Inspired by Female Scholars

I can't help it when I see a good twitter thread, so after seeing this

This #InternationalWomensDay we want to hear about the women that inspire you. Look out for testimonials from our allies all week, and join the conversation! Let's celebrate women experts in political science this #IWD2019! ✨#womenalsoknowstuff pic.twitter.com/XtDJ2xuUlL

— womenalsoknowstuff (@womenalsoknow) March 4, 2019

I decided to write about a series of poli sci women who have made a big difference in my career.* 

1. Isebill Gruhn was a visiting prof at Oberlin when I took her Intro to IR class.  She helped turn me from a Chemistry major into a Government major and a fan of IR.  She was so sharp and pretty demanding, so getting good grades in that class meant a big deal.  I never did end up being as good as she was in running discussions.  I will always be thankful to her for turning me onto this IR thing.
2. Lisa Martin was on my dissertation committee during her brief time at UCSD.  She was so quick with thorough, insightful comments that she set an example that I have never been able to match but something to aspire to, nonetheless.  
3. Debbi Avant was three or four years ahead of me in grad school, and she deftly managed to welcome the younger folks while balancing two kids and being the leading edge of a relatively new program.  It is funny that my work started to rely on hers late in my career, but the way which did her work influenced me from the outset.  Debbi's passion for the stuff was almost as important as the amazing community that she helped to build.
4. Erin Jenne was one of my first co-authors, helping me to figure out the international relations of ethnic conflict.  She has always inspired me to be more critical.
5. Cherie Maestas (the token Americanist in this list) taught me much about building institutions even around, over, or thru a broken landscape.  She was really the Colonel Hogan of Texas Tech, even though I liked to think I was.
6. Juliet Johnson inspired me with the most memorable (ok, most positively memorable) job talk I have witnessed, and then she became an amazing colleague, doing far more than her fair share of damn near everything.  I could only win teaching awards at McGill in the years she was not eligible for whatever reason.  She is a hell of a role model as well.
7. Pattie Weitsman, whom I met at a job interview (I didn't get it), became a conference pal.  Her work on alliances pushed me to think harder about my work in that area.  We lost her way too soon, but she will always inspire me with her humor, her intellect, and how she fought her fight.
8. Sara Mitchell is one of the most prolific scholars of my generation, but what inspires me is how much community she has built, how much she has broken the path and assisted the next generation of women.  Oh, and her laugh is almost as loud and as piercing as mine.  I'd like to think I inspire her to laugh a bit louder.
9. Stephanie Carvin, even though she is much junior to me, inspires me, not just with her amazing baking abilities, but her energy and drive to engage in pretty much every direction, via twitter, her podcasts, her classes and all the rest.  I wish I had her energy.
10. My PhD students, Aisha, Sarah-Myrium, Ora, Jessica, Amy and Maya, who inspired me with their dedication, determination, and deliberation.  See my TeamSteve page for their publications.

*  There are plenty of other women who inspired me along the way, including those I never met, but these are the ones that inspired me the most.  Oh, and if you can't spot the Harry Potter reference, too bad.