Please get in touch with our placement director, Kirk Randazzo, at randazzo@mailbox.sc.edu if you are interested in hiring a Ph.D.
Sun Gue (Susan) Yang is a Ph.D. Candidate (ABD) in public administration and public policy within the Department of Political Science. Her research agenda focuses on the role of representation and social equity in public service delivery and government performance. Her work investigates the distribution and implementation of public policies and services among underrepresented groups, including racial minorities, women, low-income individuals, and children. Central to her research is her dissertation, which is rooted in representative bureaucracy theory. This dissertation employs a mixed-methods approach to explore socioeconomic status (SES) representation among social workers in the United States. Susan's research has been published in Public Administration Review, The American Review of Public Administration, International Journal of Public Administration, Public Personnel Management, and more. Notably, she was awarded the 2025 NASPAA Staats Emerging Scholar Award and JPAE Best Reviewer Award.
Kelsey M. Martin-Morales is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of South Carolina. Her research interests include the intersection of democratic backsliding and foreign policy. In addition to her dissertation project, she has worked on research that explores autocratic policy preferences, development aid, and international organizations. Kelsey received a Master of Public Administration from Kennesaw State University in 2016 and a Bachelor of Science in History, Technology, and Society from the Georgia Institution of Technology in 2012. In 2022, she received the Russel J. and Dorothy S. Bilinski Dissertation Fellowship.
Edwina is a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at USC. Her research focuses on LGBTQ+ politics, queer theory, authoritarianism, and East Asia. Her dissertation compares outlier cases around the globe to explain how legal, political, and social contexts shape marriage equality. She also conducts experimental work in the U.S. on voter perceptions of LGBTQ+ candidates and the issues they are perceived as competent to represent. Her research has been supported by awards including the SPARC Graduate Research Grant, the Dera D. Parkinson Fellowship, and the Dr. Richard Walker Memorial Fellowship. Edwina is an experienced instructor who has taught courses at both the introductory and advanced levels at USC. Her teaching emphasizes active learning, accessibility, and digital literacy. With support from a Teaching Resource Development Grant, she is developing an online short module on R and data literacy for use in Poli-Sci undergraduate classrooms. She is also committed to professional service and collaboration. In 2025, she co-launched and chaired the inaugural Political Science Graduate Symposium at USC, funded by the APSA Centennial Center, creating a space for graduate students across the Southeast to share their research. She is also a member of the Comparative Political Regimes (CPR) Lab, a joint initiative between USC and the University of Alabama examining regime change.