Austin L. Wright National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow Princeton University Department of Politics Princeton, NJ 210-367-6854 austinlw@princeton.edu scholar.princeton.edu/austinlw Updated: July 31, 2012 Education Doctoral Student, Princeton University, Department of Politics, 2011 - B.S. with High Honors, The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Communication Studies: Political Communication (With Special Honors), August 2009 = Communication Studies Thesis: Terrorist Network Formation and the Force of Fantasy: Fantasies as Generative Foundations of Network Genesis and Growth - Advisors: Sharon E. Jarvis & Bryan J. McCann B.A. with High Honors, The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Government (With Special Honors), Department of Sociology (With Special Honors), May 2009 = Government Thesis: Radical Networks of Violent Dissent: Game Theoretic Models of Terrorist Network Dynamics - Advisors: R. Harrison Wagner & Kenneth F. Greene - Prizes: The William Jennings Bryan Prize in Government for Best Thesis of the Year, George H. Mitchell Student Award for Academic Excellence, Audre and Bernard Rapoport & Robert D. King Fellowship = Sociology Thesis: Why Do Terrorists Claim Credit? Attack-Level and Country-Level Analyses of Factors Influencing Terrorist Credit Taking Behavior - Advisors: Robert D. Woodberry & Penny A. Green - Prize: Top Prize, Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) Undergraduate Research Paper Competition (National Quantitative Analysis Award) Secondary Mathematics Teaching Certificate with Exemplary-Effective Distinction (Portfolio & Coursework), The New Teacher Project, 2010 1
Publications Why Do Terrorists Claim Credit? Attack-Level and Country-Level Analyses of Factors Influencing Terrorist Credit Taking Behavior. (2009). ICPSR Bulletin (Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research), Vol. 29, No. 3 Averting Disaster: Methods for Addressing the Superbug Epidemic. (2009). In Communication: Principles for a Lifetime (4th Edition), eds. Steven Beebe, Susan Beebe, and Diana Ivy. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Persuasive Speech on the Federal Governments Use of False Information Provided by Private Intelligence Companies. (2011). In Public Speaking: Finding Your Voice (9th Edition), eds. Michael Osborn, Suzanne Osborn, and Randall Osborn. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Persuasive Speech on the Federal Governments Use of False Information Provided by Private Intelligence Companies. (2011). In Public Speaking Guidebook (2nd Edition), eds. Suzanne Osborn, Michael Osborn, and Randall Osborn. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Selected Research & Presentations Social and Virtual Networks: The Role of Social Media in Contemporary Protest Mobilization. (2012). Working paper (Under revision). Interstate Border Conflicts and Economic Relations. (2012). Working paper with Ryan Brutger (Under revision). Why Do Terrorists Claim Credit? Revisited. (2011). Working paper (Under revision). A Formal Method for Measuring and Analyzing Political Risk Attitudes. (2011). Working paper (Under revision). Extremism in the Tigers Den: Terrorism in South Asia. (2009). Panelist presentation at Act Local Think Global annual conference (The University of Texas at Austin). A Statistical Estimate of Risk Attitudes in the American Electorate: The 2004 Election. (2009). Working paper (Under revision). Scholarships, Research Grants & Academic Awards - National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, 2012-2015 - President s Fellowship, 2011-2016 - Parker D. Handy Prize Fellowship in Public Affairs, 2011 - - Niehaus Center for Global Governance Research Grant, 2011-2012 - Deans Distinguished Graduate, 2009 - Phi Beta Kappa, 2009 2
- All-American, American Forensics Association, 2009 - Audre and Bernard Rapoport Honors Scholar, 2008-2009 - Hispanic Bar Association Pre-Law Scholar, 2008-2009 - Howard and Nancy Terry Scholar, 2005-2009 - Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholar, 2005-2009 - Minnie Stevens Piper Scholar, 2005-2009 - Emo Jean Cottrell Scholar, 2005-2009 - Baumberger Endowment Scholar, 2005-2009 - Jesse H. Jones Centennial Scholar, 2008-2009 - HACER-McDonald Scholar, 2005-2009 - Distinguished College Scholar, 2007, 2008, 2009 - Presidential Scholar, 2005-2009 - Marion Burke Smith Travel Grant Recipient, 2008 - H. Malcolm Macdonald Scholar, 2007-2008 - Admiral Bobby R. Inman Scholar, 2007 Teaching Experience & Related Professional Development Teach For America Corps Member, June 2009 - June 2011 Greater New Orleans Area, Louisiana - Selected to teach Secondary Mathematics in an underprivileged school - PRAXIS II: Mathematics: Content Knowledge ( Highly Qualified to teach Secondary Mathematics) Mathematics Instructor, July 2009 - June 2011 Sojourner Truth Academy, New Orleans, Louisiana - Taught Algebra I and Pre-Algebra courses - 2010-2011: 80% of 9th Grade Algebra I passed the rigorous Algebra I End of Course (EOC) examination - 2010-2011: students received the highest marks on school-based interval examinations 3
