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:

Heidi Renee Aijala (ABD)
Assistant Professor (TT), English and ESL (Transitional Education), Pierce College, Washington State, Lakewood, WA
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

2020

Faith Avery
Educational Specialist, Goodwill Industries, Portland, OR
Haley Larson 
Assistant Professor of English for New Media (TT), Dakota State, Madison, SD
Katherine Ostdiek
Instructional Designer, Bellevue University, Bellevue, NE
Annemarie Pearson
Instructor, New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM
Caitlin Simmons
Assistant Professor (TT), Southern University, Baton Rouge, LA

2019

Matthew Blackwell 
Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of English, The University of Iowa
Chelsea Burk 
Director, Iowa Veteran Education Transition, & Support (IVETS),  University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Ian Faith 
Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Rhetoric, The University of Iowa
Gemma Goodale-Sussen
Product Engineer - Writer, Esri - Geographic Information System Company, Redlands, CA
Corey Hickner-Johnson
Lecturer, Department of Rhetoric, The University of Iowa
Akia Jackson
Instructor, Department of English, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN
Miriam Janechek
Communication Developer, Revive Therapeutics, Minneapolis, MN
Katherine Nesbit
Assistant Professor (TT), Department of English, Central College, Pella, IA
Spenser Santos 
Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of English, The University of Iowa
Anna Williams
Freelance Radio Producer, Astoria, New York

2018

Nellene Benhardus 
Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of English, The University of Iowa
Kelly Budruweit 
Visiting Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, WI
Brett DeFries 
Visiting Assistant Professor, Gustavus Adolphus College, Saint Peter, MN
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
Lecturer, Department of English, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Stefan Schoeberlein
Assistant Professor of English and Digital Humanities (TT), Marshall University, Huntington, WV
Michelle Taylor 
Instructor, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
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 (TT), Middlesex County College, Edison, New Jersey
Nicholas Borchert 
English Faculty, Liberty High School, North Liberty, IA
Nicholas Cooley 
Assistant Professor (TT), 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 (TT), Grace College, Winona, IN
Laura Kuhlman 
Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of English, The University of Iowa
Jillian Linster 
Online Instructor, Department of English, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
Annmarie Steffes 
Assistant Professor (TT), University of Saint Frances, Fort Wayne, IN

2016

Dorothy Giannakouros 
Lecturer, Department of Rhetoric, The University of Iowa
Nicholas Kelly 
Lecturer, Department of Rhetoric, The University of Iowa
Zachary King 
Assistant Director Of Annual Giving, Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, IN
Jacquelynn Kleist Griffiths 
English Professor and Test-Prep Tutor, Knowledge Roundtable, Port Washington, WI
Sarah Livesay 
Assistant Director of the Hanson Center for Technical Communications, UI College of Engineering, The University of Iowa
Christine Norquest 
Academic Advisor, Academic Advising Center, The University of Iowa
Jennifer Shook 
Visiting Fellow, Center For Humanities and Information, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Jennifer Stone 
Lecturer, Department of Rhetoric, The University of Iowa

2015

Raquel Baker 
Assistant Professor (TT), California State University Channel Island, Camarillo, CA
Cassandra Bausman 
Lecturer, Department of Rhetoric, The University of Iowa
Shuhita Bhattacharjee 
Assistant Professor (TT), Presidency University, Kolkata, India
Elizabeth Lundberg 
Academic Advisor, Academic Advising Center, The University of Iowa
Sonja Mayrhofer 
Lecturer, Department of Rhetoric, The University of Iowa
Benjamin Miele 
Assistant Professor (TT), University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, TX
Joshua Miner 
Assistant Professor (TT), Department of Film and Media Studies, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
Gemmicka Piper 
Humanities Librarian, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 
Timothy Robbins 
Instructor of English, Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids, IA
Elizabeth Sanders 
Advancement Officer, Corporate and Foundation Relations, University of Missouri, St Louis, MO
Michael Sarabia 
Judicial Clerkship with Judge Moses, Montana District Court, Billings, MT
Andrew Williams
Philosophy Instructor, Scott Community College, Bettendorf, IA

2014

Katherine Bishop 
Assistant Professor (TT), Miyazaki International College, Island of Kyushu, Japan
Thomas Blake 
Assistant Professor (TT), Austin College, Sherman, TX
Blake Bronson-Bartlett 
Associate Editor, Mark Twain Project, University of California-Berkeley, CA
Jacob Horn 
Assistant Professor in Residence (TT): Writing Center Coordinator, University of Connecticut, Hartford, CT
Kelly Franklin 
Associate Professor (TT), Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, MI
Robert Gillespie
AVR Programmer, Instructor, Writer and Products Specialist, Advanced Technology Environmental Education Center, Davenport, IA
Jennifer McGovern
Instructor, Writing Center Coordinator, Rogers State University, Claremore, OK
Katherine Montgomery 
Resident, New Visions for Public Schools / Hunter College Urban Teacher Residency; Freelance Writer/Editor, New York, NY 
Anna Newnum 
Senior Academic Advisor,  Liberal Arts & Sciences, The University of Iowa
Taryne Taylor 
Assistant Professor of Humanities and Communication (TT), Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL
Angela Watkins 
English Teacher, The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts Institute, New Orleans, LA

