First Draft of Letter of Intent, IU PhD in Political Science, Bloomington

On April 9, 2008, Dr. Solomon M. Nkiwane, a former professor at The Colorado College passed away in South Africa after giving a lecture regarding the political scene in Zimbabwe. Dr. Nkiwane was the single most influential person in my decision to pursue a career in academia. He stressed the importance of life-long learning, and using knowledge gained to enrich the lives of others. It was after a conversation with Dr. Nkiwane regarding the importance of honoring human dignity in the study of political science that I made the decision to travel to Nigeria with a medical mission. During the trip, I realized that the success of a community depends on the health of its people and how a government regards the wellbeing of its people.
I am currently a dual concentration Masters of Public Health student at the IU School of Medicine in Indianapolis. I have chosen a dual concentration in Epidemiology and Public Health Policy and Management. The MPH program has allowed me access to invaluable resources and research support from faculty and staff. I will take what I have learned in the Masters program to support my specific interests in the area of Political Science.
During my undergraduate career, I learned advanced research methods and procedures that I continue to utilize in my graduate work. In 2005, I enrolled in the Semester in Washington Foreign Policy Program to learn and put into practice a higher level of research methods, including conducting primary resource interviews and practicing proper confidentiality procedures. I conducted interviews with several high-ranking political officials in both the United States and Zimbabwe. I learned when to take risks and when to be prudent in my research. The culminating project from my experience living and researching in Washington, D.C., reflects my determination and resourcefulness in completing complex research projects.
At the start of my senior year at The Colorado College, I accepted the roll of Senior Research Assistant for Dr. Andrew T. Price-Smith. My duties included organizing and coordinating the efforts of six Junior Research Assistants, acting as mentor and coach to new Research Assistants, and personally assisting Dr. Price-Smith in conducting research for his articles and presentations regarding bio-terrorism and political stressors.
After consulting with Dr. Gregory Steele and Dr. Cynthia Stone of the IU School of Medicine Department of Public Health, plan to enroll in the PhD program in August of 2009 and either suspending my Masters program or applying many of my Masters classes to a PhD minor in Public Health. During my time in the PhD program, I will pursue my interests, including maintaining the well-being of adolescents in rural East and Southern African countries; specifically, refugees, internally displaced persons and former child-soldiers suffering extreme political persecution. The Indiana University – Bloomington campus offers tremendous research and publishing opportunities, as well as one of the best African Studies programs in the nation. I will take full advantage of the resources available to me through the IU Department of Political Science PhD program.
With a PhD in International Relations and a minor in Public Health from the IU Department of Political Science, I will continue to involve myself in progressive research projects, seeking to broaden the information available to those in my field. I will apply for professorship at institutions that have strong foci on scholarship, research and student-faculty relations. I will apply the knowledge of my field to facilitate and encourage in-depth, thought-provoking discussion and student class-work.
I seek to be a scholar-practitioner and leader in the field of political science. In addition, I will be a servant-leader, using my skills and knowledge to assist in the cultivation of young scholars and viable participants in the work force.