What’s Next for Our 2021 PhD Graduates?

As summer winds to a close, many of our 2021 Ph.D. alums are heading out into the world and moving on to their next adventures.

Nearly 87 percent of our graduates are placed in university positions, with 47 percent placed in top-tier research institutions. About 13 percent find careers in government, private or nonprofit sectors.

We’re immensely proud of our graduates, especially given the unique circumstances in which they finished their time in SJMC. We know they will continue to do great things wherever they go.

Here are the new roles some of our graduate alums are taking on:

Helen Cho, Ph.D. 2021 – Assistant Professor, University of Richmond

A screenshot from Helen Cho’s virtual dissertation defense. From left, SJMC Associate Professor Lindsay Palmer, SJMC Professor Hemant Shah, Yoshiko Herrera (Political Science), Sandra Fahy (Carleton University, Canada), SJMC Associate Professor Lucas Graves and Helen Cho.

Ornella Hills, Ph.D. 2021 – Assistant Professor, Andrews University

Juwon Hwang, Ph.D. 2021 – Assistant Professor, Oklahoma State University

Sunghak Kim, Ph.D. 2021 – Postdoc at Yonsei University College of Medicine

A screenshot from Sunghak Kim’s virtual dissertation defense. Clockwise from top left, SJMC Assistant Professor Katheryn Christy, SJMC Professor Dhavan Shah, SJMC Professor and Director Hernando Rojas, Sunghak Kim, Marlon Mundt (Family Medicine and Community Health) and Betty Chewning (Pharmacy).

Jiyoun Suk, Ph.D. 2021 – Assistant Professor, University of Connecticut

Jiyoun was recently featured in an article from UConn Today, “New Faculty Bring Antiracism and the Environment to the Forefront”.

Jeff Tischauser, Ph.D. 2020 – Senior Research Analyst, Southern Poverty Law Center

Chau Tong, Ph.D. 2021 – Postdoc, Cornell University

Congratulations to all!