|
Upon the completion of my doctoral program in Political Science and Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago, my primary career objective is to obtain a tenure-track faculty position at a college or university. Ideally, this position would be a dual appointment in the Departments of Political Science and Women’s Studies at said institution. My desire to become a professor stems from my lifelong, unquenchable thirst for knowledge and scholastic challenges. Since my earliest days as a student, I have rigorously pushed myself to cultivate my academic abilities and to strive for excellence in my scholarly pursuits. I know of no better capstone for my passion for learning and writing than to become an academic researcher and professor who is afforded a platform to share knowledge with others and challenge my colleagues and students to do the same.
Above all else, it is my aim to utilize my time as a doctoral candidate at UIC to gain the skills and experience necessary to become a reflexive researcher and professor. For me, taking stock of the research process is as important to the pursuit of academic excellence as sharing the results of that research with the larger academic community; these two stages of the research process are, in my view, inextricably linked and, as such, are necessary conditions for the completion of sound academic work.
Additionally, I feel that continuous reflection upon the research process aids in the catalyzing of connections between theory and practice, another goal to which I aspire as an academic researcher and professor. Uncovering and sharing the practical implications of my research is of paramount importance to me, for it is in this element of the research process that the potential for emancipatory ideas exists; it is at this critical moment when the power to influence and, perhaps, alter our current conceptions of social phenomena is at its height. For me, research is important not only for the sake of theory-building, but also for the sake of contributing to the larger public interest by adding to the construction of alternative world-views that can lead to liberatory social ideas and practices.
These seemingly abstract career goals are, in my view, absolutely attainable on a daily basis through a conscious dedication to the practice of sound, reflexive academic research and teaching. In this way, my meta-level aspirations as a researcher and professor can be translated into everyday, principled actions that will lead me toward the pinnacle of my academic journey: namely, the use of my platform as an emancipatory voice that not only shares practical knowledge with others, but also challenges my colleagues, students, and members of the civic community at large to continue in the search.
^ Back to Top
Department of Political Science
Gender and Women's Studies Program
1007 West Harrison Street (MC 276)
Chicago, IL 60607-7137
Phone: 312-996-8660
Fax: 312-413-0440
Email: jrexro1@uic.edu