Miami University

Academic Advising
College of Arts & Science

College of Arts & Science at Miami University

Where Are They Now?

Where do CAS alumni and former members of the Dean's Student Advisory Council (DSAC) go and what do they do after graduation? Recently, some of them let us know ...

Kristen Altenau (BA, Psychology, 2010)

"After graduating from Miami in May, I returned to Oxford as a first year graduate student in Miami's Student Affairs in Higher Education (SAHE) program - I just couldn't stay away! I have an assistantship in the Office of Admission, working as a part-time admission counselor. Upon graduation next spring, I hope to get a position working at a University. I am considering a PhD program after a few years of working - I'm just not quite sure what I want my PhD in, yet!

"Advice to Current Students: I wish I would have allowed myself to explore more academic avenues. When I came into Miami, I was very focused on my chosen major and didn't allow myself to seriously explore other opportunities. I was pre-med until the summer before my senior year, when I realized I had no interest in going to medical school. I wish I would have allowed myself to realize that sooner.

"If I could go back and do it again, I would have tried to balance social life and academics a bit better. Both are important aspects of the undergraduate experience — but the balance between the two is vital. I wish I had spent more time considering the balance between those two worlds."

[October 2010]

Katharine Schweitzer (BA, Philosophy, 2008)

"I'm now in the 4th year of my journey to obtain a PhD in philosophy from Emory University.

"In October, I passed a major milestone by successfully defending my dissertation prospectus. My dissertation focuses on the problem of reasonable disagreement about the basic principles of justice. 20th-century philosophers who address the subject of social justice have overlooked the philosophical importance of compromise. The few philosophers who do discuss compromise consider it a morally deficient bargaining process. I argue that pursuing compromise is morally and pragmatically superior to refusing to make concessions on matters that admit of reasonable disagreement. Now I have a year and a half to write it. Hey Miami: y'all want to hire me when I graduate in May 2013?

"Last year I taught Introduction to Bioethics and Introduction to Ethics. Designing and teaching my own courses confirmed my belief that teaching is my vocation. Miami's undergraduate associate program gave me my first taste of the professorial activities of lecturing, leading discussion, and grading. Hopefully, my undergraduates think as highly of me as I did of many of the excellent professors I had at Miami.

"In addition to participating in Emory's vibrant and close-knit community of humanities graduate students, I take advantage of the cultural and culinary opportunities in metro Atlanta and train for long distance races (from 5Ks to marathons) as a member of the Atlanta Track Club's Women's Competitive Team.

"I'd love to hear from Miami undergrads who are interested in pursuing graduate studies in the humanities and would like advice or encouragement. My e-mail address is kjschwe@emory.edu."

[November 2011]

Matt Kendra (BA, Psychology, 2007)

"After graduating from Miami, I entered a Ph.D. program in clinical psychology at George Mason University and am currently in my third year. I am working on stigmas and their relevance to clinical psychology with Dr. Jonathon Mohr and methodology, depression and physical activity with Dr. Patrick McKnight. This past summer I had an internship with the VA hospital in Washington, DC doing primary care behavioral health. I am now considering working with Veteran Affairs after I finish my graduate program; they're an incredible population to work with.

"Despite being in graduate school, I somehow manage to do some other things: tennis (missing my days with Miami Club Tennis), football/basketball (intramurals keep me going with these sports), fishing (especially, my dad), and ice hockey. I have progressed from watching and playing 'pretend' hockey to actually joining a local ice hockey league. But I am still very much a Redhawks Ice Hockey fan ... GO REDHAWKS!"

[October 2009]

Jaime Nester (BA, Philosophy, 2007)

"My wife and I just moved back to Cleveland this past May after I finished my MA in philosophy at Virginia Tech. I have decided to take a year off from school, but I just took the LSAT this past Saturday and I will be beginning law school next fall 2010.

"My wife and I are enjoying being back home with our families, but we are not too sure we whether we will decide to stay in northeast Ohio indefinitely. Though Case Western is one of the many law schools I am interested in, I will be applying throughout the East coast and Midwest."

[October 2009]