Tag: International Affairs

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Elliott Alumni Reflect on Prestigious Presidential Fellowship

Two PMF Awardees and the PMF logo

The prestigious Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) program is opening doors for Elliott School graduates to turn their academic experience into impactful careers in the federal government.

Administered by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the PMF program is designed to recruit and develop the next generation of leaders for the federal workforce. The application process evaluates candidates’ leadership potential, with top candidates selected as finalists. Those finalists then have the opportunity to be appointed as two-year paid fellows at federal agencies.

In addition to the hands-on experience at federal agencies, Presidential Management Fellows receive mentorship from senior government leaders and the chance to drive innovation in public policy spheres.

The Elliott School prepares each new cohort of potential PMFs to master each part of the application process with great detail and prowess. Each year, the Elliott School celebrates having a large group of alumni and second-year students who have earned distinction as PMF Finalists.

Two Presidential Management Fellows, Daria Howard and John T. Lovinggood, shared their experiences working at agencies like the International Trade Administration, Transportation Security Administration, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services through the PMF program.

Howard currently serves as a Digital Outreach Specialist at the International Trade Administration. She was motivated to apply to the PMF program by her desire to pursue a career in public service.

“For me, this meant using my skill set and interests to make others’ lives better,” Howard said. “Another motivation for me and also how I would characterize the program, is community. It’s amazing to be part of such a passionate and talented community, which you’ll continue to be a part of even after the program ends.” 

Howard encourages current Elliott students interested in the PMF program to maintain an unwavering focus on public service.

“Throughout the whole process and beyond, keep public service at the forefront of your mind and at the core of what you do,” Howard said. “It will guide you in the right direction and lead to a meaningful career.”

Lovinggood, who graduated from the Elliott School in 2022, was drawn to the PMF program as a means of continuing his career in public service. As a Presidential Management Fellow, he has held roles at the TSA and USCIS related to critical national security matters.  

Lovinggood reflected on his experience as a PMF and urged eligible Elliott students to apply to the program.  

“It has been a great experience for me that has opened many doors to a fruitful career,” Lovinggood said. “I would recommend to any motivated Elliott Student that there are many opportunities that you may not be aware of, so go ahead and apply!”

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Elliott Students Earn Top Prize at Model G20 Summit

Students holding their awards
Three students holding awards from G20 Summit

GW students won the 2024 Model G20 Summit, beating delegations from universities across the country and earning the “Best Delegation” distinction.

The three-day Model G20 Summit simulates the annual forum where leaders of the world’s largest economies convene. Student delegations represent different countries and negotiate to draft a joint “Communique” detailing policies across major global themes.

“I am incredibly proud of everyone in the GW delegation,” said Hannah Spiegeler, who served as President and led the team to victory. “I knew our skills, cooperation, and talent would lead to success. I wanted to make sure that we won as a delegation – and we did!”

The GW delegation began preparing two weeks before the summit. The delegation researched China’s foreign and domestic policies and prepared talking points, speeches, and policy memos. 

In addition to the team’s overall first-place finish, the members of the GW delegation earned multiple individual awards:

– Nicholas Tappe earned “Outstanding Delegate” (2nd place) in the Sherpa Track

– Jonathan Kay received the “Outstanding Delegate” honor in the Finance Track  

– Hannah Spiegeler was named “Best Delegate” in the Leaders’ Track

Elliott Senior Jonathan Kay reflected on the professional opportunities stemming from the summit.

“The additional networking opportunities that have come to fruition because of this summit have primarily been networking with other promising young international affairs practitioners who will no doubt wield influence in the future,” Kay said. “I look forward to meeting with some of them again, and I am keeping in touch with some of them.”

Spiegeler echoed the long-term impact of the Model G20 summit.

“I have strengthened my skills in negotiation, research, as well as leadership,” Spiegeler said, “all of which would be very useful in future internships, research positions, or jobs in the field of international affairs.” 

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Elliott School’s New Data Literacy Initiative: Revolutionizing Policy through Evidence-Based Approaches

Professors making presentation to staff in conference room.

Professors making presentation to staff in conference room.

Professors Emmanuel Teitelbaum and Laila Sorurbakhsh discuss data visualizations with Elliott School graduate students and International Affairs practitioners: (left to right) Chris Markiewicz, Chiara Evelti, Uugangerel Bold, and Briana Doyle. 

