MSFS Alumni Newsletter - Spring 2024

MSFS LEADERSHIP WELCOME

Dear MSFS Alumni,

This has been a purpose-filled year for MSFS students and alumni alike. In the pages that follow, you will see but a few of the many examples of members of our community learning from one another, embracing dialogue, and seeking solutions to today’s global challenges with passion and understanding. We are extremely proud of the ongoing efforts of our community members to make the world a better place. We are also thankful for the time to engage with old and new friends at alumni activities, exchanges with students, academic sessions about topical issues and cutting-edge research, and other opportunities on campus and around the world.

The alumni newsletter provides a lot of exciting alumni-related news! Please share your news and join us at our future events. To do so, we encourage you to:

Sign up for Hoya Gateway. This is Georgetown’s version of LinkedIn. It is a great tool for finding classmates and colleagues. It includes current MSFS students, too, and provides a great opportunity to engage with them. The system is new, but growing quickly. In the future, it will be one of the main ways that we disseminate alumni information and engagement opportunities.

Join us for an alumni picnic on Sunday, June 2, 2024. This is part of Georgetown’s alumni weekend. Everybody is welcome to participate in all Alumni Weekend activities. We particularly encourage all 5-year reunion classes to join! Information about Alumni Weekend is available here.

Share ways to stay connected with both MSFS and SFS.

We look forward to welcoming you back soon to the hilltop. In the meantime, enjoy the newsletter!

Hoya Saxa!

George Shambaugh

George Shambaugh

Director

Ashley Lenihan

Ashley Lenihan MSFS Deputy Director

MSFS LEADERSHIP TEAM

George Shambaugh Director

Ashley Lenihan Deputy Director

Ryan Arey Director of Admissions

Rebecca Caro Director of Academic Affairs

Maggie Collins Asst. Director of Operations

Shantayanan Devarajan International Development Chair

Matt Wooten Assistant Director of Academic & Faculty Affairs

Paul Miller Global Politics & Security Co-Chair

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

David Wallis Global Business, Finance & Society Chair

Jodi Vittori Global Politics & Security Co-Chair

PMF Announcement

A record number of Presidential Management Fellows finalists have been named, both from Georgetown more broadly, and from the School of Foreign Service specifically!

There are 37 SFS finalists this year. This is far more than any other international affairs school.

SAIS is in second place with 31 finalists, and GW’s Elliott School a distant third, with 11.

An impressive 15 of the 37 School of Foreign Service PMF Finalists are MSFS students!

Ari Filler Kyle Wagner Sarah Iskander Emma Morrison John Indergaard

Selina Nevin Julianna Rossi Steven Orientale Margaret LaPre Mallika Iyer

Tristan Paci

Mathew Sullivan Hifza Shaukat

Eric Tunkavige Cade Carter

MSFS ALUMNI EVENTS

UPCOMING EVENTS: Georgetown Alumni Weekend

Save the date for the Georgetown Alumni Weekend this summer!

We especially want to encourage classes with a special 5-year reunion (5, 10, 15 years, etc.) to come back to the Hilltop for the concurrent Alumni Reunion Weekend at Georgetown from May 31 to June 2, 2024. Alumni weekend includes a lot of exciting activities and programming. Some of this is geared toward undergraduate alumni, but most of it is open to other alumni and would be highly enjoyable for you and your classmates to experience together. We particularly encourage you to sign up for activities like:

The SFS Reception (Friday Night)

The Lunch on the Lawn (Saturday)

The Hill-top Dialogues (Friday & Saturday)

Sunday Mass (just before our MSFS Picnic!)

You can sign up for these wider Georgetown University Alumni Reunion Weekend events here: https://reunion.georgetown.edu/.

MSFS ALUMNI EVENTS

UPCOMING EVENTS: The MSFS Alumni Picnic

Save the date for the MSFS Alumni Weekend Picnic 2024!

This event is exclusively for MSFS alumni. Bring your friends and family along to join in on the fun. We’ll be hosting the picnic at the Hilltop’s GU Observatory (rain location ICC 7th Floor) on Sunday, June 2, 2024, from 1:00 - 3:00 pm EDT.

Enjoy an afternoon of delicious food, drinks, and great company. This is the perfect opportunity to reconnect with old friends and make new connections with fellow alumni.

