Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration alumni Eric Stokan, Ph.D. ‘16, discusses his career as a tenured associate professor at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Dr. Stokan also serves as the director of UMBC’s Center for Social Science Scholarship, balancing teaching, research, and impactful service.
“I think working hard, staying inquisitive, being vulnerable, and expressing what you don't know or when you need help are critical for Ph.D. students, as are having outside interests.”
Eric Stokan
Ph.D. ‘16
Where did you grow up and how has your background influenced you today?
I grew up in a northern suburb within Metro-Detroit. This context had a profound impact on my career trajectory as my dissertation was focused on understanding why local governments adopted particular economic development strategies. Growing up in a context where your central city struggled to deliver core public services (i.e., street lighting, trash removal, EMS), and to overcome many challenges (e.g., high crime rates, high unemployment, lead poisoning, food deserts, public transit challenges, etc.) while knowing that 50 years prior it was one of the wealthiest cities in the world led me to think a lot about how economic and community development works.
While some of my focus has changed, I remain interested and continue to study how local governments balance economic growth, community development, and environmental sustainability. How they do this equitably and what compels them to adopt different strategies remains an important focus for my scholarly inquiry.
Tell us about your current professional role and how it excites you.
I am an associate professor of political science (affiliate with the public policy school) and the director of the Center for Social Science Scholarship at UMBC, which focuses on supporting social science scholarship. I love these roles. I maintain a balance between teaching, research, and service that feels really good to me. I get to set the direction of a Center that includes social scientists across many distinct areas (political science, economics, sociology, anthropology, psychology, etc.), and I also interface with and collaborate with humanists and engineers in both research and event hosting. I also get to serve as co-director of a lab at IU Bloomington (MGMT Lab), so I wear many hats, which is very appealing to me.
What accomplishment are you most proud of personally or professionally and why?
Professionally, I would say earning tenure has to be one of the proudest moments since leaving GW. Second would be having received several multi-year grants from the federal government to conduct research with implications for local governments.
Did you receive a scholarship at GW? How did your scholarship help you succeed?
Yes, I had the Selective Excellence Fellowship. Absent this Fellowship, I would never have been able to attend GW. It ensured that I could afford to attend, and allowed me to dedicate my time to thinking and researching without some of the financial pressures I would have otherwise experienced.
What is your only-at-GW moment? In other words, what is an experience/opportunity you believe GW provided you access to?
While there are many experiences you can only get from being in the Capital City, I would say mine was having another GW alum (a year after me, working at the Office of Management and Budget) invite me for a White House tour. Unbeknownst to me, he led me directly to the Oval Office, where I was able to peek my head in. I can now accurately claim that I have been in the Oval Office at least once!
Was there a standout course, professor, or organization from your time as a student that inspired your career path?
Hal Wolman was a scholar whom I absolutely admired before I came to GW. I had the great fortune of being one of his last Ph.D. students and was in his last course before he retired. He was a thoughtful scholar, a great mentor, and remains a wonderful friend and sounding board.
What is a piece of advice you would offer to students seeking to pursue your field of work?
I recently had a conversation with a Ph.D. student who felt like an imposter. This is a real thing, and I still sometimes struggle with these feelings (not as much as when I was in my Ph.D. program or in early tenure-track). I think working hard, staying inquisitive, being vulnerable, and expressing what you don't know or when you need help are critical for Ph.D. students, as are having outside interests.
What is a fun fact about yourself that you’d like to share?
In the last year and a half, I went from having a house plant to having a wife, two children (ages 10 and 12), three cats (Myrtle, Ms. Kitty, and Buddy), a dog (Bella), and 6 chickens (I'll spare the names). My life feels much fuller, more dynamic, but also quite extraordinary! My kiddos are the best, obviously!
How do you give back to the GW community?
I make myself available to the community in whatever way is needed. Sometimes this means being part of panels on career transitions or trying to make it back to events, but I am very glad to stay connected with this community.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with the GW community?
I know this can be a tough time for many, as there is great uncertainty in academia, government work, and in many fields due to geopolitical and technological shifts. I would just say, hang in there and take care of yourself!