tenure-track – Active Learning in Political Science ©

April 17, 2026April 17, 2026

Office Hours: Year One (Part 4)

In mid-September 2025, we started a new series, “Office Hours: Year One”, where three first-year tenure-track professors from different institutions reflect on their experiences throughout the first year. See Part 1 here. We are back with Part 4, and spring is upon us! In this post, we are checking in to see how things are in their first second semester, and whether goals are holding up.

Thank you again to Dr. Brooklyn Walker (University of Tennessee-Knoxville), Dr. Charmaine Willis (Old Dominion University), and Dr. Jennifer Ostojski (Indiana State University) for contributing and letting us get a glimpse at the first-year life.

January 9, 2026January 8, 2026

Office Hours: Year One (Part 3)

In mid-September we started a new series, “Office Hours: Year One”, where four first-year tenure-track professors from different institutions reflect on their experiences throughout the first year. See Part 1 here. We are back with Part 3, and the first semester is officially done done for our cohort. Hopefully, they and our dear readers used the winter break to recuperate and rest (ha!). In this post, we are checking in to see how things went in wrapping up the end of the fall semester, and what sort of priorities are guiding the group’s thinking as we look ahead to the spring semester.

September 12, 2025September 12, 2025

Office Hours: Year One (Part 1)

The First Few Weeks

With the fall semester slowly getting into full swing across the United States, we here at ALPS are starting a new column, titled “Office Hours: Year One“, that follows a group of first-year assistant professors in Political Science across the United States, as they set sail (or continue) on their journey through academia. The intention is to demonstrate the variety of experiences on the tenure-track and create a community of relatability.

I am excited to present the inaugural class of the first-year cohort: Dr. Polina Beliakova (American University – School of International Service), Dr. Jennifer Ostojski (Indiana State University), Dr. Brooklyn Walker (University of Tennessee-Knoxville), and Dr. Charmaine Willis (Old Dominion University).

As our assistant professors embark on their first year, they find themselves navigating a delicate balancing act: teaching, service, and research. These are the three pillars of academic life, each pulling in different directions. They are weighed differently across institutions, yet all are essential to success on the tenure track. Through this column, I’ll check in with our cohort as they reflect on their work, share their challenges, and explore how they manage the push and pull of competing demands.