PhD candidate Christal Hamilton is gearing up to start an exciting post-doc opportunity with Columbia University this August. Focusing her PhD studies on social and education policy and looking at the impact of inequality on vulnerable groups, Christal will be pursuing similar research topics at Columbia. Specifically, Christal will be concentrating her research on young adults and immigrants, and focusing on issues related to poverty, inequality, hardship, and social mobility. 

With this new position Christal is excited to continue to focus her work on young adults. One of her dissertation chapters specifically examines the impact of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion policy on the outcomes of young adults and Christal is eager to further her research in this area. Additionally, the interdisciplinary work of this role will allow her to explore a wide array of policy areas. 

Reflecting on the best parts of her time at the Truman School, first and foremost Christal expressed her respect and admiration for the Truman School faculty.

“The professors have been very supportive and are committed to helping students grow academically,” she said. She also noted how the diversity of academic disciplines among faculty in the Truman School have been valuable to her development. “The interdisciplinary nature of Truman’s faculty and curriculum has not only allowed me to acquire varied methodological skills, but also more in-depth understanding of the social issues I am interested in because I am able to view them from diverse lenses.” 

Beyond that, Christal says the Truman School feels like a family. She misses gathering wit the students and faculty, which did not happen over the past year due to the pandemic. Interacting with professors in these social settings made them more approachable in class or during office hours, something Christal truly values from her time at the Truman School. 

Christal also earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations with a minor in gender studies from University of the West Indies at Mona, Jamaica, and an MPA from the Truman School.