Spring/Summer 2009
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Student-Organized Conference Explores Trade Challenges to Green Business
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“We know that we humans are carbon-based life forms,” he urther enhancing the Monterey Institute’s reputanoted, “but our trading rules never were based on carbon content. tion as an incubator for green business concepts and Going forward, however, the central question for the internainnovations, this spring the Institute’s International tional trading system is: to what extent are its participants now Trade and Commercial Diplomacy Club focused its entering an era of carbon-based trading rules?” annual student-organized conference on the theme of “Trade & the Environment: The Value Proposition of Greening a Business.” He encouraged Monterey students to be part of the solution to these issues. “The central issue in the nexus of trade and the The full-day event featured international and domestic experts environment and negotiation of an international climate change addressing the opportunities and challenges surrounding green regime would be a perfect business in the context of simulation. The problems are the global economy, and was perfect for MIIS to address— co-sponsored by Net Impact they are interdisciplinary, Monterey Chapter and the affecting national trade, enviMonterey Bay International ronmental policy, and the Trade Association. business environment.” As the greening trend Three panel discussions accelerates in both domestic featuring academic, business and international markets, poland policy experts provided icy makers and business leaders participants the opportunity need to consider the associated to delve further into the comeconomic and political impliplexities of the issues. cations. The conference was Corey McAveeny (MAITP ’09), The World Trade organized to bring diverse perLauren Wygonski (MAITP ’09), Organization and Global spectives together in dialogue Ambassador Alan Wolff, Environmental Policy panel and to provide participants and Melissa Nguyen (MAITP ’09) explored environmental stanwith a more in-depth analysis dards, multilateral agreements of the issues. conflicting with the WTO, In his keynote address, We know that we humans are carbon-based life climate change and whether Ambassador Alan Wolff set agricultural subsidies lead to susthe context for the day and forms. But our trading rules never were based on tainable agricultural production. captured the essence of the carbon content. Going forward, however, the central Speakers in the Green trade student’s education: a question for the international trading system is: Trends in Silicon Valley panel comprehensive approach must to what extent are its participants now entering discussed how private, public always be considered in order and non-profit organizations in to present an effective policy an era of carbon-based trading rules? the innovation hotbed of the solution. Ambassador Wolff, —Ambassador Alan Wolff U.S. are incorporating sustaina respected trade attorney and ability and corporate social former top trade representative responsibility in their operations. Dr. Bruce Paton, associate professor for the U.S., covered the history of environmental presence at San Francisco State University’s College of Business and incomunder the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) ing program chair of the Institute’s Fisher Program in International of the World Trade Organization (WTO), conflicting interests Business, noted the lack of efficiency by certain stakeholders in between development and the environment, and carbon capadapting to green trends: “Private and public sectors have organized and-trade issues at the global level. to work together because public policy has become a trailing indica “When I set out to consider the impact of the pressing need tor of climate change issues rather than a leading indicator.” to deal with climate change on the existing trading system, my A panel on “Greening Your Supply Chain” considered how initial reaction was that the environmental imperative would businesses are addressing transparency and accountability measures so overwhelm the WTO trading system that the latter would be largely obliterated. But in working my way through this problem, within global and social-cultural standards when implementing socially responsible supply chains. Randy Kritkausky, founder I have come to believe that the goals of the trading system and and president of the international organization ECOLOGIA, the objectives of climate change mitigation can both be served, with each making some accommodations,” explained Wolff. continued on page 2
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In this Issue:
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Distinctively International n T&I Conference n Environmental Journalism Reorganization n TESOL Alumni Reconnect n Commencement & Inauguration
Monterey Institute Students: Distinctively International
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ifferent ranking scales exist in the field of American Sonam Yudon, a student in intensive advanced English from education, which rank “the best engineering school,” Bhutan, never wore shoes until she was 12 and, as a child, slept “the best liberal arts program,” “the top university for next to her five siblings on the hard floor. Her mud hut was a sixchemistry,” etc. Why not a new category—“the school hour walk to the closest road. She never saw an elevator until she with the students with the most fascinating international backleft Bhutan. Sonam will be a college English teacher and head grounds”? If this category was recognized, the Monterey Institute librarian when she returns home. would surely be ranked among the top in the world! Katya Mostovaya is a Russian citizen with permanent resi For starters, 36 percent of current Institute students come dence in Hong Kong. She has her own interpreting business in from 61 countries outside the U.S., and around 95 percent of Hong Kong and is one of the relatively rare interpreters who can our American students have lived abroad. Because the Institute’s interpret to- and-from Chinese, English and Russian. admissions policy requires advanced standing in a second lan Thulili Ndaba is a South African Fulbright Scholar in the guage, virtually all of our students speak two languages and around TESOL program. She speaks six languages and has been in charge 40 percent speak three or more. of teaching English to 14,000 Here are just a few examples students in a university Sonam Yudon (Bhutan), Mawuor Dior (Sudan), and Elise Young (USA) of the remarkable international distance-learning program. backgrounds of MIIS students: Elise Young, a Middlebury Russell Scheinberg is an graduate in French, sociolAmerican studying for a masogy and anthropology, was ter’s degree in Japanese-English a Peace Corps Volunteer in interpretation and translation. Benin, West Africa, where He is fluent in five very different she was conversant in three languages: Chinese, German, native languages: Fon, Fulani Japanese, Russian and Spanish. and Waama. She taught small Further, he has lived in Chile, business development and also China, Germany, Japan and worked on HIV/AIDS