James Lacitignola

Background

About James Lacitignola

As a student at Tufts University, I worked at the campus library, which taught me to pay extremely close attention to detail alongside essential time management skills. When I graduated, I was unsure about my future career path, and decided to take a job waiting tables to save money while I planned my future. Here, I gained experience working in a fast-paced, hectic environment for long hours while on my feet. Additionally, I quickly acclimated to prioritizing my tasks to optimize utility and efficiency. I also interfaced with customers constantly, and prioritized their satisfaction. From there, I moved on to get my Masters degree at the University of Chicago, where I discovered a passion for researching and writing about migration patterns and responses in the Mediterranean. After completing my degree, I took a year off from academia to teach English as a foreign language at a middle school in southwestern France. I was able to polish my French language skills, gained direct, hands on teaching experience, and classroom management skills as well. Since returning to the United States, I have spent the past three years as a PhD student in the History Department at the University of Texas at Austin. I have continued to refine and explore the project I began at the University of Chicago researching, writing, and exploring human migratory patterns and government responses to that migration. This has further deepened my qualitative and quantitative research and writing skills, critical thinking ability. My problem solving, public speaking, data analysis, information synthesizing, and comprehension skills have also been regularly engaged and improved by this work.