Barbara dos Santos

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The first time I visited the office of Dr. Hong N. Kim, I decided that I wanted to be a professor. I
was an undergraduate exchange student at West Virginia University coming from a very different
background. Compared to WVU, my university in Brazil was similar to a high school, the classes were in
the I say, you memorize style, and research wasnt a very common word. The semester I spent as an
exchange student at WVU introduced me to a new world; a research oriented environment where
professors were willing to give extra attention to students who wanted to learn more. As expected, all this
change was very difficult for me, I frequently asked my professors for help and they were always willing
to assist me. The first time I visited Dr. Kims office hours, I was so impressed with the passion and the
knowledge presented by that senior scholar that every part of me wanted to hear what he had to say. That
was the moment that I realized how much I love knowledge, and how I wanted to pursue and share it. I
realized that I wanted to be like him.
My time at WVU, this time as a masters student, has been one of the best experiences in my
academic life; I have had the privilege of working with faculty members who invested time in my growth
as a researcher and professional. Not only did I have the opportunity to initiate my academic training
from my methods courses to the roundtables hosted by the professionalization committee, I was able to
learn closely what it means being an academic, and to certify that this is what I want. This experience
helped me to crystallize to research Comparative Politics in Latin America. One of the areas that fascinate
me is lobbying in Brazil. The lobbying activity is not regulated in Brazil; thus, identifying, measuring,
and studying lobbying is a very difficult task. For that reason, there has been very limited research in this
area. I would like to focus my doctoral work in lobbying in order to understand this activity that is present
and must be studied. Furthermore, Im interested in the power and strength of the agribusiness organized
interest groups that are able to push for protectionist policies and are engaged in a constant conflict with
environmental protection agencies and interests. I firmly believe that the Department of Government in
American University complements my doctoral research emphasis.
My decision to submit an application to your program are four-fold: 1) my desire to work with
Drs. Eisenstadt, Hershberg and Thurber, 2) my projected fit with the faculty members and current

Barbara dos Santos

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doctoral students, 3) the strength and reputation of the Political Science Ph.D. program, and 4) the rich,
diverse community of American University across the country. After visiting your campus and meeting
with Dr. Eisenstadt, and Robert Biggs, students, and community members, I was sure that I wanted to be
part of the rich legacy of the Ph.D. Political Science program. The research by Dr. Eisenstadt in Latin
American institutions, and the expertise in of Dr. Thurber in Lobbying are nothing short of spectacular.
Moreover, the possibility of taking classes and having a committee member from the School of
International Service is a great opportunity for developing a targeted program of study. Within the SIS, I
have a great interest in the research developed by Dr. Matthew Taylor, which could enhance my
dissertation with his expertise in Brazilian government and corruption. In addition, the research support
provided by the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies would be significant to my success in
researching such a challenging facet of Brazilian politics.
I truly believe that this programs community is a perfect fit for me to grow as researcher and
future leader in the field of Comparative Politics. I hope to be a student in the Department of Government
and to work closely with your faculty members and graduate student community.