Authors
Two Paths to the Palmer House: Planning for the #MPSA19 Conference
By Colleen Wood of Columbia University Being a first-timer at MPSA is often synonymous with attending and presenting at any political science conference for the first time. For those graduate students who will be presenting their research for the first time, the weeks leading up to MPSA are…
Previewing the 77th Annual MPSA Conference Program: A Selection of Professional Development Panels for Graduate Students
By Charmaine N. Willis of University of Albany, SUNY As panelists frantically completing their papers and presentations are acutely aware, the 77th Annual MPSA Conference is fast approaching. In addition to some excellent topical panels, this year’s conference offers a bevy of roundtables on…
First-Generation Findings: Eight Strategies for Success at Academic Conferences
By James Steur of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign As a first-generation college student and son of two hairdressers, I’ve spent most of my life far removed from the world of academia. I still remember flying into Denver for my first conference as an undergrad and feeling…
Work, Well-Being, and Social Connections: Advice from a Graduate Student on Finding the Correct Proportions
By Kevin DeLuca of Harvard University “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” - Some wise person For academics, I think the saying is backward: “If you, an academic, love what you do, you’ll work every day of your life.” The line between work and life in academia is often…
Democrats Want to Get Rid of the Electoral College. It is Not Going to Happen (and Maybe that’s Best).
By Michael A. Smith, Emporia State University With the 2020 campaign season having already begun (ugh), Democrats are revving up to do away with the Electoral College. For them, the case is a strong one. In the entire history of the United States, only five Presidential elections have seen the…
The Art of Networking: How to Maximize Your Doctoral Experience
By Francesca Gottardi of the University of Cincinnati When thinking about a doctoral program, the first image that comes to mind is likely to be that of a geeky student sitting at a desk, buried in books. But life in academia is not only about the coursework, although fundamental. It is also about…
Juggling Academic Time and Technology: Advice from a Millennial
By Garrett Pierman of Florida International University The digital age is in full swing, especially in academia. In class, our students, if they are allowed, are browsing, tweeting, liking, and sharing across the web. They are also, one can hope, occasionally taking notes. Maybe you’re doing much…
MPSA’s Top 10 Blog Posts from 2018
As the calendar year begins to wind down, we take a look back at our most-read articles from 2018. We encourage you to take a quiet moment for another look as you may have missed an article or may simply enjoy the re-read. Please take a moment to share what you would like to see more of in the new…
The Big Lessons of Political Advertising in 2018
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Screen shot of Beto O'Rourke’s Facebook ad, 2018. Facebook Erika Franklin Fowler, Wesleyan University; Michael Franz, Bowdoin College, and Travis N. Ridout, Washington State University The…
The Only Thing We Have to Fear
By Michael A. Smith of Emporia State University Senator and Vice-President Hubert Humphrey‘s nickname was The Happy Warrior. He worked tirelessly on behalf of causes he championed, and usually seemed joyful when doing so, even though he lived through and served during one of the most divisive…