Joseph A
- Research Program Mentor

PhD candidate at University of Virginia

Expertise

Politics, American Politics, American History, International Relations

Bio

Hello, my name is Joe, and I am a Ph.D. student at the University of Virginia. I study American Politics and International Relations and my research interests focus on public opinion and government institutions. I received my undergraduate degree in political science from West Point, the U.S. Military Academy. For the past nine years, I have served as an officer in the U.S. Army. I have relied heavily on the advice and inspiration of both academic and professional mentors throughout my career. I know how important this guidance is and look forward to passing it on!

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Fighting to Vote: Exploring the Political Participation of Veterans

This project would examine the political participation of American military veterans throughout history. What impact did military service have on veterans' interest in politics? How does serving in the military influence political opinions? Does military service increase confidence in government institutions? How do wars or periods of conflict influence these relationships? All of these questions could be investigated through both qualitative and quantitative analysis of historical policies and public opinion data. While veterans have comprised a relatively small portion of the American public, their effect on politics has received a great deal of attention in the media and other popular accounts. With this project, I hope to learn more about this phenomenon from a historical perspective.

Coding skills

R, Stata, LaTex

Teaching experience

I have served as a tutor and mentor at various points throughout my academic career, both formally and informally. Today, I serve as a mentor for the Center for the Study of Presidency and Congress Fellows Program. For this program, I mentor undergraduate students completing advanced research projects on subjects involving American politics and government institutions. Following the completion of my Ph.D., I will serve as an instructor of American Politics at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point.

Credentials

Work experience

U.S. Army (2012 - Current)

Captain

Education

United States Military Academy

BS Bachelor of Science (2012)

Political Science

University of Virginia

MA Master of Arts candidate

Government