Mathematics Instructor, June 2009 - July 2009 Teach For America Summer Institute, Phoenix, Arizona - Responsible for personally developing and implementing record-setting fiveweek mathematics curriculum (highest ratio of perfect exit examination scores in the summer program; highest overall average in the summer program) - Attended six research based courses including: Instructional Planning and Delivery, Elementary Literacy, Classroom Management and Culture, Teach As Leadership, and Learning Theory Summer Statistics Institute Instructors Assistant, May 2008, May 2009 Division of Statistics & Scientific Computation, Austin, Texas - Assisted Tse-Min Lins course on Maximum Likelihood Estimation Lead Lecturer & Extemporaneous Speaking Instructor, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 The University of Texas National Institute of Forensics, Austin, Texas - Coached high school students at nations most prestigious forensics institute - Lectured on Japanese history, Southeast Asian politics, international security, terrorism, and domestic intelligence agencies to audiences of up to 100 Assistant Debate Coach, August 2010 - May 2011 Bonnabel Magnet Academy High School, New Orleans, Louisiana - Coached Public Forum Debate, Original Oratory and Extemporaneous Speaking - Coached four students (who had never participated in debate activities before) to 2011 Catholic Forensics League National Debate Tournament Volunteer Speech and Debate Coach, June 2005 - March 2006; April 2008 - March 2009 Memorial High School (San Antonio, Texas); Anderson High School (Austin, Texas) - Coached high school students in elimination rounds of both Texas state tournaments Program Coordinator, August 2010 - June 2011 American Bar Association Mentorship Program, New Orleans, Louisiana - Founded New Orleans branch of Championing Our Students legal mentorship program directed by the American Bar Association at Sojourner Truth Academy and Bonnabel Magnet Academy Weightless Flights of Discovery Participant, July 2010 - Sept. 2010 Northrop Grumman Foundation, Gulfport, Mississippi - Designed and performed microgravity experiments to demonstrate the physics of weightlessness - One of two Teach For America corps members selected from state of Louisiana 4
Activities Limited Preparation Events Captain, Speech and Debate Team, August 2007 - May 2009 Member, Speech and Debate Team, August 2005 - May 2009 National Representative, American Forensics Association, April 2008 - May 2009 Executive District Representative, American Forensics Association, March 2007 - May 2009 Member, Phi Beta Kappa, May 2009 - Present Member, Pi Sigma Alpha (Political Science Honor Society), March 2008 - May 2009 Member, Alpha Kappa Delta (Sociology Honor Society), October 2008 - May 2009 Public Speaking Publications (Audio-Visual) Extemporaneous Speech on Ma Ying-Jeous Taiwan and its strategic ties with the United States and China. (2008). In American Forensics Association Championship Video Series. Extemporaneous Speech on Revising Macedonias failed strategy for joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization when negotiating European Union membership. (2008). In National Forensics Association Championship Video Series. Extemporaneous Speech on the economic impact of implementing the UN-backed Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation Plan for Brazil and Indonesia. (2009). In American Forensics Association Championship Video Series. Impromptu Speech on the Treatment of Hysteria and Deviance in Contemporary Culture. (2009). In American Forensics Association Championship Video Series. Persuasive Speech on the US Governments use of False Information Provided by Private Intelligence Companies. (2009). In American Forensics Association Championship Video Series. Extemporaneous Speech on the Strategies Opposition Parties in Georgia Should Use to Pressure Mikheil Saakashvili to fulfill the promises of the Rose Revolution. (2009). In National Forensics Association Championship Video Series. Impromptu Speech on Dealing with Personal Identity Crises with Courage. (2009). In National Forensics Association Championship Video Series. Persuasive Speech on the US Governments use of False Information Provided by Private Intelligence Companies. (2009). In National Forensics Association Championship Video Series. 5
Public Speaking Honors National Forensics Association National Tournament (NFA): - Individual Pentathlon Sweepstakes: Overall National Runner-Up (2009) - Extemporaneous Speaking National Champion (2009); National Finalist (2nd Place: 2008) - Persuasive Speaking National Champion (2009) - Impromptu Speaking National Finalist (3rd Place: 2009), Quarter-Finalist (2008) - Rhetorical Criticism National Semi-Finalist (2008) - Informative Speaking National Quarter-Finalist (2009) American Forensics Association National Individual Events Tournament (AFA- NIET): - Extemporaneous Speaking National Finalist (2nd Place: 2008), Finalist (5th Place: 2009), Semi-Finalist (2006), Quarter-Finalist (2007) - Impromptu Speaking National Finalist (2nd Place: 2009) - Persuasive Speaking National Finalist (3rd Place: 2009) - Communication Analysis National Semi-Finalist (2008) 6