Please don’t forget to RSVP to secure your spot: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/msfs-alumniweekend-picnic-tickets-820821879337. We can't wait to see you there!

Please email msfsevents@georgetown.edu for accommodation requests.

MSFS ALUMNI: Introducing Hoya Gateway

We are excited to announce to you our MSFS group within Georgetown’s alumni platform Hoya Gateway. Hoya Gateway is a private website you can register for, exclusively for Georgetown alumni to connect, network and find career opportunities. Within the platform different programs and campus organizations have created groups that allow alumni to connect directly with their classmates.

In the “MSFS Connect” group, alumni and students can find and reach out to their classmates. The website allows you to search for people, e.g. by class, the industry they work in, or the region in which they reside. In addition, we added useful resources such as our latest Alumni Newsletters, upcoming events like the summer alumni picnics, information about Georgetown’s regional clubs, as well as job and internship opportunities. Alumni can also send the MSFS team job/ internship listings themselves, which we will then share in the group.

If you have difficulties signing up for Hoya Gateway, please contact us at : msfsdeputydirector@georgetown.edu!

Introducing Hoya Gateway

To sign up, please follow these simple steps:

1.Go to: https://hoyagateway.georgeto wn.edu/. Registering will take approximately 15 minutes. Once you have created a profile, it may take up to 24 hours for Georgetown to confirm your registration.

2. Once you receive confirmation, log into your Hoya Gateway account and click on the ‘groups’ tab on the blue bar at the top of the page.

3. Scroll down and doubleclick on the “MSFS Connect” private group.

4. Then double-click the green “Join” button at the top right hand corner of your screen. You will receive an email when your request to join was approved.

MSFS ALUMNI

Career Corner

The SFS Career Service

SFS Career Services for Life!

Thinking about a career pivot or next steps? Want help strategizing your long-term career goals or expanding your network? As a reminder, alumni have lifetime access to all of the SFS Career Center resources, including:

24/7 Online Career Resources

Programming (e.g. Networking Events, Industry Panels, Jumpstart January Sessions)

1:1 Coaching

If you have any questions, please reach out to the SFS Career Center at sfscc@georgetown.edu.

Career Opportunities from Alumni

Do you want to dedicate your career to supporting U.S. farmers and ranchers? To live in interesting places, learn new languages, and work with great people? If so, then the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is for you! Later this year, FAS will conduct an assessment to hire new Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) to represent USDA at U.S. Embassies and Consulates overseas. FAS FSOs analyze global agricultural production and trade, advocate for sciencebased trade regulations, market U.S. agricultural products, and promote global food security, technical expertise, and fight climate change through capacity building projects. Visit the FAS careers page for more info and stay tuned for upcoming public information sessions and the application in late spring 2024. We hope to see you soon and have you join us in representing the United States of America and USDA in markets and fields around the world.

Forwarded by Kathy Yao (MSFS ‘14)

MSFS ALUMNI EVENTS

Alumni Help Administer the MSFS Oral Exams

A huge thank you to all MSFS Alumni who helped with Orals and Orals prep! We could not do it without you!

37 MSFS Alumni joined Georgetown faculty and outside experts on Oral Exam panels this year. 118 exams took place, with 23 distinctions!

MSFS Advisory Board members Ambassador Mark Lagon (former GPS Concentration Chair), Brendan Foo (MSFS ‘15), and Ambassador Deborah McCarthy (MSFS ’79) also helped organize a highly popular Mock Oral Exams session, with the help of:

MSFS ALUMNI EVENTS

“Mere Anarchy? A changing world, the United Nations and the case for a new multilateralism” featuring Izumi Nakamitsu, MSFS alumna

Izumi Nakamitsu (MSFS '89), the UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, recently visited MSFS to share her insights on the current state of multilateral institutions. Drawing on her extensive experience within the UN, spanning roles in crisis response, refugee and migration affairs, and peacekeeping operations, Nakamitsu offered a thought-provoking discussion. She highlighted the evolution of peacekeeping, the challenges posed by contemporary geopolitical tensions akin to a new Cold War, and the paramount importance of achieving sustainable peace. Nakamitsu underscored the importance of international cooperation achieved thus far, while challenging them to contemplate effective strategies for collaborating with partner organizations and broadening their perspectives on multilateral diplomacy. Her insightful discourse inspired the audience to reflect on the immense potential and obstacles faced by multilateral institutions in fostering a more harmonious global community.