projects. Russia. Russell is also learning Kaydee Dahlin, an MBA Arabic and “fooling around” student, became interested in with Lakota, the language of the Arabic language when she the Sioux Indians! was jogging at age 19 and saw Mawuor Dior is one of the a sign in front of a Wyoming famous “Lost Boys of Sudan.” Along with thousands of others, he ranch in Arabic. Since then, she became fluent in Arabic and escaped from the brutal conflict in southern Sudan and walked at worked for five years in Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Turkey. age 12 for three and a half months and 1,000 kilometers before Lee Kwangwon is a Korean international policy studies stufinding refuge in Kenya. Many walking along side of him died of dent. He works for the Ministry of Reunification in South Korea starvation, and Mawuor thought that his parents had been killed and has the unenviable task of helping to try to bring the two until he found out seven years later that they were still alive. He Koreas together. speaks five languages. Greg Freeman, student body president for 2009–10, has lived If there ever were a global citizen, it would be Katherine in China, Mexico, Senegal and Switzerland. He is proficient in Bachner. Kate speaks German, Russian and Spanish. Still in Chinese and French. He has served as an intern for the Institute her mid-twenties, she has studied or worked in four continents of Human Rights in Senegal and for the Council on Foreign and lived in India, Madagascar, Mexico, Mongolia, Russia and Relations in New York. Switzerland. She received a master’s degree in socio-cultural Finally, Joyce Laker is a Fulbright Scholar from Uganda, workanthropology at the University in Columbia and is specializing in ing on her master’s degree in conflict resolution. She is currently nonproliferation studies at MIIS. doing an internship at the UN in New York City in the Mediation Shannon Coe, a candidate for a master’s degree in public Support Unit. In Uganda, she was a Senior Human Rights Program administration, had polio at age 18 months and has used a wheelOfficer. Joyce grew up with 15 siblings, all orphans of HIV/AIDS. chair ever since. She was a Peace Corps Volunteer for two years And the list goes on and on. Equally as important as their in Paraguay, working to improve conditions for Paraguayans with status as students with fascinating international backgrounds, is disabilities. Shannon, who was Ms. Wheelchair California in 2008, their commitment to make a difference in the world by living the said that her slogan is: “I am more afraid of not trying than failing.” Institute’s motto—“be the solution.”
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which promotes sustainable development, commented that “Corporate Social Responsibility is not a hard sell; we really need to think about the calculation of the added value, not just the cost-benefit issues.” Closing remarks were presented by Dr. Zhong Qing, executive director and chief in-house counselor for the Beijing WTO Affairs Centre, a leading Chinese government-sponsored research and consulting body on WTO affairs. Students from the Institute’s Translation and Interpretation program provided
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simultaneous interpretation of the event in Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Spanish. “The conference was a wonderful opportunity to share our interests in trade, business and the environment with the greater MIIS community. Planning a conference is always a tremendous effort, but a terrific team of students worked to synthesize these salient interdisciplinary issues into an intensive day of keynote speeches, panel discussions and audience participation,” said conference organizer and trade policy student Corey McAveeney (MAITP ’09).
MIIS Hosts International T & I Conference
Ahead of the Curve The Fisher International MBA Program
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epresentatives of the Monterey Institute’s Fisher Program in International Business returned from a recent national conference spotlighting MBA programs feeling better than ever about the program’s positioning for the future. After listening to ses-
emphasis on shareholder value over sound management and ethical behavior, was whether the content and character of MBA programs may have contributed to the growth of an unhealthy business culture. In considering what MBA programs can do to focus on these issues, suggested solu-
Fisher Program Chair Bruce Paton (center) confers with students
sions at the annual conference of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the conclusion for program representatives at the conference became all but inescapable—far from simply keeping up with the competition, the Fisher Program is ahead of the curve. The focus of key speakers at the AACSB conference was on whether (and how) MBA programs in the U.S. may have contributed to the current economic crisis. The central question, given the often-leveled accusation that a significant cause of the crisis was an
tions often centered on two elements: educating both students and the public on economic policy issues in both current and historic contexts, and focusing more attention in the curriculum on the ethics of business management. The biggest challenges for most MBA programs in implementing these sorts of solutions are that they are “silo-ed” in their approaches and not equipped to provide the broader perspective that a curriculum with a strong policy or ethics component might offer their students. The Fisher Program, by contrast, has always had a very
The Communiqué is published for alumni and friends of the Monterey Institute of International Studies by the Office of Communications. For more information about our students, programs and faculty, please visit our website at www.miis.edu. Contact us at 831.647.3516 or jason.warburg@miis.edu with comments or questions related to this publication.
porous relationship with its partner policy and language programs at the Monterey Institute, creating an environment for both business faculty and students that is rich, multifaceted and full of non-business perspectives. With the current academic reorganization at the Institute placing a high premium on interdisciplinary teaching, learning and research, this unique crossfertilization of professional perspectives and cultures will only grow more pronounced. “Our business students take courses outside of their degree program, they take language courses with students from other programs and they participate in immersive interdisciplinary learning experiences such as the International Business Plan and J-Term practicum. These experiences allow our students to work with colleagues from other programs and gain a respect for issues that are important to peers from other disciplines and how those perspectives impact business decisions,” commented Toni Thomas, assistant dean of the Institute’s Graduate School of International Policy and Management. At a time when the world is in dire need of three-dimensional economic thinkers who understand the policy context of business decisions and pay attention to social benefit as well as the bottom line, the Monterey Institute’s Fisher Program in International Business is once again leading the way.