The Elliott School is excited to announce the launch of a new initiative, Data Analytics for Policy Professionals, beginning Fall 2023. Led by Dr. Laila Sorubakhsh and Dr. Emmanuel Teitelbaum, the aim of the initiative is to provide a much-needed bridge between the world of public policy, international affairs, and data analytics. While traditional policy practice may focus more on qualitative or contextual data, the use of quantitative data in reports, presentations, dashboards, and other media are becoming increasingly common in the policy space. Through Data Literacy in International Affairs, our goal is to cross-train both traditional analysts and data scientists to combine their analytic strengths to inform innovative approaches to evidence-based policy.

As part of the initiative, the Elliott School is offering a series of courses at the undergraduate, graduate, and executive level that provide an understanding of which tools are most useful for both specialized and everyday policy practice. Through partnership with organizations and agencies, we seek to better serve our student body and the greater policy community by upskilling our current and future policymakers to respond to a dynamically changing world. These courses will provide students the opportunity to become empowered with the relevant data tools to improve daily operations, better understand policy, and provide evidence-based recommendations for best policy practice.

At the executive level, students, alumni, and practitioners can sign up to take our 1.5 credit weekend workshops offered both in person and online. Credits can be transferred to an Elliott School Masters program or graduate certificate. Fall 2023 offerings include IAFF 6505 Visualizing and Modeling International Politics with Dr. Emmanuel Teitelbaum (ESIA) and IAFF 6505 Expert Policy Decision Making Using Data with Dr. Leonardo Antenangeli (ESIA) and Dan Spokojny (CEO, fp21).  Our hands-on approach combines technical training with guest speakers and networking events to put new technical skill sets into practice.  Classes are open to beginners with no-coding experience to seasoned analysts looking to add to their skill set or understanding of its applications to the policy world. Information about the courses can be found in more detail here. 

The introductory fall 2023 class will receive a special offer for the Initiative’s launch: $1,500 per 1.5 credit workshop in lieu of the standard non-degree student rate of $2,080 per 1 credit.

To apply, please submit your application here .  Applications are considered on a rolling basis depending on workshop timing.

For any questions, please reach out to sorurbakhsh@gwu.edu

For additional information on the course offerings, please visit our website at https://elliott.gwu.edu/data-analytics-policy-professionals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Elliott Undergraduate Research Fellow Presents at Arctic Science Summit

Anissa Ozbek

Anissa Ozbek, a third-year student in the Elliott School of International Affairs and an undergraduate research fellow, traveled to Vienna, Austria, this February with the GW delegation to the 2023 Arctic Science Summit Week. There, joined by Professor Marya Rozanova-Smith she presented findings from the COVID-GEA Project, which seeks to understand the gendered impacts of COVID-19 in the Arctic. 

“I have been a research assistant on the project since 2022, so I was very excited to share the COVID-GEA Project’s preliminary results alongside our Principal Investigator, Dr. Rozanova-Smith at the Arctic Science Summit Week(ASSW) before world-class scholars in the field of Arctic studies,” said Ozbek. 

Ozbek’s topic, “Gender Equality for Sustainable Arctic Communities Amid and Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic,” focused specifically on the case of Alaska, examining initiatives passed in Fairbanks, Anchorage, Nome, and Juneau, as well as by the Alaska state legislature. 

At the conference week, Ozbek assisted Dr. Rozanova-Smith in presenting the COVID-GEA project’s audio-visual exhibit, titled “Arctic Women’s Voices:Standing Strong in the Face of COVID-19,” which gives Arctic women a platform to discuss how the pandemic affected them.

Conference attendees at the ASSW heard from experts across the natural and social sciences on a range of topics, from the effects of light pollution on Arctic ecosystems to Indigenous stewardship practices. 

As Ozbek considers a career in research, attending the ASSW provided her with the invaluable opportunity to learn about key aspects of scholarship, including presentation skills and collaboration, firsthand.

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Elliott Student was Awarded the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship

Payton Beaumier
Payton Beaumier
Payton Beaumier

Payton Beaumier, who recently graduated from the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University, was awarded a 2023 Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship following a highly competitive nationwide contest.

The Pickering Fellowship, funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by Howard University, supports extraordinary individuals who want to pursue careers in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State. Beaumier was chosen out of 600 outstanding candidates.

