Careers and Placement for Literary & Cultural Studies Ph.D.s
Since its inception in 1986, the Ph.D. program in Literary & Cultural Studies (LCS) in the Department of English at Carnegie Mellon University has been preparing its graduates for academic and non-academic positions around the world. LCS graduates secure careers as faculty members of English programs as well as in a wide variety of industry research positions.
Alumni Spotlight
Kate Hamilton ('16)
Assistant Director of Faculty Programs,
Harvard University (Harvard Kennedy School)
The LCS Ph.D. program has equipped me with essential transferable skills in research, communication, and pedagogy that I apply on a daily basis as an educational consultant. The ability to find and create meaning from seemingly disparate data, whether through close or distant reading, is highly valued outside of our field. This skill has enabled me to collaborate with interdisciplinary instructors in public policy, STEM, and the humanities to shape educational policies and practices more intentionally. Furthermore, as LCS focuses on structural and historical trajectories — particularly, vectors of power and access — I have been able to incorporate these perspectives into high-level conversations about educational equity, content, and impact across multiple institutions. For instance, I have provided consultations on diversifying the curriculum, participated in discussions about grad student unionization, and advocated for adjunct faculty.
The teaching experience I received at CMU has been invaluable. Teaching argument mapping/visualization in first-year writing courses has not only greatly improved my own writing but has also resurfaced in unexpected ways (for example, while helping faculty to develop courses for a new general education initiative at Boston University). Furthermore, my pedagogy training within the English Department, combined with my work at the CMU Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence & Educational Innovation, has provided me with a solid foundation in the learning sciences. This knowledge allows me to effectively coach instructors and enhance the quality of their teaching, regardless of the subject matter.
Recent Placement (2013-2023)
- Teaching Faculty, Choate Rosemary Hall
- Assistant Professor, Glenville State University
- Teaching Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
- Assistant Professor of Modernism and Digital Humanities, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- Assistant Professor of Literature, Antioch College
- Visiting Assistant Professor, Christian Brothers University
- Grants Manager, The University of Findlay
- Adjunct Instructor, Carnegie Mellon University
- Lecturer, Lasell College
- Visiting Assistant Professor of English, Wabash College
- Adjunct Instructor, Emmanuel College
- Assistant Director of Faculty Programs (Kennedy School of Government), Harvard University
- Marion L. Brittain Postdoctoral Fellow, Georgia Institute of Technology
- Instructor, Brookdale Community College
- Visiting Assistant Professor, The College of New Jersey
- Lecturer, University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth
- Senior Lecturer, University of North Dakota
- Government Services Project Manager, Center for Technology and Civic Life
- Postdoc, University of California - Santa Barbara
- Visiting Assistant Professor of American Studies, Dickinson College
- Assistant Professor of English, University of North Dakota
Long-Term Placement (before 2013)
- Video Collection Manager and Adjunct, Carnegie Mellon University
- Lecturer, University of Pittsburgh
- Humanities Teacher, Hong Kong International School
- Assistant Professor of English, BITS-PILANI, K.K. Birla Goa Campus
- Assistant Professor of English & Drama, New York University
- Associate Professor of English and Modern Drama, Saint Mary's College of California
- Assistant Professor, University of Colorado at Boulder
- Assistant Professor Of Medicine, Allegheny Health Network
- Visiting Assistant Professor, Duquesne University
- Digital Communications Specialist, Oregon State University
- Associate Professor, SUNY Empire State College
- Professor of Writing & Humanities, Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design
- English Teacher, Oakwood Secondary School, California
- Professor of English, Eastern Illinois University
- Associate Professor, Eastern Michigan University
- Gender Advisor & Grants Coordinator, U.S. Embassy (Yangon, Myanmar)
- Associate Professor of English, Western Carolina University
- Professor, New York University
- Professor of English, Gordon State College
- Visiting Faculty, Miami University
- Associate Professor of English, Kyung Hee University
- Lecturer, University of California - Los Angeles
- Adjunct Instructor, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- Professor, City College of San Francisco
- Associate Professor, Iowa State University
- Executive Associate Dean and Associate Professor of English, Bowling Green State University - Firelands
- Professor, Eastern Michigan University