About Me

Welcome! I am an Assistant Professor in the department of political science at Gettysburg College.

As a scholar, I explore the history of nineteenth and twentieth century political thought,
focusing in particular on non-Western theories of democracy, nationalism, colonialism, war, and
freedom. My work engages these theories through cross-cultural analysis that complicates and enhances the way we understand the canon of political theory. As a teacher, I aim to cultivate global citizenship skills in young people through engagement with diverse perspectives. 

My work appears in journals such as the European Journal of Political Theory, New Political Science, The Review of Politics, Polity, The European Legacy, and Montaigne Studies.  Four of these articles are among the first to introduce Vietnamese political thought to debates in political theory. 

Click here for my CV. 

I grew up in San Jose, California. After high school, I went to the University of California, Irvine where I studied biology and art before majoring in political science. It was during a short-term study-abroad program to study conflict in the Middle East that I decided to pursue a career as a professor of political theory. After graduating, I lived in Vietnam, teaching English as a means to learn about the country my parents left as refugees. Then, through a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship, I did a M.Sc. in conflict resolution at the University of Amsterdam. I went to UC Riverside for my Ph.D. in political science. Through a Graduate Research Mentorship Fellowship, I spent a year in Paris doing archival research for my book project on Vietnamese political thought. 

You can reach me at kpham@gettysburg.edu. 

The American University of Paris, 2019.