Editor Jason Warburg Co-editors Shirley Coly, Beth McDermott Contributing writers Shirley Coly, Leah Gowron, Peter Grothe, Rebecca Halton, Corey McAveeny, Beth McDermott, Lynn McDonald, Amy McGill, Erin Morita, Jason Warburg Creative concept and layout Tessa Avila
This paper contains recycled content and is recyclable
Photography Leah Gowron, Peter Grothe, Jenny Manseau, David Royal
Noted experts on translation and interpretation from Austria, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Korea, Mexico, Spain, Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates gathered at the Monterey Institute this April 3rd and 4th for a conference titled “Monterey Forum 2009: Principles and Practices of Assessment in the Training of Translators and Interpreters.” The conference was the second in a planned semi-annual series of gatherings of translation and interpretation professionals from across the globe. The Institute’s programs in translation and interpretation, as well as language and educational linguistics, are among the most highly regarded in the world. Panelists at the conference included distinguished scholars from the Monterey Institute, the State Department and the United Nations, as well as international speakers including: Andrew Clifford (York University, Canada), Anna Maria D’Amore (University of Zacatecas, Mexico), Miguel A. Jiménez (Rutgers University), Yun-hyang Lee (Ewha Womans University, Korea), Minhua Liu (Fu Jen University, Taiwan), Christiane Nord (Heidelberg University), Minako O’Hagan (Dublin City University), Franz Pöchhacker (University of Vienna), Said M. Shiyab (UAE University), Maribel Tercedor (University of Granada) and Shao-chuan Wu (Newcastle University). “I was very pleased with the overall quality of the papers and active discussion we had about timely topics such as aptitude testing, student self-evaluation and user-driven assessment,” said Kayoko Takeda, incoming chair of the Institute’s Translation and Interpretation Program. “The participants were impressed by the student interpreters (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian and Spanish) as well.” Spring/Summer 2009
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The MIIS–Midd Connection: Environmental Journalism
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Led by Director of the Middlebury Fellowships in Environan bloggers fill the void created by the continued mental Journalism Bill McKibben, the panel included chair of disintegration of the traditional print media? Should we despair over the demise of large news organizations the MIIS Program in International Environmental Policy Jason or instead focus on the possibilities this new paradigm Scorse and authors Eric Schlosser and Rebecca Solnit. Schlosser is the author of Fast Food creates? Can academics help to Nation and a regular contribufill this space by sharing their tor to The Atlantic; Solnit is own writing more broadly? the author of Storming the These were just a few of the Gates of Paradise. questions tackled in a standMcKibben underscored the ing room only Earth Day event role that MIIS students have at the Monterey Conference played in the success of 350.org, Center, where the Monterey a first-of-its-kind international Institute and Middlebury movement to highlight the affirmed their role as leaders effects of climate change. The in environmental discourse Jason Scorse, Eric Schlosser, Rebecca Solnit, and Bill McKibben 350.org Web site is available in with a panel discussion titled 11 different languages, due in “Journalism and Activism: large part to the translation work of Monterey Institute students. Do They Mix?” The panel was held in conjunction with the To read excerpts of Dr. Scorse’s new book, What EnvironMonterey Sustainable Business Showcase and Sustainable Cities mentalists Need to Know About Economics, visit policy.miis.edu/ Symposium. faculty/scorse.html.
Forest Conservation Conference Gathers Leaders
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“On the other hand,” Moore and Wells added, “failing to take n April 25, environmental leaders united at the action against deforestation makes it incredibly difficult—if not Monterey Institute of International Studies to address impossible—to bring greenhouse gases below the accepted level of the critical role that forest conservation plays in 350 parts per million. If we cannot do that, we will lose the game.” addressing climate change. Conference speaker Keegan Eisenstadt agrees: “Deforestation Speakers Keegan Eisenstadt, CEO of ClearSky Climate exacerbates the current climate change problem,” she said. “Intact Solutions; Chris LaFranchi, founder of Natural Equity; Dr. Dick forests can act as carbon sinks, Rice, chief economist of while cutting or burning forests Conservation International; and make them a net source of Stephan Schwartzman, direcgreenhouse gases. If we cannot tor of the Tropical Forest Policy protect our planet’s forests, it Program at the Environmental is unlikely we can protect its Defense Fund, emphasized the atmosphere. Intact forests will need for ending deforestation and also give the planet greater ensuring effective policies, incenresilience to withstand future tives, dialogues and strategies. problems that are not yet fore“The scope and focus of this seen.” important conference reflects Experts like Eisenstadt the vibrancy of the Institute’s hope the conference prompts program in international envicontinued dialogue and ronmental policy and the comaction. “Plant trees, educate mitment of our students, faculty Kelly Moore (MAIEP ’09), Stephen Schwartzman, Keegan Eisenstadt, MIIS Professor Jeff your families about the many and staff to making a difference Langholz, Dick Rice, Chris LaFranchi, and Zachary Wells (MAIEP ’09) values of forests, push for in this area,” said Institute forests to be included in the President Sunder Ramaswamy. upcoming U.S. Cap and Trade “We are committed to being part protocols,” he said, “and purchase certified carbon offsets from of the solution to this pressing global issue.” forestry projects.” According to Kelly Moore and Zachary Wells, International According to the United Nations Environment Programme, Environmental Policy students and co-chairs of the Institute’s “the forestry sector, mainly through deforestation, accounts for Conservation Association, ending deforestation in the developabout 17 percent of global greenhouse emissions, making it the ing world serves three primary purposes: “It would reduce global second largest source after the energy sector.” greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent, conserve some of earth’s Other conference themes included biodiversity conservation, most biodiverse habitat and the threatened species within and secure ecosystem services like clean water and healthy soil for one the rights of indigenous people affected by deforestation, carbon markets and climate change. million of the world’s poorest people.”