MSFS STUDENT EVENTS

Coffee chat with professionals of the EBRD

In April MSFS students had the chance to attend a conversation with Michael Strauss, General Counsel of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and Phil Bennett, ex-First Vice President of the EBRD.

In his presentation Mr. Strauss introduced students to the EBRD’s work, its focus on transition and private sector investment, as well as the work environment at the bank and career opportunities

Fun Fact: Michael Strauss is the husband of MSFS alum Leslie Thompson (MSFS ‘08)!

MSFS STUDENT EVENTS

MSFS students at COP 28 in Dubai

In December 2023 five MSFS students – Tanya Nagrath, Sarah Frances Smith, Kira AkkaSeidel, Tima Dasouki and Denis Owiny – participated as observers at COP 28 in the UAE.

Thank you to all of the wonderful alumni who make this experience possiblethroughtheirdonations!

MSFS STUDENT EVENTS

MSFS students at COP 28 in Dubai

“Attending COP28 was undeniably one of the most memorable experiences, one I will reminisce about and cherish whenever I reflect on the amazing opportunities Georgetown provided me. It offered an unparalleled learning experience, allowing me to immerse myself in a long-held aspiration. Interacting with world leaders and hearing them discuss their nations’ climate change priorities was surreal. Moreover, engaging with diplomats and government officials allowed me to witness diplomacy in action, solidifying my passion for pursuing it as a future career. It felt like attending a master class in international negotiation and collaboration–a crucial lesson in today’s context as new challenges emerge daily, leaving the global community grappling for solutions.”

- Tanya Nagrath (MSFS ‘24)

MSFS STUDENT EVENTS

MSFS students at COP 28 in Dubai

“My week at COP28 was informative, stimulating, inspiring, agonizing and deeply enriching. It’s a place where you can feel the full spectrum of human emotion over one day. You might start the day on a high, thrilled to meet a head of state or one of your professional heroes and end the day wanting to hit your head on a wall as you enter hour four of draft text negotiations on the Global Stocktake where five nations are debating between a period, a colon or a comma. As tedious as the whole process seems, and often is, I gained tremendous respect for the delegations that work tirelessly to give this crisis the platform it deserves. Taking part in COP28 as an observer made me all that more motivated to return to future COPs in a more targeted capacity. At the end of the day, this work matters. The voices that are elevated here matter. The connections that are built here matter. And incremental progress matters.”

- Kira Akka-Seidel MSFS ‘24

Kira with President Surangel Whipps Jr. of Palau

Kira with Robert D. Bullard - father of Environmental Justice

MSFS STUDENT EVENTS

Model NATO

Led by Professor George Shambaugh and Professor Paul Miller, two teams of MSFS students represented Hungary and Spain in the 39th Annual International Model NATO hosted by Howard University. The representatives partook in a series of rigorous sessions February 1418, covering different topics in accordance with each committee’s objectives. Members from both teams received individual distinctions: Leadership in Committee Award, Superior Delegate Award, and Distinguished Delegation Award.

Hungary

Distinguished Delegation Award: Catherine Manning

Spain

Leadership in Committee Award, Superior Delegate Award: Ajay Gokul Sivanandam

Leadership in Committee Award, Superior Delegate Award: Nha Eun “Noel” Choi

MSFS STUDENT EVENTS

Japan exchange

Under the guiding hand of Professor David Wallis, MSFS was pleased to host two groups of Japanese students visiting the US pertaining to the Kakehashi Program. This program is a Japanese Government sponsored education program aiming to promote US / Japan understanding and relationships. In the equivalent “outgoing” program 9 current MSFS students have benefited from a fully sponsored guided tour of parts of Japan. The visiting Japanese students comprised a group from Okinawa and secondly the high school winners of the “America Bowl” – a nationwide competition to select the students with the best spoken English and knowledge of American History.

