John Root, MA Student

I am originally from Syracuse, NY.  I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and History from the University at Buffalo in 2022.  I briefly worked in retail banking before deciding to enroll in graduate school to pursue a career that I am truly passionate about.  Currently, I am a second-year MA student interested in the history of contemporary Korea and east Asia more broadly.  My research interests focus on the intersectionalities between economic history, intellectual history, political history, identity formation, gender, and race.  I am currently working on my Master’s Thesis with my advisor, Dr. Mark Nathan, on modern Korean History, and applying to History PhD programs.  I have a background in data analytics, economics, and finance.  The majority of my undergraduate research fell under these disciplines.  My most notable undergraduate research projects was an application and econometric model of Jon von Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern’s “Game Theory”, using the popular card game UNO and an econometric report and statistical prediction of the introduction of the legalization of sports betting in the National Football League. 

In the history field, my most notable undergraduate research was analyzing the legacy and legitimacy of the accounts of Ponce de León’s voyages of the Atlantic World.  As a graduate student, my most notable research projects have been into the role of Korean women, in particular the role of  “comfort women”, during the Korean War (1950-53) and a thorough analysis of American 20th and 21st century “queer” historiography.  I have also had the pleasure of being the editor for two published volumes, Once Upon a Time… by Ida Gregoire M.D. and A Primer For Eighth Graders: an Introspective Journal by Ida Gregoire M.D. both published in 2023.  Additionally, I am currently the President of the Graduate History Association, an active member in the Honor’s History Co-ed Fraternity Phi Alpha Theta, undergraduate grader for HIS 293: The Second World War, and graduate student assistant for the International Student Services department at the University at Buffalo.  My goals and aspirations are to earn a PhD in History, continue academic research, teach history at a university, work in department administration, and help younger people think critically, work hard, and find an academic discipline that interests them–regardless of whether that happens to be history related although I am biased.  In my free time, I enjoy reading nonfiction historical books, going for walks, exploring Buffalo, and spending time with friends and family.