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Reorganization on the Fast Track
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he academic reorganization announced last year continues to move along at a rapid pace. February saw the introduction of new deans Yuwei Shi (Graduate School of International Policy and Management, or GSIPM) and Renée Jourdenais (Graduate School of Translation, Interpretation and Language Education, or GSTILE), along with new Dean of Advising, Career and Student Services Tate Miller (MAITP ‘99). In mid-March, new program chairs for eight of the Institute’s nine degree programs were announced as follows:
Public Administration—Beryl Levinger; International Policy Studies—Fernando De Paolis; International Environmental Policy—Jason Scorse; Fisher International Business Program—Bruce Paton; Language Studies—Naoko Matsuo; TESOL/TFL—Lynn Goldstein; Translation and Interpretation—Kayoko Takeda; Conference Interpretation—Barry Olsen. The deans and program chairs assumed their new positions effective June 1, and have already begun working together, along with new Monterey– Middlebury (M2) Academic Programs Coordinator Tsuneo
Akaha, to realize the vision of a re-imagined Institute that maximizes faculty collaboration and innovation and produces new student learning opportunities. The objective of the reorganization is not simply streamlining, but a true rebirth that creates two new schools that are greater than the sum of their parts. These new leaders are currently collaborating with campus stakeholders— faculty, staff, alumni and current students—to ensure that the Institute continues to be not just a leader in international graduate education, but a catalyst for change on a global scale.
Tate Miller
TESOL Alumni Brave A Blizzard to Reconnect and Celebrate
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ever was the phrase “it was a dark and stormy night” more appropriate in describing the wild weather that greeted TESOL and TFL alumni and students, GSLEL faculty and special guests on March 26th! An annual tradition associated with the largest professional convention for language instructors, the Monterey Institute’s TESOL/TFL alumni reception was nearly wiped out by an unexpected blizzard. Alumni began arriving in Denver for their three-day convention on the 25th—an event full of rewarding educational seminars (30 Institute alumni, faculty and students presented at the conference’s 41 sessions), access to top educators from around the world, and a “hotspot” career village (where many May 2009 graduating Institute TESOL students took the opportunity to interview with universities, language schools and related professional organizations). By noon on March 26th, Denver was in the midst of one of the worst blizzards in years, closing highways and roads throughout the city. But like the U.S. Postal Service, neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail (all of which Denver experienced that day) would prevent our loyal alumni from showing up for their reception! More than 45 alumni, faculty, staff and students from as far away as Canada, Japan, Mexico and Pakistan braved the winds and snow and trooped from their local hotels to the Rialto Cafe. Unfortunately the closed roads prevented a group of local Denver alumni from attending. President Sunder Ramaswamy was unable to make his way through the blizzard, and had to send his sincere regrets. Warm, safely inside, and ready to network, the TESOL/TFL group went right to work—connecting with the current students seeking internships and employment, sharing stories and memories and making plans to meet again in Boston at the 2010 convention. After introductions from Alumni Relations Director Leah Gowron (MPA ’97) and Renée Jourdenais, incoming dean of the
Leah Holck (TESOL ’04), Suzanne Bonn (TESOL ’01), and Carlee Salas (TESOL ’04)
new combined Graduate School of Translation, Interpretation and Language Education, the evening proceeded to the traditional “round the room” meet and greet. After countless fun stories, the introductions turned to the “something new” section, with a special award from the US Peace Corps Master International Program (PCMI) Manager Eric Goldman. The Monterey Institute’s TESOL PCMI program is celebrating its 15th anniversary, and Mr. Goldman acknowledged the years of hard work, planning, outstanding preparation, and dedication of the many Institute students who had gone through the program. After receiving the anniversary tribute plaque from Peace Corps, the evening continued, despite the raging storm outside. We can only hope that a blizzard will not be part of the 2010 event!
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Rites of Spring: Commencement & Inauguration
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his May, the Monterey Institute celebrated both our traditional spring commencement and the inauguration of President Sunder Ramaswamy with a series of events that drew hundreds of visitors to the campus. The two-day series of events kicked off on Friday, May 15 with an inaugural brunch, followed by the inaugural symposium, which featured a keynote address from President Ramaswamy and three faculty- and student-led sessions spotlighting Institute initiatives. Stations outside the main meeting room also highlighted a number of programs and hands-on projects that Institute students continue to participate in as part of their experiential, immersive learning approach. Saturday, May 16 dawned sunny and warm for the Institute’s spring commencement, celebrating the accomplishments of our 299 spring 2009 graduates. The ceremony also featured the formal inauguration of President Ramaswamy and the awarding of honorary degrees to MIIS alum and U.S. Congressman Sam Farr, as well as keynote speaker and former Egyptian Ambassador to the U.S. Nabil Fahmy. Middlebury President Ron Liebowitz and MIIS Board Chair William H. Kieffer III also offered comments on the significance of the day and the future of the Monterey Institute under the leadership of our thirteenth president.
New President Sunder Ramaswamy
MIIS IN BRIEF • Beginning July 19, the
Graduate School of Translation, Interpretation, and Language Education’s Intensive English Program will offer training for approximately 35 Fulbright Scholarship winners. The group, which will include students from at least 12 nations, will begin their studies in the United States by spending three weeks at the Institute working on their English skills and learning about university life in the U.S.
