Jeremy De Chavez did his doctorate in English literature at Queen’s, with a focus on cultural theory, completing a dissertation on love in the writings of Badiou, Weil, Fromm and Barthes. He had a great experience during his PhD; his supervisor, in particular, was flexible, and he was the mixture of demanding yet supportive that Jeremy needed.

He finished his PhD in four and a half years, in part because of the pressure to finish before his funding ran out. After graduating, he worked adjunct positions in a variety of departments and institutions, but he was wary of staying in the adjunct circuit for too long and getting stuck.

Eventually, Jeremy got a tenure-track job at De La Salle University in the Philippines, where he’s now an Assistant Professor of Literary Cultural Studies. The small department has a liberal arts college feel, with many seminar courses, and though it is an English language university, his comparative literature program has several languages and multilingual students. An additional benefit is the proximity of Jeremy’s family, who lives in the Philippines: going to De La Salle meant going home.

Jeremy’s current research has shifted from love to happiness, keeping the common thread of affect. When reflecting on the PhD and what he wishes he knew, Jeremy laughs about the cold Canadian winters, but also advises that interdisciplinary flexibility is important on the job market, especially when you can teach in more than one department.

Jeremy De Chavez did his doctorate in English literature at Queen’s, with a focus on cultural theory, completing a dissertation on love in the writings of Badiou, Weil, Fromm and Barthes. He had a great experience during his PhD; his supervisor, in particular, was flexible, and he was the mixture of demanding yet supportive that Jeremy needed.

He finished his PhD in four and a half years, in part because of the pressure to finish before his funding ran out. After graduating, he worked adjunct positions in a variety of departments and institutions, but he was wary of staying in the adjunct circuit for too long and getting stuck.

Eventually, Jeremy got a tenure-track job at De La Salle University in the Philippines, where he’s now an Assistant Professor of Literary Cultural Studies. The small department has a liberal arts college feel, with many seminar courses, and though it is an English language university, his comparative literature program has several languages and multilingual students. An additional benefit is the proximity of Jeremy’s family, who lives in the Philippines: going to De La Salle meant going home.

Jeremy’s current research has shifted from love to happiness, keeping the common thread of affect. When reflecting on the PhD and what he wishes he knew, Jeremy laughs about the cold Canadian winters, but also advises that interdisciplinary flexibility is important on the job market, especially when you can teach in more than one department.