlan 
Associate Professor, New York City College of Technology, Brooklyn, NY
Michael Smolinksy 
Chief Content Officer, Ethis, Inc., White Plains, NY
Jennifer Sherer 
Director of the Labor Center, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Ania Spyra 
Associate Professor, English Department, Butler University, Indianapolis, IN

2007

Michael Chasar
Associate Professor, Department of English, Willamette University, Salem, OR
Mark Dowdy 
Lecturer, Department of English and Comparative Literature, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA
Stacy Erickson 
Professor, Department of English, Manchester University, North Manchester, IN
Ted Genoways 
Contributing writer at Mother Jones, The New Republic, and On Earth, Lincoln, NE
Joyce Kelley 
Professor, Department of English & Philosophy, Auburn University at Montgomery, Montgomery, AL
Wesley Kisting 
Associate Professor at Pamplin College, Augusta State University, Augusta, GA
Matthew Miller 
Associate Professor, English Department, Yeshiva University, New York, NY
Justin St. Clair 
Associate Professor, English Department, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL
Erica Still 
Associate Professor and Dean for Faculty Recruitment, Diversity and Inclusion, Department of English, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC
Jeffrey Swenson
Professor of English, Assocaite Dean of Academic Affairs, Director of Writing Across the Curriculum, Hiram College, Hiram, OH
Mimi Van Ausdall 
Faculty, Department of English , Minneapolis Community and Technical College, Minneapolis, MN
Keith Wilhite 
Department Chair and Associate Professor of English, Siena College, Loudonville, NY

2006

Michael Germana
Professor, Department of English, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
Young Hee Kwon 
Assistant Professor, Department of English Language and Literature, University of Seoul, Seoul, Korea
Margaret Loose
Associate Professor of English Literature, La Jolla, CA
Mary Moran 
Associate Professor, Department of English, Illinois State University, Normal, IL
Lori Muntz
Instructor of English, Sewart County Community College, Liberal, KS
Scott Nowka
Professor of English and Chair of the Commonweath Honors Program, Salem State University, Salem, MA
Amy Spellacy 
Assistant Dean of Advising & Associate Faculty, Gallatin School, NYU, New York, NY

2005

Mark Bruce 
Associate Professor, Department of English, Bethel University, St. Paul, MN  
Elizabeth Corsun
Associate Professor, Transylvania University, Lexington, KY
Anthony Enns 
Associate Professor, Department of English, Dalhousie Univeristy, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Marty Gould 
Associate Professor, Department of English, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Mary Hayes 
Associate Professor, Department of English, The University of Mississippi, University, MS
>Jack Mallot Jr. 
Associate Professor, Department of English, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ

2004

Bidisha Banerjee 
Associate Head/Associate Professor,  Department of Literature and Cultural Studies, The Education Univeristy of Hong Kong, Pokfulan, Hong Kong
Megan Early Alter
Senior Manager/Resource Manager: Content Solutions and Services: SAFeAgile, ACT, Iowa City IA
Jean Fernandez 
Associate Professor, Department of English, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD
Susan Hwang
US Philanthropy Manager, ClientEarth, Los Angeles, CA
Isiah Lavender III 
Sterling Goodman Professor of English, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
Thomas McLean 
Associate Professor, Department of English & Linguistics, University of Otago, Duedin, New Zealand
Deirdre McMahon
Teaching Professor of English, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
Samadhi Metta Bexar
Assistant Director, McNair Scholars Program, St. Mary's University, San Antonio, TX
Jennifer Ryan-Bryant
Professor and Graduate Coordinator for the Master of Arts, Department of English, Buffalo State, Buffalo, NY

2003

David Banash  
Professor, Department of English, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL
Robin Barrow 
Senior Lecturer, Department of English, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
Martin Buinicki
Professor, Walter G. Friedrich Professor of American Literature, Department of English, Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, IN
Damon Franke 
Associate Professor, Department of English, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS
Thomas Gannon 
Associate Professor, Department of English, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
Elyse Myers
Literary Studie Guide Writer, Iowa City, IA
Mary Beth Pope 
Professor, Department of English, Emmanuel College, Boston, MA
Joann Quinones Perdomo
Associate Professor, Department of English, Earlham College, Richmond, IN
Eun-Jung Yook 
University, Seoul, Korea

2002

Douglas Anderson 
Associate Professor, Department of English, Caldwell University, Caldwell, NJ
Jodi Byrd 
Associate Professor of Engish, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
Gerald Harp
Associate Professor with Term of the Humanities, English Dept., Lewis & Clark, Portland, OR
Sharon Kennedy-Nolle 
Professional Learning Specialist, Iona College, Rochelle, NY
Amy Lilly
Contribuitng Arts Writer, Seven Days, Burlington, VT
Sean Meehan 
Professor and Chair of Department of English, Washington College, Chestertown, MD
James Tweedle
Professor, Cinema & Media Studies, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Jessica Walsh 
Professor, Department of English, Harper College, Palatine, IL

2001

Ayana Abdallah
Freelance Writer, Bakersfied, CA
Lera Baker Smith 
Sculptor, Lera Baker Smith Enterprises, San Diego, CA
Gregory Beatty 
Adjunct Instrucrtor, Skagit Valley College, Mount Vernon, WA
Heidi Johnson Carrier
The College Board, Iowa City, IA
Michael Clarke
Associate Professor, Department of English, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Sarah Lucinda Coggins 
Associate Professor of Instruction, Department of Rhetoric, The University of Iowa
Laura Dubek 
Professor, Department of English. Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN
Beth Fisher 
Associate Teacher,  The Wilson School,  St. Louis, MO
Elizabeth Henry 
Professor, Department of Media, Film & Journalism Studies, University of Denver, Denver, CO
Eleanor Hersey 
Professor, Department of English and Program Director, Fresno Pacific University, Fresno, CA
Kristin Brandser Kalsem
Charles Hartsock Professor of Law, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Genevieve Kovalesky
Ordo Franciscanus Saecularis, Portiuncula Foundation, Pittsburg, PA
Jason Mezey
Professor, Department of English, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA
Michele Morano
Professor and English Department Chair,  DePaul University, Chicago, IL
Don Kimball Smith
Associate Professor, Department of English, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
Lera Smith
Sculpter, Lera Baker Smith Enterprises, Bakersfield, CA
Anne Stapleton 
Associate Professor of Instruction, Department of English,  The University of Iowa
Lara Trubowitz 
Education Director, A World of Difference Institute, Anti-Defamation League, Chicago, IL
Holly Welker
Writer, Editor, and Writing Coach, Weaker Writing, Phoenix, AZ

This page is updated once per month. To submit a career update, please use our Submit News form, or e-mail english@uiowa.edu