Dylan Ruediger Accepts Position as Coordinator for the Career Diversity for Historians initiative with American Historical Association (AHA)

2017 Apr 24

Dylan Ruediger of Decatur, a Georgia State University doctoral graduate, has accepted a position with the American Historical Association (AHA) as the coordinator for the Career Diversity for Historians initiative. He will be joining AHA headquarters when he finishes his Ph.D. program in May 2017.

Ruediger is majoring in History. Dylan successfully defended his Ph.D. dissertation this spring on Tributary Subjects: Affective Colonialism, Power, and The Process of Subjugation in Colonial Virginia, C. 1600 - C. 1740.

His dissertation explores tributary relationships between Algonquin, Siouan, and Iroquoian Indians and English settlers in Virginia, placing the process of political subjection into the heart of narratives of dispossession.

The American Historical Association (AHA) was founded in 1884 to establish high professional standards for historical training and research. Today, the American Historical Association is the largest professional organization serving historians in all fields and all professions. The AHA has become a trusted voice for history education, the professional work of historians, and the critical role of historical thinking in public life.

Dylan previously served as co-director for the National Endowment for the Humanities Next Generation Planning Grant and an AHA Career Diversity for Historians Departmental Grant. He also has experience in digital humanities from his work as project manager for the Student Innovation Fellowship program here at Georgia State.

In his new position, Dylan will be working closely with the manager of academic affairs to launch the AHA's Career Diversity for Historians initiative, including executing an institutional grants program, planning and executing a series of faculty institutes, and maintaining the AHA's successful Career Contacts program.

During his time at Georgia State, Dylan helped to develop a five-year strategic plan to improve graduate programs in the College of Arts and Sciences and participated in a University System of Georgia committee that oversaw the merger of Georgia State with Perimeter College.

When asked about his new career opportunity and experience at GSU here is what Dylan had to say.

What will your new job entail?

"My job entails working with faculty and graduate students from across the country, helping graduate programs build curriculum and create cultural changes that will help graduate students find work throughout society, not just within universities."

How did GSU help you on the path to employment?

"I was hired as a direct result of my experiences at GSU, where I spent extensive time working on the topic of career outcomes for grad students as president of the GSA and as a co-director of two national grants aimed at fostering career diversity for humanities PhD candidates at GSU. Dr. Armistead was a close collaborator on all these initiatives."

How did the Provost Dissertation Fellowship help you to achieve your goals?

"The PDF gave me the financial resources and, more importantly, the time necessary to spend a year focused on writing. During the year of my fellowship, I wrote two entire chapters, the intro and conclusion, and extensively revised the dissertation into defendable condition."

What was your best experience at GSU?

"My greatest experience at GSU was helping to organize the GSA (grad student alliance), the first university-wide graduate student organization at GSU. While I was active in the organization, we succeeded in implementing a substantial reduction of fees for grad students across the university. It was very rewarding to be a part of a process that put money back into the pockets of grad students at GSU".