Andrew Cesare Miller

What are you doing now? 

In May, I wrapped up a PhD in political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology after seven exciting, fulfilling, and occasionally challenging years. I wrote my dissertation on improving police-community relations in communities affected by criminal violence--a project that brought me to Lagos, Nigeria. Next month, I'm excited to join the United States Naval Academy as an assistant professor. 

How has the Fellowship impacted your educational and/or career aspirations? 

I was fortunate to be paired with Mark Croatti as my fellowship mentor, who has taught at just about every university in the area. He went above and beyond, inviting me to join his classes on embassy visits and having me give guest lectures. These experiences confirmed for me that I love to research and teach about “big questions,” which put me on the academic path. Academia is probably the only place where you can take ten years to answer a question without getting fired for being too slow! 

What is your favorite memory of the Fellowship? 

My favorite memory was learning about the fascinating research of the other fellows. Although my fellowship was almost a decade ago (!), I still remember one fellow's essay analyzing discrimination toward American immigrants with hypthenated names, I believe, in the early Twentieth Century. The essay has more than a little resonance today. 

If you could have any job in the world, what would you do?

I wanted to race cars growing up. But, as Bill Lumbergh says, “yeah, that’s not gonna happen,” so I settle for go-karting every now and then. In all seriousness, I do have a dream job at the Naval Academy. The academic job market is incredibly tough and only getting tougher, so I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to join a talented group of colleagues at the Academy.

Originally published July 15, 2020.