• Kazakhstan’s ambassador
to the United States was the special guest on April 2 of the Institute’s James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. Ambassador Irlan A. Idrissov, who is also the former Kazakh foreign minister, spoke and took questions from MIIS and JMCNS students and faculty for 90 minutes in a session that covered topics ranging from Kazakhstan’s unique circumstances as the crossroads of Central Asia, to the young nation’s efforts to address an especially delicate aspect of its heritage—
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the 400 intercontinental ballistic missiles left behind by the former Soviet Union upon independence. Ambassador Idrissov took special note of the past assistance provided by JMCNS personnel, who were part of a team of technical experts from 55 nations who assisted Kazakhstan in dismantling the nuclear missiles.
• In February, the Aspen Institute Center for Business Education ranked the Monterey Institute of International Studies’ Fisher Program in International Business 40th among the Global Top 100 schools, for significant leadership in integrating social and environmental issues into its Master of Business Administration (MBA) curriculum. Over 600 schools were surveyed. According to the center, the program “offers an excellent number of courses featuring relevant content, and does a truly extraordinary job in those courses explicitly addressing how mainstream business improves the world.” Since 2003, the Fisher Program has consistently ranked
as a socially responsible program. For more information, visit www. beyond greypinstripes.org.
• On March 19, nonviolence
advocate and Global Majority advisory board member Maya Soetoro-Ng, addressed Institute students, faculty and staff in the Irvine Auditorium. Soetoro-Ng, who is President Obama’s half-sister, holds a master’s degree in secondary education from NYU’s College of Education and a Ph.D. in international comparative education from the University of Hawaii. She currently teaches World Cultures, US History, and Peacemakers, a course she designed on the power of nonviolence, at La Pietra, a high school for girls in Honolulu. “Conflict Resolution, Peacebuilding and Education” was the topic of Soetoro-Ng’s presentation.
• Monterey Institute student
Maiwand Rahyab (MPA candidate ’09) spoke at the United Nations General Assembly’s March 18 session on Education in Emergencies at the invitation of General
Assembly President Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann. Rayhab is a Fulbright Scholar and Hamilton Scholar currently working at Save the Children in Washington, D.C. as part of the “DPMI Plus” experience sponsored by the Development Project Management Institute, a special program of the Monterey Institute. Other speakers at the session included UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, the president of Burundi, the UN special rapporteur on the right to education, the secretary-general’s representative on children and armed conflict, and UNICEF’s deputy executive director.
• Monterey Institute students Lorraine Githiora (MPA candidate ’10) and Abigail Bree Bacon (MPA ’09) traveled to the University of Texas at Austin for the second annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative University this February. The invitation came as the result of Bree and Lorraine’s successful proposal for a community-centered podcasting program aimed at
Alumni Profile: Phil and Philip’s 11-Day Adventure
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n 11-day cruise from Virginia to Spain might sound like an exciting vacation, but the trip taken recently by Institute Professor Emeritus Phil Morgan was anything but relaxing. In fact, sailing the winter seas aboard a 40-year old 17-ton warship in the company of 472 military personnel was an assignment that required extensive preparation, discipline, a sense of adventure—and sea legs. In January, Dr. Morgan joined a three-person team put together by the Regional Security Education Program (RSEP) of the Naval Postgraduate School to provide training for crewmembers aboard the USS Nashville, who were carrying out a fourmonth mission with ports of call in five African countries. Also part of the team were U.S. Navy Commander Troy Johnson and MIIS alumnus Philip Rush (MAIPS ’08), Operations Officer for RSEP at the Naval Postgraduate School. The mission was part of the Africa Partnership Station (APS) program, an effort to build the skills and professionalism of African militaries, coast guards, and mariners. APS activities consist of joint exercises, port visits, hands-on practical courses, professional training and community outreach with the coastal nations of Africa. These activities help to prepare select nations to combat illegal fishing, human smuggling, drug trafficking, oil theft and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea region. The training team of Morgan, Johnson and Rush provided onboard training for about 50 officers participating in this APS mission and 17 naval officers from the West African countries of Cameroon, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Senegal. Their curriculum covered the economic, political, and security context for those countries scheduled for training visits. A daily program that included six hours of class time meant the training team spent long hours preparing for their sessions. Having host-country nationals in the classroom added a different perspective to the training. “Initially, it was challenging to provide balance when discussing the issues facing the region. After the first few presentations, we invited the guest officers to join us in our planning sessions and included their perspective in our briefings,” explained Rush. “The synergy between our research and their anecdotal observations about their home countries proved to be effective.”
raising awareness of human rights issues. The pair, who competed to win one of the 1,000 slots at the conference, were spotlighted by the Monterey Herald in a feature article.
• The Monterey Institute contin-
ues to build a culture of innovation with its second annual Pizza Process. Eight groups of faculty, staff and students came together this spring over pizza to develop innovative ideas to improve our campus community. These ideas were presented to the entire Institute community at an “Idea Fair” and all the ideas are
currently moving forward in the development process. Highlights include an entrepreneurship program, virtual language centers, student peer evaluations and a course on competition and cooperation. For more information, and to join in, visit the pizza process social network at pizzainnovation. ning.com.
