J.P. Clark, M.A. 2006, Ph.D. 2009

2009, Ph.D., History; 2006 M.A., History

How has being a History graduate from Duke helped shape you personally and/or professionally?

"Becoming a historian transformed my way of thinking. I am an active duty army officer who attended Duke in preparation for teaching at West Point. It did far more than that, and my entire subsequent career in various strategic plans and policy positions was marked by a new way of looking at things. When criticized for taking part in policy relevant discussions as a misuse or betrayal of the discipline of history, the late Dr Roger Spiller would remark: I am not applying history, I am applying the historian."

What advice would you give students in Duke's History programs? 

"As an active duty army officer, I acknowledge that my situation was and is somewhat different than most. That said, I would urge students to be open to a wide range of possibilities, including those outside of the traditional tenure-track academic positions. These are not merely second-best alternatives, but for some individuals might actually fit better with their personal and professional personalities. Survey the entire field of possibilities and decide from among those based on your own self-awareness, rather than treating academe as the default answer and then only looking elsewhere if that is not forthcoming."