Career Services

PhDs on the Job Market

Employ candidates who are ready to make a difference.

Are you an employer searching for a highly qualified leader in public and international affairs? Our doctoral graduates span the globe; they’re versatile, dedicated, and primed to make an impact.

Below is a list of PhD students and recent graduates currently on the job market. Please feel free to contact them directly or reach out to SPIA PhD Program Director Daniel Jones for additional information.

Michaela Cushing-Daniels

PhD Candidate: Public Policy, American Politics

Email: mic220@pitt.edu | CV | Website

Research Interests: Hyperincarceration, Social Policy, Local Politics

Dissertation Title: "Go big and go home? Mobilizing national social policy infrastructure to support justice-involved populations"

Job Market Paper Title: "Go Big and Go Home? Social Policy as a Systemic Solution to Hyperincarceration"

Dijana Mujkoanovic headshot

Dijana Mujkanovic

PhD Candidate: Intergroup Relations, Personal Network Analysis, Mixed-Method Research

Email: dim31@pitt.edu, dijana.mujkanovic@gmail.com | CV | Website

Research Interests: Intergroup contact, Ethnic conflict, Cross-ethnic relationships, Post-conflict societies, Social memory

Dissertation Title: "Beyond Contact Theory: Personal Cross-Ethnic Networks in Divided Societies"

Rachel Travis

PhD Graduate Fall '25: Public Policy, International Affairs

Email: ret57@pitt.edu | CV | Website

Research Interests: Public Policy, Migration/Immigration, Social Network Analysis

Dissertation Title: "Welcoming America’s Impact on Policy Relationships in Two Rust Belt Cities"