• Recent Institute graduate Justin Locke (MPA ’08) received a nice honor this spring when his paper proposal entitled “Climate Change Induced Migration in the Pacific Region” was accepted by the International
Phil Morgan, Philip Rush, and Troy Johnson
Also effective was the relationship between professor and former student. “To work side by side with the professor who originally recruited me to MIIS was like coming full circle,” said Rush. Both Morgan and Rush have experience working in Africa, with development agencies and also as former Peace Corps Volunteers, experiences that added depth and relevance to their presentations and to their rapport with the African naval officers on board. But Rush’s time in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves gave him an advantage over Morgan, who had to quickly learn to follow military protocol and rules. The civilians were required to comply to a rigid routine with the 6:00 am wake up call, specific meal times, respect for rank and order, and compliance with Rule 99—no alcohol on board. “We were lodged in the austere officers’ quarters with two to a room and a shared bathroom. I was surprised by the constant noise—whistles, bells, and the grinding of gears from the machine room,” described Morgan. Still, it was the kind of teaching challenge that a seasoned professor embraces. “The officers were engaged and their experiences added to the discussion; the work ethic and discipline of the entire crew was impressive. I’d definitely do it again,” remarked Morgan.
Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP). Locke will present his paper at the IUSSP’s 26th International Population Conference in Marrakech, Morocco this September. The IUSSP is the leading organization of demographers in the world, and it holds a conference only every four years; the competition is strong among the approximately 1600 members to earn a place in the program.
• During Winter Break, Director of International Students Peter Grothe traveled to Iraq as part of a recruiting delegation of 22 American universities. Two
hundred and fifty U.S. universities were reportedly invited to participate, but most declined. The delegation met with Prime Minister Maliki, the minister of higher education and other education leaders, in addition to traveling within the country to recruit students. As a result of the trip, approximately 400 Iraqi students are expected to begin studies in the U.S. in the fall of 2009, virtually all of them at the 22 participating universities. The Iraqi government plans to send 10,000 students abroad every year for the next five years on full government scholarships, most of them to the United States.
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MIIS IN BRIEF (continued) • The Alumni Relations Office recently launched a new Web site designed to support and expand alumni services. With an emphasis on social networking, linking alumni and students to seven social networking sites that host MIIS pages, the new site also provides alumni with expanded career resources, the opportunity to share blogs, RSS feeds to key Web sites within their professional communities, and a chance to register for alumni events. Another key area of the site is the opportunity to reconnect with alumni via a searchable database, which is great for finding former classmates and friends or locating alumni working in specific organizations or locations around the globe. Alumni are also encouraged to “give of themselves”—living the Institute’s motto “Be the Solution”—by volunteering to mentor students, submit employment resources or make a financial donation. Finally, the site will soon provide Web-based interviews, and an “ask the expert” approach to networking and career enhancement. Check out alumni.miis.edu and update your profile, enter a class note or browse a resource! • White Whale Web Services of Oakland, CA, has been selected as the design partner in a collaborative web redesign effort launched this spring by Middlebury College and the Monterey Institute. A separate MIIS Web site, hosted by Middlebury but with a distinct design within a Middlebury “family” of designs, will launch in August, highlighting the new twoschool administrative organization and holistic student advising model announced this spring. White Whale specializes in Web sites for higher education, and has done recent work for Duke, Haverford, Kenyon, Lewis and Clark, the MIT School of Engineering and San Francisco State.
Faculty Development Funds Support Continuous Professional Development Since 1998, two former Institute board officers, Bob Lundeen and Joe Mark, as well as Joe’s wife Sheila, have been instrumental in helping to support Institute faculty’s efforts to keep up their professional development. The Robert W. and Betty Lundeen Faculty Development Fund is designed to help attract and retain gifted scholars early in their graduate teaching careers. The Joseph and Sheila Mark Faculty Development Fund is intended to support the most relevant faculty activities of junior and senior faculty alike. As a graduate school with a focus on language and cross-cultural communication, the Monterey Institute occupies a unique position at the confluence of theory and practice. Because Institute graduates often experience a vast range of societal circumstances as they pursue international careers, they need to be prepared and able to connect comfortably and effectively, across culture and language, with everyone—academic experts and political leaders as well as day laborers and open market merchants. How do you teach that? And, how do you teach it to a student body as diverse as the Institute’s? In any given year, the Institute welcomes citizens from 50 or more countries. They have different sets of cultural assumptions, including how a class discussion is run or grades awarded. It is not uncommon for one class to include a student from a royal lineage, a military officer, a Peace Corps
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returnee and a refugee who is the first in his/her family to pursue a degree. One student may have never spent a day without endless extended family and the next student may have lost all loved ones in violence and civil strife. They may come from groups that are on opposite sides of an active conflict that goes back generations. These are a few of the special challenges that distinguish the jobs of Institute professors. Not all of them make it a prominent part of the coursework, but all must “walk the talk.” To accomplish this, Institute faculty must maintain currency in their languages, their regional specializations, their functional disciplines and technological tools for learning. This often involves travel overseas for research, training and conferences. Professors must also connect with one another to further enrich offerings with more cross-cultural exposure and cross-disciplinary exercise. This continuous professional development is costly and timeconsuming—and vital. For this commitment by faculty is an important part of what gives an Institute education its characteristic relevance and richness. Provost Amy Sands summed up the importance of the Mark and Lundeen awards: “Faculty growth and renewal are more essential than ever to maintaining the rigor and improving the quality of our programs. The generous commitments by Bob Lundeen and the Marks make it possible for us to support our dedicated faculty to do things they otherwise might not be able to do, and the Institute otherwise might not be able to support.”