MSFS STUDENT EVENTS

Japan exchange

Seven MSFS students were selected for an educational visit to Japan courtesy of the Japanese Government. During the trip they met up with Yusuke Masuda (MSFS '23) who kindly arranged a visit to the operating HQ of his employer Central Japan Rail. The students enjoyed a whirlwind 8 days in Japan including a trip on Central Japan Rail's Shinkansen or “bullet train.”

On their first day in Japan the group visited the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Diet of Japan (pictured). They heard from a member of Japanese government specializing in Japanese relations with North America and discussed the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific. At the National Diet, they toured the House of Representatives, one of Japan’s two legislative houses.

The students participated in a homestay with local families in the greater Toyota City area, located in Aichi Prefecture. After taking the bullet train from Tokyo, they visited the Toyota Ecoful Town, a sustainability-focused installation featuring smart homes and a hydrogen power production facility. That evening, they met with their host families and spent the next two days getting to know each other and exploring the area.

MSFS STUDENT EVENTS

Panel with Dr. Anthony Fauci

SFS welcomed Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Georgetown distinguished university professor for a Dean’s Coffee Chat with SFS Dean Joel Hellman. Fauci has guided public health efforts domestically and across the globe, advising seven U.S. presidents and serving the country during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fauci has also lent his expertise to the HIV/AIDS pandemic and was a principal architect of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a program that has saved more than 20 million lives.

In his coffee chat, Fauci discussed COVID-19 pandemic preparedness, communication with China in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and how national security relates to global health. Students got the chance to ask questions about a variety of topics including future pandemics and dealing with medical misinformation online. The Dean’s Coffee Chat takes place throughout the academic year and welcomes an exciting roster of individuals to campus.

MSFS STUDENT EVENTS

Gettysburg Leadership Staff Ride

Director George Shambaugh, Professor Tony Arend, and Adjunct Professors David Gutschmidt and Steven Wilson led another interactive Leadership Staff Ride at Gettysburg National Military Park. The faculty analyzed leadership and management decisions at critical points during the Battle of Gettysburg. Students shared how the lessons learned applied to challenges and opportunities they have faced and will face throughout their careers.

MSFS STUDENT EVENTS

Partial Solar Eclipse

On Monday April 8, 2024 MSFS students watched the eclipse on the Georgetown lawn. The Georgetown Astronomical Society handed out eclipse glasses so that many students were able to enjoy the phenomena together on campus. Some even travelled as far as Ohio to see the full solar eclipse. We are looking forward to the next one (in the U.S.) in 2044!

MSFS STUDENT EVENTS

UNA NCA Fellowship

This spring five MSFS students were selected for the UN Association (UNA-NCA) Graduate Fellows Program in DC. The fellowship offers graduate students studying at a university within the DCMaryland-Northern Virginia (DMV) region the opportunity to learn about different issues through a “UN lens”. The cohort met weekly at GW for engaging discussions alongside like-minded peers, experienced faculty, and foreign affairs professionals. In February the students attended the UN Association’s Summit for Global Engagement at the UN HQ in New York City.

MSFS’ 24 student Hai Nguyen asking a question at the Global Engagement Summit. Graduate Fellows in New York City.

Emma Espenan (a first-year MSFS-IDEV student): “My favorite thing about the UNA fellowship this semester is the weekly seminars! These discussions have allowed me to learn from experts in the field, build friendships with students from different graduate programs, and strengthen relationships with fellow Hoyas. I believe that the peer learning that is taking place during these seminars will be a valuable asset that I will carry with me beyond graduation.”

The UNA-NCA Graduate Fellowship Cohort 2024

MSFS STUDENT EVENTS

Financial Fluency Sessions

The Financial Fluency lunchtime series by Professor David Wallis has continued over the semester meeting most weeks to discuss a wide range of MSFS relevant financial related matters. Topics have included climate risk and insurance, the swinging pendulum of opinion re ESG, the political and industrial policy dilemmas around EVs, the drivers and risks around commercial real estate and the status and influence of tech stocks in the stock market.

MSFS STUDENT EVENTS

Seminar: Reconciling Economic Success w/ Climate Risk

Professor Shantayanan Devarajan organized a seminar on Reconciling Economic Success with Climate Risk: Case of Southeast Asia with Muthukumara Mani of the World Bank and Era Dabla-Norris of the International Monetary Fund.