Beaumier, who grew up in Sioux City, Iowa, said that since high school, she’s dreamed of having a career that would allow her to work towards advancing human rights on a global scale. 

One of her teachers in high school once said, “What makes this country great is little people doing little acts of love.” Beaumier said it is a quote that continuously sticks with her and serves as a source of motivation to dedicate her life to public service. 

After completing her graduate program, Payton will become a U.S. Foreign Service Officer. She hopes to serve as a political officer working to address matters of human security and strengthen U.S. relations with countries across the globe. Payton credits her time and experience at GW for setting her on this trajectory. 

When Beaumier arrived at GW, she was searching for a way to turn her passions into a career, and GW provided an incomparable sense of direction and an environment for curiosity and growth. She stated, “I had amazing academic and experiential learning opportunities at GW. It is a wonderful place to jumpstart your interests.” Specifically, she expressed her gratitude for the unique courses she took, her engaging and influential professors, the Career Services Center, and her time as part of the Elliott School Dean’s Scholars Program.

While at GW, Payton served as the recruitment officer for the Delta Phi Epsilon Professional Foreign Service Sorority and was president of the Women in International Security Branch at GWU. 

She participated in the U.S. Foreign Service Internship Program and interned with the Bureau of Counterterrorism at the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Lima, Peru, focusing on international narcotics and law enforcement affairs. She has completed internships at the White House with the Gender Policy Council, the U.S. Department of the Treasury with the Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes, and the Council on Foreign Relations. 

Payton became aware of her selection for the Pickering Fellowship during her time as an intern for the White House Gender Policy Council, and she aspires to continue advocating for gender equity and equality in foreign policy during her career. 

This fellowship will allow Beaumier to pursue a two-year master’s degree in an area of relevance to the Foreign Service. It will also connect her to extensive professional development opportunities, including internships, mentors, and skills training. 

As part of the program, Beaumier will work at the U.S. Department of State for their domestic internship, and the U.S. Department of State will send her overseas to intern in a U.S. Embassy or Consulate to get hands-on experience with U.S. foreign policy and the work of the Foreign Service.

“I am excited for the opportunity to dedicate my future and my career to promoting peace and supporting our citizens abroad while living a life of public service.”

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Elliott School Receives Endowment to Enhance African Studies

The Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University received an endowment gift from The Bridges Institute to support a new lecture series, as well as periodic meetings of Bridges’ Africa Policy Group.

The gift will support the newly named Bridges Institute Vivian Lowery Derryck Africa Lecture Series, an annual lecture series on U.S.-Africa engagement featuring a keynote address by a senior African leader.

The gift will also support the Elliott School’s convening of the Africa Policy Group (APG), a diverse group of influential voices from civil society, academia, and the U.S.-Africa policy community. The Bridges Institute’s Africa Policy Group meetings become part of the GW Elliott School’s Institute for African Studies portfolio of activities supported by the endowment. 

The Africa Policy Group (APG), formed in 2011, is a non-partisan coalition of 30 senior Africa experts that shapes a more robust U.S. Africa policy by deepening knowledge and discussing new findings about Africa among group members, and then sharing informed APG perspectives with Members of Congress, senior Administration officials, and the private sector, as well as African colleagues.

“We are so grateful for this endowment, which will allow us to showcase Africa’s growing strategic importance to the United States and the global community and support a robust dialogue among civil society leaders, academics, and policymakers from both the U.S. and Africa on how best to advance our partnerships and common interests,” said Jennifer Cooke, director of the GW Institute for African Studies, headquartered at the Elliott School of International Affairs.

The donation was spearheaded by Vivian Lowery Derryck, founder and president emerita of The Bridges Institute, and an incoming member of the Elliott School Board of Advisors. 

“It is my hope that this gift will provide inspiration for future generations of students, faculty, and policymakers focused on forging strong connections with African nations and working to strengthen African democracies,” Derryck said. “I am thrilled to partner with GW’s Elliott School to continue the important work of The Bridges Institute and delighted to join the school’s leadership board.”

