Honoring Opportunity on the Bluff and Abroad

Triple-majoring in political science, history and international relations has instilled discipline, curiosity and confidence—all qualities this Honors College student from Butler, Pa., embraces as he reaches for bigger goals.
 
While he chose to stay close to home for college, citing his love for family and the city of Pittsburgh, his studies have taken him across the globe.

Exploring interests

Deagan was intrigued by the opportunity to apply for an Honors College Fellowship, a $5,000 award to conduct research anywhere in the world. He was thrilled when his application was accepted.
 
A few months later, Deagan was on a flight to Beijing, China, as his goal to study intentions in international politics in China as an Honors College Fellow came to fruition.
 

Throughout summer 2025, Deagan attended class at Peking University where he gained the perspective of Chinese citizens as he researched the Belt and Road Initiative and perceptions of the strategy in China, the United States and around the world.
 
The Belt and Road Initiative is a global infrastructure and economic development strategy launched by the government of the People’s Republic of China in 2013 with mixed reception across the globe.

“I wanted to see what the Chinese people thought, especially college students and academics,” said Deagan. “I gained a lot of insight as to how they're teaching about it over there as well as what my classmates thought.”

In addition to discussing this and other specific historical events, Deagan had enlightening, candid and civil conversations with Chinese classmates about politics in the United States and in China, with a focus on perception versus reality. His Duquesne coursework armed him with the confidence and knowledge to ask hard questions and go beyond the surface to look for a fuller story.
 
“We had a good cultural exchange,” he said. “I was free to basically talk about anything without much pushback at all, and my professor encouraged me to give my opinions a lot in class.”

Sharing knowledge

Back in the United States, Deagan remained grateful for the enduring connections he made in China and the horizon-expanding experience that allowed him to explore the depths of his ambitions. He was happy to answer Duquesne classmates’ questions about the fellowship and share his experience so they could all learn together.
 
Deagan also is working on an Honors College thesis, a voluntary, zero-credit course spanning three semesters that allows students to dig deeper and expand their horizons while extensively researching a topic of their choice.
 
“For my thesis I’m looking at intentions and international politics—whether governments or states can decipher other countries’ intentions. It thinks about questions like whether they intend to go to war or whether they intend peace,” said Deagan. “The theory that I'm working on is under a branch called neorealism, so I’m adding my two cents to this branch of the theory.” 

Seizing opportunity

When he’s not researching topics that intrigue him most, Deagan is active in the International Relations Club, attends outings with Duquesne’s outdoor recreation club and works on political science PhD program applications.
 
He urges other Honors College students to follow in his footsteps and apply for the Fellowship to gain research experience on a global scale and grow personally and as a scholar.
 
“I want to continue doing research and then hopefully eventually become a professor,” said Deagan. “There are plenty of Honors College students ambitious enough to take on a research project, and they should take advantage of all the opportunities we have.”