Members of the Keough School of Global Affairs Class of 2019, the school’s first graduating class, are now employed in a variety of rewarding positions in diverse fields. Keough School graduates work in the public, private, and international or domestic nonprofit organization sectors, demonstrating the versatility of the master of global affairs degree.
Read what some of our graduates have to say about their new positions and their time at the Keough School:
Steven is a program associate at the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, where he provides programmatic and logistical support for the organization’s U.S.-China Track II Dialogues. These initiatives promote high-level exchange and constructive dialogue on sensitive topics including maritime issues and international law; economic, rule of law and human rights; and digital economy.
As a master of global affairs student, Steven took a directed readings course with Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies Director Michel Hockx.
“The readings provided a vehicle not only for Chinese language practice and acquisition, but also the chance to read primary sources on the same critical topics I focused on in my other global affairs classes,” he says.
The expertise and connections Steven developed while working with Hockx helped him land his current position. Karrie Koesel, a political scientist and concurrent faculty member of the Keough School, provided a pivotal connection to Jan Berris, vice president of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.
Jenna Ahn McGuire is an international development fellow at Catholic Relief Services (CRS). Her CRS fellowship provides professional training for individuals pursuing a career in international relief and development work.
In her current role, Jenna supports programs in food security, education, capacity-building, monitoring and evaluation, and emergency response. She also receives professional training in program implementation, proposal development, operations, and partnership.
“Joining Catholic Relief Services after the Keough School is a natural fit, since at the heart of both institutions is a commitment to integral human development,” Jenna says. “What helped my transition to CRS was learning from so many experienced development professionals at the Keough School, where I was exposed to everything from proposal writing to monitoring and evaluation.”
Lamia Malik is a program officer for the Open Society Foundations’ Global Drug Policy Program. Focusing on illicit drug use in Asia, Lamia works to shift the existing policy paradigm from one based on punishment to one rooted in human rights, sustainable development, and public health.
Lamia creates strategies and tools for fostering social change, while also developing and managing relationships with potential and current grant recipients in Asia. She allocates financial support to organizations that seek to improve drug policy in their region.
“The Keough School helped me to articulate that social issues are multi-dimensional,” says Lamia, who is from Pakistan. “No matter our area of focus, we need to consider the full context in which people live so we can help them reach their full potential.”
Caroline Andridge is the US policy coordinator within USAID’s Office of Food for Peace. In this role she focuses on congressional engagement, policy analysis, and risk management and oversight related to food security programming in humanitarian crises.
“Knowledge of the policy-making and appropriations processes and food security programming, along with the ability to work under pressure and build strong working relationships across the office, has been critical to meeting tight deadlines,” Caroline says.
Caroline learned about global food security through a directed readings course with professor Ray Offenheiser, and her Integration Lab project with Oxfam America exposed her to issues related to food security and global supply chains. From Notre Dame economics professor Kasey Buckles, Caroline learned to interpret econometric models applied to policy, a skill that has been “even more helpful than I imagined,” she says. Finally, a Notre Dame networking opportunity over spring break introduced Caroline to a senior staff member at Food for Peace.
“I experience several direct connections between my current work and the training I received at Notre Dame,” Caroline says. “I’m grateful for the education and encouragement I received at the Keough School.”
Mian Moaz Uddin analyzes developments in transportation policies and technologies, authoring white papers and briefings for policy makers and ICCT partners. A public policy fellow, he is currently assessing the transportation policies proposed by the Democratic candidates for the 2020 US presidential election.
“The best parts of this job are the autonomy and the close proximity to experts in sustainable transport,” says Moaz, who also recently published an analysis of an ambitious new national electric vehicle policy in Pakistan, his home country.
A portfolio of research and policy projects Moaz completed at the Keough School were instrumental in helping him to secure a position at the ICCT.
“I was able to demonstrate that I could knowledgeably conduct research on transport and energy and synthesize that information into policy recommendations,” he says. “The Keough School equipped me to translate research into an actionable form.”
