Dr. Caitlin Andrews-Lee, PhD Government '19
This caption describes the image above.
Tell us about your current position and the work you’re doing now.
I started as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Ryerson University in Toronto in January 2021.
I recently received a grant from Canada’s Social Science and Humanities Research Council to launch my next research project, titled “Breaking Boundaries: Women Leaders in Charismatic Movements.” This project will investigate the strategies and conditions under which women can become leaders of charismatic movements. Charismatic leaders are widely considered to be “strongmen” who boast hyper-masculine qualities including aggressiveness, virility, boundless confidence, and extraordinary talent. Conversely, women in charismatic movements often occupy inferior positions in which they serve and complement the leader’s hyper-masculine traits. During my research on my dissertation and first book, I observed how some women—such as Argentina’s Cristina Fernández de Kirchner—seem to defy these rigid gender roles and become leaders of charismatic movements themselves. Related, I wondered how these women leaders differ from their counterparts in more programmatic political contexts. I am excited to move forward on this project in a comparative context that examines women leaders in and beyond Latin America.
I also teach about comparative and Latin American politics, international development, and research methods. I am lucky to have wonderful students who teach me as much as I teach them.
How did your time at UT impact your career and/or research trajectory?
My time at UT fundamentally shaped my career and research trajectory. I was incredibly fortunate to have the support of many dedicated mentors, especially my dissertation advisor, Kurt Weyland, and my all-star dissertation committee (Kurt Weyland, Bethany Albertson, Raúl Madrid, and Daron Shaw). I continue to look up these and other professors in the department as model scholars, teachers, and mentors. It has been a joy to transition from the role of a student to that of a colleague!
I also benefitted tremendously from the many hours I spent with my fellow PhD candidates in the program, several of whom I count among my best friends today. I firmly believe that being able to study, develop research designs and papers, launch into fieldwork abroad, and go through the exhilarating yet grueling experience of being on the academic job market in the company of such bright, supportive, and inspiring humans has been fundamental to my professional success and personal happiness.
In my view, one of the most amazing perks of being an academic is that we have the opportunity to work with and learn from other students and scholars throughout the world. Even as I have moved institutions and countries, I have stayed in touch with my friends, colleagues, and mentors at UT.
What’s one of your favorite memories from your time in our PhD program?
I hold many fond memories of my time in the PhD program, but one that sticks out as particularly special was my first formal practice job talk in front of the Department. I had spent many months off campus, largely due to extensive fieldwork in Latin America, and had really missed our supportive community. After a couple years of near misses on the job market, I landed a very exciting on-campus interview at a prestigious institution. The entire department seemed to rally on my behalf, with students and professors across the subfields attending my talk and hammering me with intense, incisive questions to prepare me for the big day. It emphasized to me how, even in the extremely competitive arena of academia, it is the support and enthusiasm of a community of brilliant cheerleaders that enables our greatest success.
Any advice for current UT GOV grad students?
As you search for a dissertation topic, be sure that you narrow in on something about which you are genuinely curious and passionate. You will spend a LONG time thinking about this topic and, in publications and on the job market, you will need to sell this idea to others to convince them to invest in you and your work.
Meet regularly with your fellow grad students. Work with each other and build on one another’s success in every phase of the program, from coursework to research to the job market. You get to have these people in your corner for the rest of your career and life, well beyond grad school!
If you choose the academic profession, be clear with yourself and your partner/family what your values, guidelines, and boundaries are as you prepare for the job market. Consider that time and flexibility are helpful—even indispensable—parts of the equation for getting a good job. You have little control over when or where the right opportunities appear. It often takes several years and temporary positions (postdocs, VAPs, etc.), and the opportunities may come in places you haven’t considered before. Having an idea of what you’re willing to sacrifice in terms of place and time is immensely helpful as you decide where to apply and, when the offers come, what you’re willing to accept. I think it is also wise to consider what you love most about this profession and how you can leverage that in non-academic careers. Broadening your range of potential opportunities is a fulfilling and empowering exercise.
Balance your career with other joys in life!