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Bachelor of Science Program Expands Student Opportunities

city scape with lights beaming from building to building
city scape with lights beaming from building to building

“Designed to prepare students to tackle a range of global challenges ranging from cybersecurity to space policy, the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs’ Bachelor of Science in International Affairs (BSIA) degree program allows students to integrate higher-level STEM credits into the study of their core international affairs curriculum…” Read the full article in GW Today

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Photo Contest Gallery 2020: From Pandemic to Protest

From Pandemic to Protest

Each year, we ask our students to submit their best photography from their time studying and working abroad throughout the previous semesters. Seeing the world through their eyes (or lenses) brings us all closer as a community with shared stories and lessons. This year was no different, but the world our students saw was vastly changed. Instead of the traditional study abroad photos, we asked our students to share with us a slice of their lives over the last few months.
Throughout 2020, Elliott School students have shown their resilience. From sacrificing the traditional college experience to keep our community safe, to standing up for what’s right and pushing our country to be better, Elliott School students have proven that they have what it takes to be the next generation of global leaders. 
While a winning photo was chosen among the submissions, we felt that more needed to be shared with the stories attached to truly appreciate and honor the shared sacrifices and experiences of our students. Thank you to all who participated.

First Place

Honorable Mentions

Gallery

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Elliott Site Visits — NYC Edition

Site Visit Days: New York City; All students gather for an introduction
To get the inside scoop on New York’s vast career options, 16 Elliott students recently spent three days in the Big Apple to visit major employers and hear about the personal career journeys of Elliott alumni. Held in March, the NYC site visits were a first-of-its-kind event, made possible through Dean’s Fund resources and organized by Elliott’s Office of Graduate Student Services. On the go from dawn past dusk, Elliott MA candidates discovered new ways to make use of their global affairs education. Visits included Deloitte, the UN Population Fund, Citi Public Sector Group, New York’s Federal Reserve Bank, and the Council on Foreign Relations. What were the takeaways? Gathered here are reflections from four students with diverse interests and career plans.

 

Site Visit Days: New York City; Students stand outside employer building
Elliott School graduate students visit a potential employer in New York City

Site Visit Days: New York City; All students gather for an introduction
16 Elliott School graduate students and graduate alumni spent 2 days in New York City visiting 7 different employers

Laura Batista, MA candidate, class of 2018

The trip helped me realize that not all career paths in international affairs are rooted in Washington, DC. The visit to Citi Group meant the most to me. Aside from the relevance of this employer to my current studies, international economic affairs, I also enjoyed listening to career advice from an Elliott alumna with Citi. Her story was inspiring, especially because most people whom I have met in the finance sector have been men with finance degrees. As a young woman venturing into the financial services sector, I felt a degree of respect and admiration and aspire to have a career as fulfilling as hers.

Alexander Bierman, MA candidate, class of 2019

I am in the Security Policy Studies program, concentrating on Asian regional security and cybersecurity. While I do not have a specific dream job in mind, I would like to leverage my knowledge of East Asia and the Chinese language. The NYC site visit trip introduced me to a wide range of career opportunities and affirmed my desire to move to the city one day. Hearing stories of how Elliott alumni’s paths led them to where they are in their careers today was fascinating. Most interesting to me was the visit to the Council on Foreign Relations. The building’s interior is beautiful and reminiscent of an early 20th-century mansion. We talked with the main editor of Foreign Affairs magazine, which I have been reading since high school. Learning about job opportunities at the Council made me certain I will apply for a position there after I graduate.

Grayson Shor, MA candidate, class of 2018

The NYC trip made me realize two things. First, the value of a degree from the Elliott School. This is something each employer we met highlighted multiple times. Second, how lucky I am to be an Elliott student – to be surrounded by federal agencies and organizations of all types from every corner of the globe. While New York is very diverse and exciting city, I realized there is likely no better place in the United States for me, someone who is passionate about international development and public service, to study and intern than DC. In short, learning about opportunities available to me in NYC, left me with a new appreciation for what I have access to in DC.

Trevor Tackett, MA candidate, class of 2018

One thing that stands out in my mind about the trip overall is the quality of connections I made with fellow classmates representing a diversity of Elliott academic programs. I’m thankful for these new friendships and look forward to seeing where their careers take them. Most meaningful to me was our visit to Citi Group. Citi was extremely prepared to present the company in a way that spoke to where I currently find myself – looking for different ways my skillset can impact the global community. One quote I remember from our time at Citi: “We can teach you how to be a banker, but we can’t teach you how to have a globalist mentality.” This told me that if I’m willing to continue working hard and learning, my Elliott School training will open doors to career fields I never previously considered.

 

New York City view

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