2013

Daniel Boscaljon 
Founder and Director, Center for Humanist Inquiries
Craig Carey 
Associate Professor (TT) and Undergraduate Studies Coordinator, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS
Judith Coleman 
Assistant Professor (TT), Delta State University, Cleveland, MS
Eric Conrad 
Prep School Assistant Director, Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School, New York, NY
Andrew Crooke 
Instructor, Department of English, East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg, PA
Kerry Doyle 
Adjunct Instructor, Rowan University, Sewell, NJ
Sarah Fay 
Professional Lecturer, DePaul University, Chicago, IL
Nicole Gainyard 
English Teacher, The Miami Valley School (PreK-12 College-Preparatory School), Dayton, OH
Sunghyun Jang 
Assistant Professor (TT), Korea University, Seoul, Korea
Bryan Mangano  
Lecturer, Cornell College, Mount Vernon, IA
Wanda Raiford  
Associate Director of the Writing Program; Instructor, Florida International University, Miami, FL
Chris Vinsonhaler
Assistant Professor (TT), Borough of Manhattan Community College - CUNY, Manhattan, NY

2012

Adele Holoch 
Adjunct Faculty, Core Division, Champlain College, Burlington, VT
Stephanie Horton 
Chair of English Department and Associate Professor (TT), Harper College, Palatine, IL.
James Lambert 
Assistant Professor (TT) and Director of The Writing Center, Southern Virginia University, Buena Vista, VA 
Matthew Lavin 
Clinical Assistant Professor of English and Director of Digital Media Lab (TT), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburg, PA
Joshua Matthews 
Associate Professor (TT), Dordt College, Sioux Center, IA
Joseph Rodriguez 
Assistant Professor (TT), Haskell Indian Nations University, Lawrence, KS
Elisabeth Shane 
Litigation Associate, Debevoise & Plimpton, 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 
Writing and Speaking Specialist; 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 (TT), Alabama State University, Montgomery, AL
Travis Johnson
Chair of Humanities Division and Assistant Professor (TT) and Assistant Professor of English, Central Methodist University, Fayette, MO
Matthew Low 
Lecturer, Department of English, Creighton University, Omaha, NE
Erin Mann 
Associate Provost and Assistant Professor (TT), Department of English, Lindenwood University, Belleville, MO
Anne Peterson
Educational Content Developer, Measured Progress, Dover, NH
Ann Pleiss-Morris 
Chair of English Department and Assistant Professor (TT) of English, Ripon College, Ripon, WI
Lindsey Row-Heyveld 
Assistant Professor (TT), Luther College, Decorah, IA

2010

Amit Baishya 
Assistant Professor (TT), University of Oklahoma, Normal, OK
Heidi Bean 
Associate Professor (TT), Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, MA
Gunnar Benediktsson 
Associate Attorney, Norton Rose Fulbright Global Legal Practice, Calgary, Canada
Adam Bradford 
Dean, Graduate College, 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 (TT), Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH
Joshua Gooch 
Assistant Professor (TT), D'Youville College, Buffalo, NY
Katherine Gubbels 
Assistant Professor (TT), Adams State University, Alamosa, CO
Chad Hines 
English Teacher, University in Teotitlan de Flores Magon, Oaxaca, Mexico
Cory Hutchinson-Reuss 
Poet, Iowa City, IA
Thomas Keegan 
Head, Digital Research & Publishing, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Heidi Lavine
Associate Professor, Department of English, Westminster College, Fulton, MO
Joanne Nystrom Janssen 
Assistant Professor (TT), Baker University, Baldwin City, KS
Deborah Manion 
Acquisitions Editor, Syracuse University Press, Syracuse, NY
Willis McDonald 
Communications Director, Rep. John Delaney (D-MD6), Washington, DC
Lynne Nugent 
Managing Editor, The Iowa Review, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Joshua Raulerson 
Communications Director, Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC), Pittsburgh, PA
Chad Wriglesworth
Associate Professor, St. Jerome's University, Ontario, Canada

2009

Lisa Angelella 
Assistant Professor (TT), Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids, IA
Mark Bresnan 
Assistant Professor (TT), Stevenson University, Stevenson, MD
Nicole (Nicki) Buscemi
Associate Professor, North Shore Community College, Lynn, MA
Sucheta Choudhuri 
Associate Professor, Department of English, University of Houston-Downtown, Houston, TX
Kimberly Cohen 
Course Mentor - Children's Literature, Western Governors University, Accord, NY
Vickie (Clarke) Larsen 
Assistant Professor (TT), English Department, University of Michigan, Flint, MI
Erica Daigle 
Editor, Continuing Education - Course Develpment, Louisana State Univeristy, Baton Rouge, LA
Angie Warfield
Associate Professor, Department of English, St. Louis Community College - Forest Park, St. Louis, MO

