Graduate Student Meeting with Professor Phillip M. Ayoub

By Soraya Cipolla, Robin Turner, and Nicholas Zalewski

On Friday, September 25, graduate students from various departments across campus had the opportunity to chat with Phillip M. Ayoub, Associate Professor of Diplomacy and World Afairs at Occidental College, during a virtual coffee hour. In addition to answering follow-up questions based on his talk given at the European Union Center’s fall reception, we got to talk with Prof. Ayoub about his experiences as a researcher and professor. We talked about his time in the field working with LGBTQ+ activist movements as well as practical insight and advice about the writing process. During the discussion we learned about LGBTQ+ rights and activism in Europe focusing on Poland, Germany, Greece, Spain, Italy, Baltic Republics and Czechia.

We had the opportunity to ask specific questions about furthering their careers as academics. He gave advice on applying for postdoc positions and discussed how there are not only opportunities in the United States, but in other countries as well. Professor Ayoub recommended always being on the lookout for fellowships that can help support our research. In addition, Professor Ayoub gave tips on writing about LGBTQ+ rights and the need to be aware of how the terminology is constantly changing. For example, while queer was a slur in the past, the LGBTQ+ community has worked to reclaim the word to be used as a positive descriptor. When writing about a specific individual, it is important to realize they have their own preferences about how their identity should be described and how important it is to respect that.

Our sincerest thanks to Professor Ayoub for his generosity and openness in talking with us about his work and interests!

The full recording of Professor Ayoub's lecture may be found here.

Posted in: LGBT Issues,Phillip M. Ayoub