Workshop Exposes Institute Staff to Filmmakers’ Storytelling Secrets
Make a Difference Year Round
Is climate change affected by human practices? The fact that anyone finds this debatable, according to scientist-turned-filmmaker Randy Olson, is a tragedy being played out largely because of academics’ failure to communicate their knowledge in a way that is accessible to the general public. Olson joined veteran screenwriter and author Christopher Keane at the Monterey Institute in March to conduct an intensive weekend workshop entitled “Storytelling: Cutting Through the Media Fog.” The workshop is part of an effort at the Institute to build a “Story Corps” of individuals within the wider Institute community who are equipped to express, through video and online media, personal experiences regarding urgent, intractable global issues. Olson, who holds a doctorate in evolutionary biology from Harvard, is so passionate about the communication of science that he walked away from a university professorship with tenure and an excellent academic reputation for the uncertainties of his current life as an independent filmmaker and speaker. For the March workshop, he teamed up with a mentor from his early filmmaking days, Chris Keane, to work with a group of 25 students, staff and faculty of the Monterey Institute. The group spent the weekend immersed in writing exercises, talks and discussions designed to break through the assumptions and rigid disciplines of academic writing and focus on identifying a story, remaining true to its purpose and delivering information that will be remembered by the audience. A highlight of the weekend was a public showing and discussion of Olson’s latest film release, Sizzle: A Global Warming Comedy. The film offers interviews with authorities spanning the range of public opinion on the subject of climate change, in a format that is simultaneously entertaining and thought-provoking and delivers what the IPCC Report on Climate Change cannot—a memorable and moving experience that is a call to action. The workshop and film received rave reviews from the participants, and plans are already in the offing to hold it again next year. In the meantime, Olson has a book on the subject coming out in August, titled Don’t Be Such a Scientist: Talking Substance in an Age of Style. The timeliness of the workshop was underscored recently when Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation, said in closing remarks at the environmental journalism panel described on page 4: “I hope that what does replace (the old news institutions) includes the work of knowledgeable academics; and that they will write for an audience that is much wider than just their peers.” If Randy Olson has his way, they will learn how.
with Automatic Giving
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ynthia Meurling (MAIPS ’06) recently signed up to make her annual gift to the Institute using the new automatic giving option. “Automatic monthly donations are easier for me both in terms of my budgeting and from the logistical standpoint. With the automatic pledge, I feel good about contributing to my alma mater without having to think about it on a regular basis; it’s one less thing to remember.” As an Operations Manager for IntraHealth International, a nonprofit that works in over 50 countries to mobilize local talent to create sustainable and accessible health care, Cynthia is applying the training she received at MIIS as she works to strengthen IntraHealth’s business systems to manage organizational risk. “My MPA coursework continues to provide the foundation for my everyday work at IntraHealth. I greatly value my MIIS degree and where it has taken me, and give to the Institute in order to support MIIS’ current and future global influence.” With the automatic giving option, you can spread your contribution over the course of a year—or longer. This also allows you to pay by either credit card or with a deduction directly from your checking account and once you’ve decided on the amount, determine the frequency—biweekly, monthly or even quarterly. To enroll in automatic giving, visit www.miis.edu/give or contact Institutional Advancement at 831-647-3525.
Cynthia Meurling and colleagues in India
Spring/Summer 2009
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MIIS MATTERS James Kemsey
Helping Protect Endangered Mountain Gorillas
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rowing up in the United States as a self-proclaimed “bored suburbanite” in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, James “Jamie” Kemsey (MAIEP ’02) never suspected that an appreciation for punk rock music would contribute to a future in helping protect the great apes of Africa—but it did. “[Punk] encouraged me to think differently, outside of the box,” he said. “Through punk I became involved in other alternative lifestyles, like vegetarianism. Vegetarianism led me to looking at our relationship with [the animal kingdom]—and eventually, the environment and nature itself.” Environments like Kigali in Rwanda. Kemsey currently serves there as the first-ever communications officer for the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP). There, he helps protect endangered mountain gorillas, and promotes positive coexistence between gorillas and humans. “We share over 98 percent of our DNA with gorillas,” he said, “…exterminating such a close relative would be a moral and psychological tragedy from which our species would likely never recover.” According to the IGCP, poaching, habitat loss and disease continue to threaten the approximately 700 mountain gorillas existing in the world today. To date, mountain gorillas, or gorilla beringei beringei, have not successfully lived or bred in captivity. Most gorillas in captivity are their lowland counterparts. “(Mountain gorillas) are a ‘keystone’ or ‘flagship’ species…,” Kemsey added. “The health of the forests and our natural resources is interdependent with the health of key species, which include the gorillas…. Our survival is intertwined, and gorillas perform many environmental services that lead to healthy forests and resources upon which we depend.” Recognizing that interdependence, one of Kemsey’s primary goals is to continue raising support for preservation and propagation of the species. “Talk to friends, family and colleagues who think great apes don’t concern them, and explain clearly the consequences of wiping them out,” he urged.
