College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Ph.D. Placement
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.