Sam completed his DPhil in International Development at ODID in 2023.

Sam’s dissertation explored the dynamics of violence against LGBTIQ+ people during war through an analysis of paramilitary violence against this population in Colombia in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. It sought to engage debates of political violence, conflict processes, and international relations with insights from political theory, psychology, and sociology, as well as sexuality and gender studies in order to understand how anti-LGBT violence relates to the logics of war. 

The dissertation was developed through field and archival research in Colombia, which Sam, who is now a Departmental Lecturer in the Department of Politics and International Relations at Oxford, is continuing. Two chapters from the dissertation have been published in Global Studies Quarterly and Third World Quarterly.

The PSA judges said: "This dissertation represents an exceptional piece of scholarship that stands out for its interdisciplinary approach and its significant contribution to our understanding of the complex relationship between social transformation, violence, and identity politics during civil war.”

"By contextualising violence within broader socio-political landscapes, the author effectively demonstrates how violence operates not merely as a means of coercion but as a catalyst for reshaping social and political structures".

“I’m honored to receive this recognition from the Political Studies Association and to be connected with the legacy of Elizabeth Wiskemann”, Sam said. “This dissertation would not have been possible without the social leaders and activists in Colombia, who have worked tirelessly to memorialize their history and seek justice. I thank them and hope that my work reflects the time and expertise that they shared with me.”