IPAW Graduates

IPAW students have a wide range of majors: Political Science, Economics, French, Philosophy, East Asian Languages and Culture, Statistics, Geological Sciences, as well as majors in Kelly School of Business, Hamilton-Lugar School of Global and International Studies, and the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Their career plans include academia, private-sector policy analysis, government service, political campaign management, business, and law school.

Julia Bourkland

Internship, Brookings Institution

IPAW was one of my favorite parts of college because I gained graduate-level training and workshop opportunities within a supportive undergraduate network. I signed on with the intention of gaining more methods training for a future PhD in political science. IPAW was great for meeting political science friends with likeminded research interests and career paths. In my case, my IPAW training was highly applicable to what I want to do in terms of 1) pre-grad school training, 2) quantitative data work in the think-tank world, and 3) practical statistics uses in politics and public policy. The program even gave me the confidence to embark on other quantitative-methods heavy coursework in other social sciences, like economics. I’m very happy IU offers this opportunity to political science students who want to take quantitative research seriously.

Ciabhan Connelly

Data Science PhD. Program, Georgia Tech

Ciabhan Connelly is pursuing an individualized major in Computational Approaches to Political Analysis. IPAW seemed like a natural extension of her degree and research interests - applying an understanding of machine learning and data science to social science issues. Her research focuses on how algorithms can be employed to serve social justice and prevent from compounding existing issues. Her past work includes a book chapter on how algorithms should be employed in government. Ciabhan also has a background in health-informatics research. Her published work there focuses on evaluating the novel asynchronous remote community (ARC) method for qualitative analysis, and conducting needs assessment research focused on designing technology for people living with HIV.

Forrest Gatrell

Peace Corps

As a student pursuing graduate school in a unique research niche, IPAW was a fantastic addition to my degree that helped me acquire the varied training I needed. My research is at the intersection between data analytics and political science. By my Junior year at Indiana University, I felt as though I was not going to receive the training I needed from either the political science or the computer science departments. I began pursuing an individualized major, which helped somewhat, but none of the classes I took synthesized the two areas I was working in. IPAW allowed me to learn statistics and data analysis techniques with a specific focus on political science problems. Additionally, IPAW's graduate course requirement exposed me to taking graduate classes as an undergrad. I found this incredibly helpful, and after the first course ended up taking more than the required amount in order to gain more experience with the expectations that would come after I graduated.

Nancy Ni

National Security Analyst, Two Six Technology

I was so glad that I was able to be a part of the 2019 cohort. I don't think I have the words to describe how invaluable it was for me as a first-generation Asian American student in a male-dominated field to be a part of a very diverse cohort of peers. IPAW emphasized the "science" part of my political science education by providing me the "hard" quantitative skills to critically analyze and understand political science research.Furthermore, I was continually challenged through the independent research seminars and graduate-level courses I was able to take through this program. Aside from academics, IPAW has offered me opportunities to grow professionally as well. I was able to work as a research assistant, collecting data and conducting interviews during Summer 2020. And this year, as I begin applying for jobs, I see just how in-demand quantitative analysis skills are in the job market. I have been able to talk about my IPAW experience in interviews and cover letters, and I have no doubt that the skills and experiences I have gained through this program will be assets to me in my future career.Lastly, on a personal note, IPAW has fostered a diverse community of political scientists. As a first-generation minority student, being a part of a cohort of students with similar backgrounds has allowed me to gain a lot of confidence as I worked on developing my quantitative analysis skills. My peers and professors were all so encouraging and supportive in not only my academic and professional career but also in my personal growth as well.

Javier Salazar Jr.

Statistics MS program, Indiana University

IPAW has benefited me in numerous ways. The courses I took with Dr. Bianco and Dr. DeSante provided me with the analytical and quantitative skill set needed to excel in graduate school. IPAW also allowed me to intern with Dr. Bianco and Indiana University’s Environmental Resilience Institute, in which I surveyed and worked with several government officials across the state. Ultimately, the staff and courses in IPAW helped me get into programs such as the Ralph Bunche Summer Institute at Duke University and the Data Science program at Indiana University. IPAW has been a wonderful experience and I am glad that I joined.

Sierra Wiese

Political Science PhD Program, Vanderbilt University

As I begin my journey at Vanderbilt University, I would like to reflect upon how the IPAW program has given me a leg up in preparing to start my first year in the Political Science PhD program. I will be entering Vanderbilt’s PhD program with two years of R, RStudio, and LaTeX experience under my belt thanks to my time in the IPAW program at Indiana University. Those two years of experience helped make me a more marketable candidate to graduate schools during the application process, illustrating my passion for picking up new skills and the ability to utilize common tools in the field. I feel confident that I have been well trained to work effectively with collaborators on future projects and papers. IPAW has taught me more than just tangible skills, the program has taught me how to never give up when things become difficult, because that is when you grow as not only a student, but as a person.

Department of Political Science

IPAW Graduates

IPAW Graduates

Julia Bourkland

Ciabhan Connelly

Forrest Gatrell

Nancy Ni

Javier Salazar Jr.

Sierra Wiese

The College of Arts & Sciences

IPAW Graduates

IPAW Graduates

Julia Bourkland

Ciabhan Connelly

Forrest Gatrell

Nancy Ni

Javier Salazar Jr.

Sierra Wiese

Department of Political Science social media channels

The College of Arts & Sciences