MSFS STUDENT EVENTS

Event at the World Bank

It was truly a pleasure collaborating with the World Bank's Equitable Growth, Finance, and Institutions Unit (EFI) to facilitate the workshop on Country-Level Institutional Assessment and Review! We deeply appreciate the valuable learning experience regarding the CLIAR Dashboard and methodologies behind it, such as benchmarking, that this workshop provided. Our heartfelt thanks go out to our dedicated speakers for their efforts in organizing and leading the event. The engagement and participation from Georgetown students added immense value to the discussions. A special thank you goes out to all the participants for their insightful questions and contributions, which greatly enriched the dialogue. We eagerly anticipate future collaborations with the World Bank EFI and look forward to further opportunities to work together.

MSFS STUDENT EVENTS

Cross-Border Investment Roundtable with Professor Ashley Lenihan

MSFS Deputy Director Ashley Lenihan moderated the Cross-Border Investing Roundtable: De-risking Investments Impacted by National Security – Emerging Challenges and Opportunities for Investors at the Baratta Center for Global Business. This event focused on how to approach the biggest challenges global investors will face in the next five years, including countries’ efforts not just to de-risk their economies from China but also from a variety of emerging national security concerns that surround foreign investments. These same states are keen to maintain open investment environments to encourage much-needed growth and innovation.

MSFS STUDENT EVENTS

STIA Strategic Games 2024

By tradition, the Gateway Course for MSFS-STIA includes a topic on wargames and strategic games. This year, MSFS-STIA Alumnus Andrew Olson (2022), who now works for CNA (Center for Naval Analyses) as a Associate Research Analyst for Gaming and Integration, brought a team of professionals, and led two classes of students in gaming. In small groups, the students played two traditional war games (“Littoral Commander” and “OWS”) as well as two new strategic games. “At Any Cost” explored the impacts of illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing; and “Competition: AI” allowed two teams (China and the US) to race for primacy in artificial intelligence development. Olson led the classes in examining the assumptions built into strategic games, the dynamics each game set to capture, and why such gaming is considered an effective tool for strategists. Olson will be teaching MSFS’s first elective course in Strategic and Wargaming in Fall 2024.

MSFS STUDENT EVENTS

Congressional Testimony by Professor Theresa SabonisHelf

Professor Theresa Sabonis-Helf testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Europe, on March 12. Her testimony was part of a hearing titled “Going Nuclear on Rosatom: Ending Global Dependence on Putin’s Nuclear Energy Sector.” MSFS students supported her preparations with a “murder board” in which they asked tougher questions than the Congressmen. Six MSFS students also attended the hearing.

MSFS Class Ambassadors (1)

The Class Ambassador program seeks to enable a deeper connection between MSFS alumni themselves and with the ongoing MSFS Program. Ambassadors can help identify classmates who have lost touch with the program and may wish to re-engage. They can also help amplify messages from the program to classmates that may not wish to share their personal information with the program, but may still wish, for example, to know about reunions and other alumni events. Ambassadors also serve to help connect their class with the MSFS Board of Advisors and its Alumni Committee.

If you have any questions about the Class Ambassador Program, please contact: msfsdeputydirector@georgetown.edu.

MSFS Class Ambassadors (5)

2016

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

Michael Fox michaelgfox8@gmail.com

Christina James xtina.l.james@gmail.com

Daniel Skaven Ruben ds1337@georgetown.edu

Melissa Karakash mtk63@georgetown.edu

Kirstin Yanisch kirstin.yanisch@gmail.com

Amy Calfas amy.calfas@gmail.com

Daniela Vayas dev13@georgetown.edu

Rita Housseiny rh1072@georgetown.edu

Cliff Pulley cp1068@georgetown.edu

Kailyn Stuckey kas473@georgetown.edu

Heeu Millie Kim hk777@georgetown.edu

Bongiwe Bongwe bb1095@georgetown.edu 2023

Cary Cheng cjc355@georgetown.edu

MSFS Class Ambassadors (6)

