AV俱乐部 graduate student John Mitton has gone from the east coast lifestyle to the golden coast to study at the School of International Relations at the University of Southern California.
Mitton set up shop at the Los Angeles-based university in August as part of a fully funded nine-month research term he was awarded by receiving a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship.
It鈥檚 another mark of distinction on Mitton鈥檚 already stellar resume. In 2015, he was also awarded the Bernard Brodie Prize for an article he wrote for the journal Contemporary Security Policy on reputations and American coercive diplomacy after Syria.
Along with recognition for his individual work, Mitton received an $8,000 subvention from the Awards to Scholarly Publications program to publish a book he co-authored with his advisor, AV俱乐部 professor and Dean of Arts and Social Sciences Frank Harvey. Their book, Fighting for Credibility: U.S. Reputations and International Politics, will be published by the University of Toronto Press in 2017.
Mitton has achieved all this before even finishing his dissertation, which he is currently working on in California.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a great experience so far,鈥� says Mitton, who confesses he felt he had no shot at getting the Fulbright when he applied. 鈥淭he faculty have all been welcoming and interested in my work.鈥�
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Understanding international rivalries
Mitton is currently focusing his research on the persistence of international rivalries and why they sometimes escalate into war and violence. He is also looking into international interventions in civil wars from a historical perspective.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important because it鈥檚 something that has happened a lot over history, and continues to happen today,鈥� says Mitton.
Dr. Harvey says watching Mitton鈥檚 success has been inspiring.
鈥淛ohn quickly emerged as one of the strongest graduate students I have worked with,鈥� he says.
Mitton鈥檚 superb academic record and high quality research led Dr. Harvey to ask him to work as a research assistant on a project dealing with U.S. credibility and reputations in international politics. Impressed by his聽 excellent work, Dr. Harvey asked Mitton to co-author the aforementioned book.
鈥淎s any graduate supervisor will tell you, there is no greater sense of accomplishment than seeing your graduate students succeed and thrive,鈥� says Dr. Harvey.
Mitton has always been drawn to broad questions about war and peace and the state. A political theory course during his undergrad at Bishop鈥檚 University introduced him to studying international relations.
鈥淚 was drawn to the idea of figuring out what was happening in the world today,鈥� says Mitton. 鈥淚鈥檝e been hooked ever since.鈥�
Putting knowledge to work
After studying at Bishop鈥檚, Mitton returned to his hometown of Halifax to complete his master鈥檚 degree in Political Science. After completing his MA, he spent a year abroad in Paris on a Canada-France Youth Exchange Program before returning home to complete his PhD.
At Dal, he was selected to make a presentation of his Brodie Prize-winning article on the Faculty of Arts and Social Science鈥檚 Cross-Currents panel, an event showcasing some of the brightest students from the department. He also made it to the final round of Dal鈥檚 Three-Minute-Thesis competition 鈥� the only FASS student to do so.
Additionally, he recently won a National Student Award Essay Competition for the Journal of Military and Strategic Studies, which is published out of the University of Calgary.
On winning two prestigious awards, the Fulbright and the Brodie, Mitton says, 鈥淚 was grateful and honoured.鈥�
鈥淚 was able to see the full arc,鈥� he says, 鈥渇rom having an idea to presenting it at a conference. To get the revisions and have them recognize me is gratifying because it is a long process.鈥�
Mitton hopes to complete as much of his dissertation as possible before returning from California. While he is mostly working, he is hoping to take advantage of his time in LA. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great sports town,鈥� says Mitton. 鈥淎ny downtime I have I鈥檓 probably going to a Clippers or Kings game.鈥�
After finishing his PhD, Mitton鈥檚 goal is finding a job teaching at a university or working in government policy. 鈥淚 definitely want to use my degree and work in the field of international affairs.鈥