WashU History alumni have pursued careers in higher education, secondary education, research, publishing, and public service. In our Where a History PhD Takes You Q&A series, alumni reflect on their time at WashU and their current work.
Read each interview to learn more about our alumni’s experiences at WashU, the research that continues to inspire them, and their advice for current and prospective History graduate students.
David Pennington (PhD ’11) is Professor of History and Chair of Social Sciences at Webster University. His research explores the political economy of Tudor and early Stuart England, including the relationship between political institutions and economic opportunity.
Tanya Roth (PhD ’11) teaches history at MICDS in St. Louis and is the author of Her Cold War: Women in the U.S. Military, 1945–1980. She shares her work recovering overlooked histories of women and making the past engaging for students and general readers.
Amanda Scott (PhD ’17) is an Associate Professor of History and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Penn State, where she also directs undergraduate studies in History. Her research examines gender, religion, family separation, and the experiences of Romani communities in early modern Spain.
En Li (PhD ’15) is an Associate Professor of Modern East Asian History at the University of Texas at Dallas. Her research spans the social and cultural history of China, including education and meritocracy, and her current interests connect the history of Hula dancing with cultural exchange across China, Southeast Asia, and Hawaiʻi.
John Aerni-Flessner (PhD ’11) is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University and author of Historical Dictionary of Lesotho. His current research investigates the connections between American political networks and support for apartheid-era South Africa, with an emphasis on writing for both scholarly and public audiences.
Justin Meyer (PhD ’23) is the Academic and Administrative Coordinator for WashU’s John and Penelope Biggs Department of Classics. Though he has moved from academic teaching into university administration, he continues researching the German Renaissance and developing his first book project on patriotic scholarship.
Kevin Butterfield (PhD ’10) serves as Acting Chief of the Manuscript Division at the Library of Congress. After a career in university teaching, he transitioned into library leadership, where he helps preserve historical records and supports scholars using the library’s collections.
