CV

Download PDF version here: Ahrens CV updated September 9, 2022
Academic Interests
History of political thought, political philosophy, political virtue, democratic theory, U.S. political thought, and U.S. politics

Education
University of Chicago
Ph.D., Political Science, August 2020
-Dissertation: “Democratic Trust and the Limits of Distrust”
-Committee: Nathan Tarcov (chair), William Howell, and James Wilson
M.A., Political Science

Baylor University
B.A., University Scholar (Political Science, Classics, Great Texts), 2012, magna cum laude

Academic Appointments
Boston University, Kilachand Honors College
-Postdoctoral Associate
Princeton University, James Madison Program
-John and Daria Barry Postdoctoral Research Fellow, 2020-2021 [deferred to 2021-2022 due to COVID-19]

Current Papers
-Defining Democratic Trust
-Rethinking Institutionalized Distrust (R&R)
-Political Faith: Putting Faith in the Devil in Machiavelli’s Discorsi

Workshop and Conference Participation
“Disentangling the Webs of Trust and Distrust in The Federalist“
-Shawnee Trail Conference, Baylor University, April 2022

“Rethinking Institutionalized Distrust”
-Political Theory in and as Political Science, Stanford University, March 2022
-American Political Science Association, October 2021

“Trust in Machiavelli’s Prince”
-Western Political Science Association, April 2021

“Care for Each Other in Ideal Democratic Constitutions”
-Western Political Science Association, April 2021

“Trust in the Government, Distrust Each Other: A Democratic Dilemma”
-American Political Science Association, September 12, 2020
-Kinder Institute for Constitutional Democracy, Shawnee Trail Conference, April 2020*

“What Is Democratic Trust?”
-Western Political Science Association, May 22, 2020

“The Diminishing Returns of Relying on Distrust to Protect a Democracy”
-Duke Graduate Conference in Political Theory, February 6-7, 2020

“Foundations of Distrust: The State of Political Trust in The Federalist“
-Midwest Political Science Association, April 4, 2018
-Southern Political Science Association, January 4, 2018

“Distrust and The Federalist“
-University of Texas Graduate Conference on Public Law, November 4, 2017

“Trusting in a Thing That Can Easily Deceive You: Political Faith in Machiavelli’s Discourses on Livy“
-Midwest Political Science Association, April 17, 2015

Teaching
Teacher of Record, Boston University
-Honors College Writing Studio, two sections, Autumn 2022
Teaching Assistant, University of Chicago
-The American Presidency, Winter 2019
-Introduction to Political Theory, Autumn 2021, Winter 2019, Spring 2016
-Political Leadership: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives, Autumn 2015
-Introduction to American Politics, Autumn 2015

Fellowships and Awards
-Barry Center Fellow, 2021-2022
-SPSA, Prestage-Cook Travel Award, 2020 [declined due to earthquakes]
-Dissertation Completion Fellowship, University of Chicago Division of Social Sciences, 2019-2020
-Institute for Humane Studies Fellowship, 2018-2019
-Honorarium for University of Texas Graduate Conference on Public Law, 2017
-Social Sciences Fellowship, University of Chicago, 2012-2017

Academic Service, Professional Development, and Editorial Experience
-Reviewer, American Journal of Political Science, American Political Science Review
-University of Chicago Political Science Association Mentor, 2016-2017
-Workshop on Teaching in the College, Chicago Center for Teaching, 2014
-Editorial Assistant, Leo Strauss Center, 2013-2016
-Social Sciences Minority Graduate Student Development Program, 2012-2014

*Indicates cancellation due to the pandemic