“And perhaps most important of all: make wise choices as a consumer,” Kemsey added. “For example many minerals, including coltan, which is used in almost all mobile phones, are mined illegally in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where about one third of the world’s remaining 700 mountain gorillas live.” Not only is Kemsey a long way from his own childhood home in Pittsburgh, but also a long way from Monterey. “While most universities focus Jamie Kemsey somewhat exclusively on classroom learning and academics, MIIS taught me just as much outside the classroom. The incredible diversity of the student body, and the professors’ real-world experience and internationalism taught me that there is not only strength in diversity, but progressive and even evolutionary thought.” Kemsey’s zest for learning has not changed, though his teachers have. He says he has learned valuable lessons from the gorillas, like the importance of taking time to play and pause. “The gorillas always seem to take time to pause from whatever they are doing— eating, playing, fighting,” he said. “If humans would take more time to pause from their busy over-burdened modern lives, I think peace would start breaking out all over the planet!” To learn more about Kemsey’s work (and play) and how you can support ICGP, visit www.igcp.org. To learn more about 2009 as the United Nations’ Convention on Migratory Species Year of the Gorilla, visit www.yog2009.org.
BARRY OLSEN AND BRIAN ROSS Interpreting The Summit of the Americas How many interpreters does it take to bridge the language divide between heads of state and government from 34 countries of the Americas? In fact, more than 60 interpreters who speak the four official languages of the Organization of American States (OAS) were assigned to the 5th Summit of the Americas. Among the group were two Monterey Institute alumni, Barry Olsen, MACI ’99, and Brian Ross, MATI ’93 who
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interpreted Spanish and Portuguese into English and served as team leaders during the Summit, which was held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago in April. This was the first time working a presidential summit for both alums, which for freelance interpreters indicates a level of professionalism that takes years to develop. The pre-summit drafting meetings proved to be interesting assignments.
While serving as an on-call interpreter at the press conference staging area, Brian interpreted for President Evo Morales of Bolivia. One of Barry’s assignments was interpreting for the Youth Forum, in the drafting committee that discussed and decided on recommendations the group later presented to the ministers of foreign affairs of the hemisphere. As team leaders, Barry and Brian were responsible for communicating
Barry Olsen
Alumni Profiles Maria Carla Faccini
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Giving Back with T&I Internships
ummer internships are one important way that Monterey Institute students begin to put their classroom learning into action—if they can find them. Alumnus Maria Carla Faccini, MATI ’03, knew that finding them would be the key for many, which is part of the reason she convinced her employer, St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital in New York City, to offer three summer internships for translation and interpretaRebecca Fong in Iraq tion students. Maria Carla Faccini Her own Monterey Institute experience included a summer internship at Stanford Medical Center that later developed into a full-time position upon graduation. After three years at Stanford, Maria Carla headed east and landed a job at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt where she quickly became an indispensable team member. “In her role as coordinator, she started a training program for our volunteer interpreters and also works with contractors for lesscommonly needed languages. Maria Carla is a true professional and has a great rapport with colleagues throughout the hospital,” says Language Services Director Roxana Lash. As the coordinator for the Language Services team at the 1,000bed private hospital located in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, Maria Carla works with a staff of five full-time staff, two hourly wage employees and a cadre of volunteers. Last year, her team facilitated 14,628 encounters between medical providers and patients with limited proficiency in English.
Monterey Institute interns will help in managing this workload by putting in a minimum of 200 hours each during their month-long assignments at the hospital. “I know from my days as a student that MIIS provides students with a great skill base, but this experience will provide an opportunity to learn medical terminology and to become familiar with a code of ethics and standards of practice that are paramount in dealing with patients. There are so many situations that arise in a medical setting that can’t be replicated in the classroom and really test your skills,” explains Maria Carla. “Even learning to ask for clarification, whether from the doctor or the patient, is a new experience for students as most classroom interpretation exercises don’t allow for this. In the hospital, not only is it allowed, but asking for clarity might save a life. “I’m in a setting where I feel like I’m making a difference daily. Today, I was called to the emergency room to assist a doctor who was discussing care options with a terminal cancer patient. When the consult was over, she told me how grateful she was to be able to have this conversation in her own language; it was comforting for her to feel like she fully understood.” Maria Carla’s language combination of Spanish and French proves useful in working with the hospital’s large population of West African patients. A native of Venezuela, Maria Carla discovered her passion for interpretation in high school and immediately identified the Monterey Institute’s graduate program in translation and interpretation as the place for her. “I will always be a MIIS alum and I always want to be connected. This is one way that I can continue to support the school and help build our alumni network. When I heard about this internship idea, I thought St. Luke’s-Roosevelt would be a great student experience—something completely different from what they could find in California.”
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I will always be a MIIS alum and I always want to be connected.
assignments and logistics to team members and ensuring they were adequately briefed. “Interpreters are a spirited bunch. The team leader is generally someone who is an effective manager and has a good rapport with other interpreters. Sometimes you end up being the peacemaker,” explained Brian. “We are the conduits of information—in a setting like this where communication systems aren’t optimal and email access is limited, this role is even more important.”
Barry, who was also recently appointed as the chair of the Conference Interpreting Program at the Institute, continues to make freelance work a priority, and an assignment like this helps him stay relevant in the classroom and current in the field. “I’ve done four freelance assignments this semester in addition to a full class load. It’s the only way to really keep my skills sharp. Freelancing also allows me to maintain and establish contacts
with colleagues from around the hemisphere which in turn expands possibilities for me and my students. It boosts my credibility with students and also gets the Monterey Institute name out there.” Some of the challenges with working the Summit included unreliable communication systems, long waiting periods while assignments were sorted out and strict security for the meeting areas. Barry’s accidental moment of fame came while
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his team was on call and received an assignment for a ministerial meeting on one of the two cruise ships brought in for Summit meetings. Strangely, his team was waved through several major security check points without the usual bag checks, and then photographed in earnest as they entered through a corridor to the meeting room. Only later did he learn that the special treatment was because he had been mistaken for Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. Spring/Summer 2009
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