John Starrels received his BA in political science from UC Berkeley in 1965, and went on to earn his doctoral degree in the same field from UC Santa Barbara in 1971. Soon thereafter, he accepted a position as assistant professor in George Washington University’s political science department where he taught throughout the 1970s. “I liked teaching and research in my chosen subfield, comparative politics; but alas tenure proved elusive,” he recently observed. This reverse proved temporary, however, from the vantage point of time, he reflects. Washington, both then and now, remains a mecca for academically trained social scientists; the area has always been heavily populated by think tanks, NGOs, positions at all levels of the Federal Government, Capitol Hill, and the multilateral organizations, he notes. Many of these slots are hard to obtain, Starrels allows, “but a degree in economics, applied science or law will almost invariably open the right door.” As if to hammer home the point, John’s last full-time position was with The International Monetary Fund from where he retired in 2006. “This is from a guy whose doctoral dissertation was on political education in the long-gone primary school of The German Democratic Republic!” John’s post-IMF life includes teaching English as a second language and as an Adjunct professor in the UC Washington program.
John Starrels resides with wife Judy in Chevy Chase, Maryland. They have one son, David.
