Andrew Wojtanik
{{Short description|American author and political scientist}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}
Andrew Wojtanik is an American author, political scientist, and past winner of the National Geographic Bee, a geography competition for fourth- through eight-grade students.{{Cite news |last=Wallace |first=Nancy |date=June 2012 |title=Wojtanik, Andrew. National Geographic Bee Ultimate Fact Book: Countries A to Z |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A296836366/ITOF?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a89a03bd |access-date=2024-09-25 |work=Voice of Youth Advocates |via=Gale General OneFile}} His book, The National Geographic Bee Ultimate Fact Book: Countries A to Z, was based on the "monstrous packet" of study notes he compiled to win the Bee at age 14. He currently researches and writes about elite politics and regime decision-making in Sub-Saharan Africa.{{Cite journal |last=Wojtanik |first=Andrew |date=2022 |title=Constraining Dictatorship: From Personalized Rule to Institutionalized Regimes by Anne Meng Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2020. Pp. 278. $105 (Hbk) |journal=The Journal of Modern African Studies |volume=60 |issue=1 |pages=136–137 |doi=10.1017/S0022278X21000331}}
Background
Wojtanik grew up in Overland Park, Kansas, where he attended Lakewood Middle School.{{Cite news |date=May 5, 2004 |title=Boy's book helps him win bee on geography |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2598081964 |access-date=2024-09-25 |work=Ventura County Star |id={{ProQuest|2598081964}} |agency=Associated Press}}{{Cite news |date=2000 |title=Andrew Wojtanik |url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lkh&AN=49394987&lang=en-gb&site=eds-live&scope=site |access-date=2024-09-25 |work=Baker & Taylor Author Biographies |via=EBSCOhost}} At age 14, he won the 2004 National Geographic Bee hosted by Alex Trebek, earning a $25,000 college scholarship.{{Cite news |last=Ives |first=Sarah |date=May 27, 2004 |title=Kansas 8th Grader Wins National Geographic Bee |url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/kids/2004/05/geobee.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060909035823/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/kids/2004/05/geobee.html |archive-date=September 9, 2006 |work=National Geographic Kids News}}{{Cite news |last=Thompson |first=Sharon |date=September 2004 |title=Magic spell |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A121763632/ITOF?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=610521e9 |access-date=2024-09-25 |work=National Geographic Kids |via=Gale General OneFile}} At the time, he attributed his success to a 432-page almanac he had compiled for himself.{{Cite news |date=June 22, 2004 |title=Kansan wins geography bee |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A118808170/ITOF?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=aabd1944 |access-date=2024-09-25 |work=Capper's |page=4 |via=Gale General OneFile |volume=126 |issue=13}} He went on to win the National Geographic World Championship in 2005, as part of a team of three teenagers representing the United States at the competition in Hungary.{{Cite news |date=August 2005 |title=World geography bee won by United States |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A147873085/ITOF?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=3aa87351 |access-date=2024-09-25 |work=Capper's |page=1 |via=Gale General OneFile |volume=127 |issue=16}}
Following his win, Wojtanik worked with National Geographic staff to turn his notes into a study guide for other children preparing for the Bee.{{Cite news |date=March 2007 |title=Afghanistan to Zimbabwe by Andrew Wojtanik |url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=33400142&lang=en-gb&site=eds-live&scope=site |access-date=2024-09-25 |work=Geography Teacher |page=47 |via=EBSCOhost}} The result was Afghanistan to Zimbabwe: Country Facts That Helped Me Win the National Geographic Bee, published in paperback in 2005.{{Cite news |last=Lodge |first=Sally |date=2005 |title=Children's Books for Spring |url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lkh&AN=16189830&lang=en-gb&site=eds-live&scope=site |access-date=2024-09-25 |work=Publishers Weekly |pages=85–141 |via=EBSCOhost |volume=252 |issue=8}} His second book, The National Geographic Bee Ultimate Fact Book: Countries A to Z, was published in hardcover in 2012.{{Cite news |date=2012 |title=Children's Books for Spring |url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lkh&AN=72093641&lang=en-gb&site=eds-live&scope=site |access-date=2024-09-25 |work=Publishers Weekly |pages=28–137 |via=EBSCOhost |volume=259 |issue=8}}
Wojtanik went on completed a bachelor of science degree in international politics at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in 2012.{{Cite web |title=Andrew Wojtanik |url=https://polisci.berkeley.edu/people/person/andrew-wojtanik |access-date=2024-09-25 |website=The Charles and Louise Travers Department of Political Science, University of California at Berkeley}}{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://liveandlethike.com/about/ |access-date=2024-09-25 |website=Live and Let Hike|date=July 13, 2013 }} He worked as a researcher at the Harvard Kennedy School.{{Cite web |date=2013 |title=Andrew Wojtanik |url=http://www.hks.harvard.edu/about/faculty-staff-directory/andrew-wojtanik |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130612203603/http://www.hks.harvard.edu/about/faculty-staff-directory/andrew-wojtanik |archive-date=2013-06-12 |access-date= |website=Harvard Kennedy School}}{{Cite news |date=December 16, 2020 |title=What the Rest of the World Can Learn From Africa's Protest Movements [analysis] |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2470539317 |access-date=2024-09-25 |work=AllAfrica.com |id={{ProQuest|2470539317}}}} As of 2024, he is a PhD candidate in political science at the University of California at Berkeley, studying politics in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Reception
Library Media Connection called The National Bee Ultimate Fact Book "a handy book to have around for basic facts", particularly for social studies teachers, and "a good resource for daily trivia questions or area reviews".{{Cite news |last=Libra |first=Suzanne |date=2012 |title=The National Geographic Bee Ultimate Fact Book: Countries A to Z |url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lkh&AN=82982070&lang=en-gb&site=eds-live&scope=site |access-date=2024-09-25 |work=Library Media Connection |page=84 |via=EBSCOhost |volume=31 |issue=3}} School Library Journal rated the 2012 edition as a purchase librarians would not regret, noting that it includes fast facts, maps for visual context, and information on current world politics for 195 countries.{{Cite news |last=Connolly |first=Christina |date=2012 |title=The National Geographic Bee Ultimate Fact Book: Countries A to Z |url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lkh&AN=76490569&lang=en-gb&site=eds-live&scope=site |access-date=2024-09-25 |work=School Library Journal |page=5 |via=EBSCOhost |volume=58 |issue=6}} A review in Voice of Youth Advocates said that "The data has been chosen and displayed in the most convenient format to study for the National Geographic Bee, in which over five million students participate, but it also serves as an excellent reference for all kinds of geographic questions."
Publications
- Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, by Andrew Wojtanik ({{ISBN|0-7922-7981-6}})
- The National Geographic Bee Ultimate Fact Book ({{ISBN|978-1426309472}})
References
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{{succession box | before = James Williams | title = National Geographic Bee winner | years = 2004 | after = Nathan Cornelius}}
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Category:Harvard Kennedy School staff