MSFS Alumni Newsletter - October 2022

MSFS Alumni Newsletter

MSFS Leadership Welcome

MSFS started in 1922 100 years ago with a mission: to prepare our students to successfully engage with dynamic global challenges and opportunities. Our students use their training and ingenuity in a multitude of ways to forge a safer and more prosperous, equitable, and peaceful world. Their experiences and knowledge enrich our understanding of the dynamism of the global arena, and the known and unforeseen challenges our current students will face. Our centennial celebrations reconnect us with one another to honor our shared history, reaffirm our mission, and lean forward to our next glorious century! We kicked off the centennial celebration almost a year ago in December 2021. Throughout the year we will be hosting a series of events culminating in a gala celebration on December 2, 2022. We hope you join us!

George Shambaugh Director, MSFS

Ashley Lenihan Deputy Director, MSFS

Celebrating Our Centennial

Reflecting on ‘where we came from, where we are, and where we are going.’

Save the date, stay tuned for more information, and get involved!

Tables are available for purchase now by contacting Jennifer Gibbons at Jennifer.Gibbons@Georgetown.edu.

Limited Individual General Admissions Tickets will go on sale Monday, October 17th

For information on Centennial Gala sponsorship and ticket sales, visit: https://webster.eventsair.com/msfs-centennial-gala-dinner/tickets.

For information on the MSFS program, visit: https://msfs.georgetown.edu/.

100 gear visit the Centennial Swag Store! All proceeds go to the MSFS Student Representatives for their student led programming: https://msfs centennial.myshopify.com/.

To buy MSFS

Honoring our Alumni

The MSFS program was founded a hundred years ago to train young leaders for a changing and uncertain world. Its value and impact on international affairs have been transformative, and are as necessary today as they were at its founding. Then, as now, our graduates embody the core values that guide our program: Leadership, Creativity, Ethics, Service, and Inclusion.

As we embark on a new century of training our students for careers in all forms of foreign service, we believe that it is important to honor those alumni who represent this unique MSFS spirit.

Towards this end, the MSFS leadership team, its board of advisors, and the Walsh School of Foreign Service have established the MSFS Centennial Awards to honor five distinguished alumni whose life and work embody our program’s core values.

Over the course of this year, MSFS alumni were invited to submit nominees whom they believe most reflect the five values of MSFS: leadership, creativity, ethics, service, and inclusion. We received an overwhelming response with recommendations from classes dating back to 1972.

The MSFS Centennial Awards Committee, composed exclusively of MSFS alumni, received over 100 nominations. The quality of the nominees, and the richness of their experience, demonstrate the extraordinary extent to which our graduates have gone on to have careers that advance our values

The final awardees received multiple submissions and have had careers spanning the public, private and non profit sectors.

Announcing our MSFS Centennial Living Our Values Awardees

Ragnheiður

Ambassador

Raja Karthikeya

Michael Samway

Paula Loyd

We kicked off a year of Centennial programming with a ‘birthday’ party of cake and cocktails in December 2021, to celebrate a hundred years of MSFS with our amazing Alumni. Remarks were made by Dean Joel Hellman, MSFS Director George Shambaugh, and Phoebe Sharkey (MSFS ‘64). Phoebe, Paula Wiegard, and Olga Zoghby were the first women to ever receive MSFS degrees. They did not know at the time that they were making history, and it was wonderful to hear a bit about the program at such a pivotal moment.

As we embark on our next century, we feel it is deeply important to take this time to not only reflect on our history, and strategize about our future, but also to reengage with you our alumni who (along with our amazing students) are our ‘present.’ We aim to make this newsletter a bi annual publication, and to make our new ‘alumni picnics’ a regular feature in the MSFS calendar. We look forward to hearing from, and interacting, with all of you more often.

Centennial MSFS Picnic at GU Alumni Weekend

The MSFS Leadership Team

George Shambaugh Director

Ashley Lenihan Deputy Director Rebecca Caro Director of Academic Affairs

Paul Miller Global Politics & Security Co Chair

Jodi Vittori Global Politics & Security Co Chair

Joseph Helman Global Politics & Security Co-Chair

Shantayanan Devarajan International Development Chair

Theresa Sabonis-Helf Science, Technology, & International Affairs Chair

Bali Khan

Emily Santor Academic Affairs

Maggie Collins Assistant Director of Academic Affairs and Administration

Ryan Byington

of

Doug Umberger

Director of Admissions

David Wallis

Business, Finance, & Society Chair

MSFS

Campus Update

Maggie Collins works on faculty and student affairs within the MSFS program, including course offerings, degree requirements, and management of course schedules and adjunct faculty. She also manages finance and administration for the MSFS program.

