Ohio State PhD in Political Science Wins National Dissertation Award

December 9, 2014

Ohio State PhD in Political Science Wins National Dissertation Award

Joshua Kertzer (PhD, political science, 2013) was awarded a 2014 Council of Graduate Schools (CGS)/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award, the nation’s highest honor for doctoral dissertations. Kertzer’s dissertation, “Resolve in International Politics,” was selected from 71 nominees representing 25 disciplines in the social sciences. He was presented the award on Dec. 4 during the CGS annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

Kertzer’s dissertation examines the concept of resolve, which is a commonly used but insufficiently understood independent variable in international relations. He describes resolve as “an interaction between situational stakes and dispositional traits,” and uses a range of different methods to explain why certain types of actors are more sensitive to the costs of fighting, while others are more sensitive to the costs of backing down. Kertzer’s faculty advisor was Richard Herrmann, professor and chair of the Department of Political Science.

Kertzer currently is assistant professor of government at Harvard University, where he specializes in the intersection of international security, foreign policy, political psychology and quantitative and experimental methods.

Sponsored jointly by CGS and ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, a division of ProQuest Information and Learning, and first presented in 1981, these awards are made annually to individuals who have completed dissertations representing original work that makes an unusually significant contribution to the discipline. Two awards are given each year, rotating among four general areas of scholarship. Winners receive a certificate, a $2,000 honorarium and funds for travel to the awards ceremony.

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