Masha Stoertz ms4809@georgetown.edu

Mae (Karen) Salvaggio kms522@georgetown.edu

Anaga Krishna alk107@georgetown.edu

MSFS CLASS NOTES

Class of 1976

Frank J Kerber (MSFS ‘76) was recently in the MSFS office to help with the oral exams. He picked up a brochure which mentioned that Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service is a member of APSIA. In the fall of 1975, the MSFS director Dr Chet Crocker called him to his office. He also called in Ed Apuzzo. Frank was the rep for the class of 76 and Ed was the rep for the class of 77. He talked to both about a new organization for professional schools of international affairs. At that time only four schools were in APSIA: Georgetown, Tufts, SAIS and Columbia. He asked Frank and Ed to attend a meeting at Columbia to discuss other schools which might be good members. At that meeting they decided to invite the Wilson School at Princeton. The birth of APSIA was happening! Membership now is huge! Frank feels honored to have participated in its beginnings.

Class of 1977

Robert Weidman (Bob) (MSFS ‘77) is alive and well in San Antonio, Texas. He and his wife Catherine came here from Bethesda, Maryland in 1997 with the US Government, and he retired here in 2003. Their son Bob lives here with them. He had an overlapping career in the US Navy, from which he retired in 1999. They would be delighted to hear from fellow MSFS alums.

Class of 1978

Drew D Reynolds (MSFS ‘78) retired from 37 years in Periodontal dental practice and now leads European bike vacations. He leaves next month for a trek in Nepal. Despite the lack of international aspects to rebuilding dentitions, he and his wife enjoyed 35+ years of hosting State Department visitors. More than 300 from a plethora of places. Visit Alabama-maybe less well understood than Shanghai….

Class of 1979

Nancy Hirschhorn (MSFS ‘79) said it was great to connect with MSFS friends at the 2022 Gala. Her latest news is that she enjoyed a singing trip to Mexico City in January 2024, after which she joined the Mexican Cultural Institute's new choir in Washington, DC, Coro Carlos Chávez. It's a fun, interesting bilingual group. https://www.instagram.com/p/C15ajhTNxxj/

Dennis C Wilder (MSFS ‘79): In late May, as part of his work as a Senior Fellow in Georgetown's Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues, he will be taking GU students to Hong Kong for a week-long seminar at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. They will participate with students from Peking University, Fudan University in Shanghai, and the University of California, San Diego in a dialogue on the topic of "What responsibilities do the United States and China have towards the Global South?"

Class of 1982

Yo Konno (MSFS ‘82): As a retired banker, he currently serves as CEO & Board Chair, International Education Center, Tokyo, Japan, acting as sponsor for Japan-America Student Conference.

Class of 1983

Patricia M Pefley (MSFS ‘83): J21 Chief, Joint Intelligence Operation Center-Korea, United States Forces Korea (USFK). The J21 enables the mission of the Directorate for Intelligence. As J21 Chief, she leads four cross-functional teams: Special Security Office, Foreign Disclosure Officer, Resource Management, Human Resources, and Administrative Support. Partner with USFK, Combined Forces Command, and United Nations Command to provide and integrate human capital capabilities with emerging technologies to enable their missions.

Scott D. Morse

Peabody,

'83), Photo:

Carolyn Dowling

Ann Mead (MSFS '81), Monica Gallardo-Montoya (MSFS '02), Scott Morse (MSFS '83), Margot Rudell (MSFS '93 – not shown). Panelists: Frank Lavin (F '80, M '85), Giuliana Sturma (F '14), David Cheng (LLM '03). For the report email scottmorse@comcast.net. GLAF is the Global Leaders Assembly Foundation, founded by a group of MSFS alumni in 2020 to reimagine global leadership through Stakeholder Dialogues.

GLAF elected Randi B. Levinas (MSFS '89) to its Board of Directors, who include: Chairman Armand Bogaarts (MSFS '84), CEO Scott Morse, (MSFS '83), Secretary Lisa Kuhn (MSFS '00), Treasurer Warren Wimmer (MSFS '83), Attorney Laura Brank (MSFS/JD '91), Tanja Kleinsorge (MSFS '93), Franz Traxler (MSFS '04), and Randi Levinas (MSFS ‘89).

(MSFS

GLAF Panel on China-Geopolitics at Nixon

LLP, San Francisco, 2/29/24. Left to Right: Xu Chen (MSFS '09),

(MSFS '83),

Class of 1985

Class of 1986

Steve Monaghan (MSFS ‘85) has retired to Edinburgh, Scotland where he received a MSc in East Asian Relations from the University of Edinburgh.

