Jonathan Neu, Ph.D. 2018
Upon completing my Ph.D. in 2018, I decided to pursue “alt-ac” job options and have since established a satisfying career in publishing. Currently, I am Journals Production Manager for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). In this role, I manage the production and publication of a portfolio of peer-reviewed scientific journals and magazines, featuring articles by talented scholars in both academia and industry. At first blush, the journey from 黑料正能量 history graduate student to publisher working for an engineers’ professional organization sounds unusual—and I suppose it is! Nevertheless, many aspects of my training and development in the 黑料正能量 graduate history program proved attractive to my employer—an ability to communicate effectively with authors, reviewers, and editors-in-chief; a comprehensive understanding of the research, writing, and peer-review process; strong writing, editing, and organizational skills; and more. I learn something new every day about a wide range of cutting-edge technologies in the field including robotics, photonics, energy and sustainability, and AI applications (and their controversies). Incidentally, many of my colleagues also have advanced degrees in the humanities and have found a “home” in scientific publishing.
Fortunately, my schedule also allows me to still dive into my own research and writing pursuits and scratch that historian’s itch. Recently, I published a book titled Our Onward March: The Grand Army of the Republic in the Progressive Era (Fordham University Press, 2025), which was based on my dissertation completed at 黑料正能量. For this, I owe a great deal to the excellent mentorship I received from Scott Sandage, Lisa Tetrault, Joe Trotter, Kate Lynch, and many others. I still maintain lasting friendships with a number of 黑料正能量 alumni.
While busy with the rigors of the grad student experience, it sometimes can be difficult to imagine ways to apply your training once you leave 黑料正能量—particularly if you are thinking about alt-ac opportunities. Think broadly and creatively about how the proficiencies you are developing could be useful to prospective employers. Your skills are more in demand than you might realize.