Reading the Cartoon History of the Universe comic books in elementary school initially attracted me to study history. 

History was supposed to be my "fun" class in college, but I quickly found myself putting other requirements for a planned STEM major aside so I could take more. The first history class at WashU that I really loved was a lecture course I took in my freshman year on the Roman Empire, where I benefited enormously from graduate student Luca Foti who provided me with feedback and guidance.

Syrus’s interests evolved during his time at WashU.

By pursuing a double major in Political Science and History, I developed a stronger interest in twentieth century history and its relationship to contemporary affairs. The role of history in defining current international politics, the layers of exchange and interaction at the grassroots that percolated upwards to affect the most pinnacle decisions--all provided a sense of drama and impact that was intellectually stimulating and demanded my attention. Most important for me was my experience doing summer research for my Senior Thesis, made possible by the Office of Undergraduate Research's generous grant program which meant I no longer had the pressure to find a paid summer job. The experience of archival research turned me from a student-observer into an active character of a new drama where I was producing and discovering knowledge.

After graduation, Syrus pursued varied paths in the veins of education and continued his education at the University of Chicago.

“While the path from my undergrad experience to where I am now looks linear, it didn't feel that way at the time.”

I applied to History PhD programs in my senior year, and had a few backup plans if nothing panned out. Out of nine applications, I got one acceptance, which was at the University of Chicago with a wonderful mentor--Professor Mark Philip Bradley. My research interests evolved significantly but still originated from questions I first began thinking about during my Senior Thesis research. I finished my PhD in 2025. Currently, I am a faculty member at New York University. I research linkages of influence and resistance between the US and Asian militaries, and I am revising my dissertation into a book.

While the path from my undergrad experience to where I am now looks linear, it didn't feel that way at the time. I pursued other professional experiences on the side through my undergrad and graduate education, which gave me the confidence that I could combine my academic skills with professional experience to establish a career outside of higher education if life turned out that way.

In freshman year, I might have balked at writing a 14,000-word research paper for a class. At NYU, I do the equivalent of that every week between my teaching and research. Every day I am using the skills I learned as a history major: analyzing far more text than I could possibly read word for word, drawing common conclusions, developing predictions and drawing a line between the dots, and asking the right questions to sort through an ocean of information and research leads.

Syrus leaves us with commentary for current students who are pursuing a degree in history.

Most of what is said about what college degree to get in order to obtain a good job is bunk. Like the rise and fall (and rise again?) of flared pants, flannel shirts, and the marketability of a computer science degree, it is difficult to know what is the right choice to make in a particular year. Whatever you are studying or doing, do it with passion and purpose, and strive to be the best you can be. In college, the best thing that I learned to do was not training how to solve specific types of future work tasks, but learning how to think, how to write, how to challenge myself, and keep the iron hot. The specifics won't be easy to figure out, but they have become approachable. In other words, I may not know exactly how I should dress in five years’ time, but I know that I'll want and be able to figure out how.

LEARN MORE

Learn more about what you can do with a degree in history: What can you do with that history degree? Exploring the data

Learn more about studying history and why history matters from the American Historical Society.