Maggie Collins

Assistant Director of Academic Affairs and Administration

Prior to joining the MSFS team at Georgetown University, Ryan Byington directed admissions and recruitment for the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University. She also coordinated and led a shortterm study abroad residency program for graduate students. Ryan graduated from Albion College (MI) with a BA in Communications and earned her MSEd from the University of Pennsylvania with a focus in higher education administration. In her free time, Ryan enjoys running, cycling, and participating in and teaching group fitness classes.

Ryan Byington Director of Admissions

Doug Umberger

Associate Director of Admissions

Doug Umberger joins the MSFS Leadership Team with ten years of professional admissions experience. Prior to Georgetown University, Doug most recently served as the Associate Director of Admissions, Interim Video Production Coordinator, and Speech Instructor for Loyola University New Orleans since 2018. Doug graduated Class President from York College of Pennsylvania (BA, Speech Communication), Loyola University Maryland (MA, Emerging Media), and Cornell University (Diversity and Inclusion Certification). Away from the Hilltop, Doug lives in Shaw with his partner, Dan, and their wonderful French Bulldog, Porkchop.

Over the past few months, we welcomed three new members to the MSFS Team. Introducing Maggie, Ryan, and Doug! Welcome to the MSFS Family!

MSFS Class Updates

Thank you to those who shared updates with us in our last survey! Ahead of our next MSFS Alumni Newsletter, we plan to survey you again for your news. In the future, we hope these class notes will be much longer, and a great way for MSFS cohorts to stay connected! Share your work and family news, and pictures of you and your classmates!

Class of 2021 - Jessica Gumucio - Jessica received their first assignment as an FSO, and is currently serving as a consular officer at the US Embassy Pristina in Kosovo.

Class of 2009 Eric Peter Eric and his wife just welcomed a future Hoya to the world, Valentina!

Class of 2008 Will Schmitt After nearly a decade in DC and at USAID, the World Bank and some time independent consulting, Will relocated to Australia nearly six years ago with his wife Charlotte. He now has two little boys, 4.5 years old (Otis) and 6 months old (Sammy).

Class of 2007 - Aaron Imperiale - Aaron has no news to share except to offer an open invitation to hit them up any time any MSFS alums are in Brussels!

Class of 2006 Obed Diener Obed and their family recently relocated to their hometown of Harrisonburg in the Shenandoah Valley of VA, after spending the past five years in Amman, Jordan. They are also staying busy this spring as a Little League baseball coach!

Class of 1999 - Marcos Mandojana - Marcos is currently serving as a Senior Foreign Service Officer serving as Deputy Chief of Mission in Costa Rica.

Class of 1989 Víctor M. Lagos Victor is still serving in the diplomatic service of his country El Salvador. Currently Victor is serving as the Ambassador of El Salvador to Brasil, but he plans to retire soon and enjoy the beach life in his country. He extends a warm welcome to all MSFS alums to his beach hut.

Class of 1987 Matt Weiller Matt is currently serving as the Executive Director in the Bureau of African Affairs within the US State Department.

Class of 1983 - Tatiana Gfoeller - Tatiana recently published their first book, “A Simple Love.”

Class of 1980 Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat - Marcia was nominated by President Biden and confirmed by the Senate to serve as the current Director General of the U.S. Foreign Service.

Call for Alumni Application Readers!

The MSFS Admissions Team is seeking alumni volunteers to serve on the committee for the 2023 application cycle!

If you are interested in becoming an important part of the Admissions Committee, please fill out this application form by Tuesday, November 15 th, 2022 , at Midnight.

Selected volunteers will be assigned approximately 20 - 30 applications to evaluate and score, using a provided rubric and criteria . Reading will begin after the New Year and all reviews must be completed by early - February (more specific dates will be provided) .

A virtual training for all alumni readers will be required in early January .

Please email Director of Admissions, Ryan Byington (rb 1810 @georgetown .edu), with any questions .

Thank you for your interest in helping to select the incoming MSFS Class of 2025 !