Students who major in political science, public policy, or national security pursue a wide variety of careers in law, government, education, private industry, and the nonprofit sector. Some of our department’s notable alumni include legal scholar and author Michelle Alexander (The New Jim Crow), Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, television personality and journalist Willie Geist, Louisiana Senator John Neely Kennedy, and Academy Award-winning film director Delbert Mann (“Marty”). Below are some stories from recent alumni, highlighting their diverse career pathways and successes.

Alumni Stories

Brendan Burns BA’15

Brendan Burns graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Vanderbilt in 2015 with a double major in economics and public policy studies. His senior capstone project examined data from Nashville’s Financial Empowerment Center to assess statistical associations related to participant dropout. Brendan worked for three years in health policy after graduating from Vanderbilt, including a stint as a Commissioner’s Fellow in Public Health for the State of Tennessee. After receiving a master’s in public affairs from Princeton in 2020, he moved to California, where he is currently a senior analyst for the California Public Utilities Commission. In that role Brendan plans for a future California electric system that remains reliable while reducing pollution.

“I didn’t enter Vanderbilt with an end goal of where I wanted to be,” he recounts. “I tried to just keep taking classes that interested me, which led me to pursuing the PPS major. The courses in the PPS program taught me how to work and allowed me to see, in class after class, that my interest in public service — specifically at the state and local level — was genuine. That understanding has helped me navigate professional opportunities early in my career.”

Jansen Hammock BA’23

Jansen Hammock graduated cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Vanderbilt in 2023 with a double major in public policy studies and economics. Jansen’s thesis explored the impact of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid Expansion on economic outcomes in Appalachia. At Vanderbilt, he wrote for the Vanderbilt Political Review, served as a research assistant to Dr. Panka Bencsik, and was a member of the Vanderbilt Club Ultimate Frisbee team. He also interned at the Kentucky office of Governor Andy Beshear and served as a youth representative on the Kentucky Juvenile Justice Advisory Board. Since graduating, Jansen has joined the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development where he focuses on the development of energy-related industries. Jansen will be pursuing law school following his service in state government.

“Being part of the team that brings jobs and opportunities to my home state of Kentucky has shown me how important economic policies are, and it has further motivated me to continue a career in public service in the future,” Jansen says. “Following law school, I hope to serve in Federal government as a policy advisor. I would love to bring my perspective from growing up in Eastern Kentucky to shape economic policies that impact rural areas in our nation. My time at Vanderbilt has provided me with many opportunities for a career in public service, and I’m excited to find where I can use my passion to contribute most.