2008

Steven Almquist 
Associate Professor, Department of English and Writing, Spring Hill College, Mobile, AL
Jennifer Banash 
Self-Employed Author, Hope, ME
John Craig 
Associate Professor, Department of Languages and Literatures, Alabama State University, Montgomery, AL
Jessica DeSpain 
Associate Professor (TT) 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 (TT), Department of English and Director of Undergraduate Studies, University of North Texas, Denton, TX
Everett Hamner 
Associate Professor, English Department, Western Illinois University, Moline, IL
Kate Krueger 
Associate Professor, English and Philosophy Department, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR
William Ness 
Adjunct Professor, ESL,  Avila University, Kansas City, MO
Sean Scanlan 
Assistant Professor (TT), New York City College of Technology, Brooklyn, NY
Michael Smolinksy 
Chief Content Officer, Ethis, Inc., White Plains, NY
Jennifer Sherer 
Director, Labor Center, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Ania Spyra 
Associate Professor, English Department, Butler University, Indianapolis, IN

2007

Michael Chasar
Associate Professor (TT), 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 
Associate Dean of Academic Resources/Associate Professor (TT), 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 
Associate Professor (TT), Department of English & Philosophy, Auburn University at Montgomery, Montgomery, AL
Wesley Kisting 
Associate Dean and Associate Professor, Department of English and Foreign Languages, 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 
Assistant Professor (TT), Department of English, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC
Jeffrey Swenson
Associate Professor of English, Chair, Hiram College, Hiram, OH
Mimi Van Ausdall 
Instructor, Department of English, Minneapolis Community and Technical College, Minneapolis, MN
Keith Wilhite 
Associate Professor, Department of English, Siena College, Loudonville, NY

2006

Young Hee Kwon 
Assistant Professor (TT), Department of English Language and Literature, University of Seoul, Seoul, Korea
Mary Moran 
Associate Professor, Department of English, Illinois State University, Normal, IL
Amy Spellacy 
Assistant Dean of Advising & Associate Professor, Gallatin School, NYU, New York, NY

2005

Mark Bruce 
Associate Professor, Department of English, Bethel University, St. Paul, MN  
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

Megan Alter
Manager, English Language Arts, ACT, Iowa City IA
Bidisha Banerjee 
Professor, Department of Literature and Cultural Studies, The Education Univeristy of Hong Kong, Pokfulan, Hong Kong
Jean Fernandez 
Associate Professor, Department of English, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD
Isiah Lavender III 
Sterling-Goodman Professor of English, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
Thomas McLean 
Professor, Department of English & Linguistics, University of Otago, Duedin, New Zealand
Ervin Nieves 
Student Success Coach, Diversity at Iowa, The University of Iowa
Jennifer Ryan-Bryant
Associate Professor, Department of English, Buffalo State, Buffalo, NY

2003

David Banash 
Professor, Department of English, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL
Robin Barrow 
Lecturer, Department of English, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
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
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
Martin Buinicki
Professor, Walter G. Griedrich Professor of American Literature, Department of English, Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, IN
Jodi Byrd 
Associate Professor of Engish, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
Gerald Harp
Associate Professor, Department of English, Lewis & Clark, Portland, OR
Sharon Kennedy-Nolle 
Writing Consultant, Iona College, Rochelle, NY
Sean Meehan 
Professor and Chair of Department of English, Washington College, Chestertown, MD
James Tweedle
Professor and Chair of English, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Jessica Walsh 
Associate Professor, Department of English, Harper College, Palatine, IL

2001

Ayana Abdallah
Associate Professor, Department of English, University of Albany, Albany, NY
Lera Baker Smith 
Sculptor, Lera Baker Smith Enterprises, San Diego, CA
Gregory Beatty 
Freelance Writer, Six Red Marbles, Bellingham, WA
Elizabeth Clark 
Adjunct Faculty, Lewis and Clark College, Portland, OR
Michael Clarke
Associate Professor, Department of English, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Sarah  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 
Director, Academic Services, The Teaching Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
Elizabeth Henry 
Associate Teaching Professor, Department of Media, Film & Journalism Studies, University of Denver, Denver, CO
Eleanor Hersey 
Associate Professor, Department of English, Fresno Pacific University, Fresno, CA
Kristin Kalsem
Charles Hartsock Professor of Law, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Jason Mezey
Associate Professor, Department of English, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA
Michele Morano
Associate Professor, Department of English,  DePaul University, Chicago, IL
Don Kimball Smith
Associate Professor, Department of English, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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