Jason Warburg (MSFS ‘86) His third novel ‘Home Was a Dream’ will be published on April 9. The story spans three generations in a Jewish family and one segment that takes place in Czechoslovakia during the Holocaust benefited greatly from rereading our former professor Madeleine Albright's brilliant memoir Prague Winter.

Bruce McKaig (MSFS ‘86). In 1984, he rode his motorcycle from Texas to DC and discovered MSFS. His work study was to be a photographer for GU. He is sooo glad that he still has the negatives! Classmates and teachers...He still has the negatives. He explores international relations through his practice as an artist. Bruce uses alternative processes to examine ethics in labor practices and policies. The attached image is from a residency he did at the Santa Fe Art Institute in 2018, looking at borders and boundaries. Peace to all.

HRH Ghida Talal (MSFS ‘86) continues to be engaged in the fight against cancer in the Arab world as Chairperson of the King Hussein Cancer Center in Jordan. This entails fundraising, advocacy and creating international partnerships/alliances with MD Anderson, St. Jude and Yale. She was also delighted to give the keynote speech at the Prevent Cancer Fdn Gala in Wash. D.C. Recently, her focus has been on evacuating and treating pediatric cancer patients from Gaza following the total destruction of the health system there.

Class of 1988

Randy Lovdahl (MSFS ‘88) is pleased to be serving as your MSFS '88 Class Ambassador! Please contact him by email to connect, and he will gladly keep you up to date on MSFS happenings. Many thanks, Randy Lovdahl.

Class of 1989

Jonathan Huneke (MSFS ‘88) is happily retired and living on the Oregon coast following a rewarding career in global public affairs and communications. David Oxenstierna (MSFS ‘89) and his wife Tess live in Greenwich, CT. Their oldest daughter Carolina is a junior at Georgetown SFS, focusing on Emerging Technologies and Human Rights. Their youngest Alexandra is a freshman at the incredible Iovine & Young Academy, University of Southern California, studying Arts, Design, and the Business of Innovation. The girls are thriving but the house is now too quiet! David keeps busy as the Managing Partner for Capco (US), the world's largest Financial Services-only consulting firm.

Class of 1990

Guillermo Christensen (MSFS ‘90) recently joined the global law firm K&L Gates to lead the national security practice, also returned as an adjunct law professor Georgetown to co-teach a course on Artificial Intelligence Skills for Lawyers. Aimed at exposing first year law students to AI tools, the seminar provides the students with building blocks to master the challenge of the technology for their future profession.

Constance Rotival Kavafyan (MSFS ‘90) After several years in Denmark and Norway, she is back in Paris leading Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction programs.

Tom Jansen (MSFS ‘90) recently joined High Liner Foods as Chief Supply Chain Officer.

Class of 1992

Suzanne Petroni (MSFS ‘92) Some 32 (!) years after graduating from MSFS, Alia Ghandour and Suzanne (Freedman) Petroni still enjoy seeing each other on the slopes every winter. Keeping those relations real (if not international)!

Blair M Gray (MSFS ‘92) has been in northern Virginia since summer 2023 after finishing up a posting in Libreville, Gabon. He’ll be retiring this coming May, and will transition to the "trailing spouse " role and accompany his wife on her assignment to Toronto this coming summer. He is looking forward to this new chapter and looks forward to catching up with classmates! Cheers!

Nikolas K. Gvosdev (MSFS ‘92) has taken over the National Security studies program for the Foreign Policy Research Institute.

Robin Busse (MSFS ‘92) joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1999 after working in Small and Medium Enterprise Development for German bilateral technical cooperation programs and the EU in Georgia, Ukraine, and Bulgaria. He will be Chief of the Consular Section at the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico starting October 2024. He is currently Nonimmigrant Visa Chief at the U.S. Consulate in São Paulo, Brazil.

Class of 1993

Letitia “Tish” King (MSFS ‘93) was just named Head of Corporate Communications for United Educators, an insurance company owned by and exclusively serving schools, colleges and universities. It’s been invigorating to join a new industry serving education and be a part of a diverse, inclusive workplace.

Bill Watts (MSFS ‘93) kids are all in college or done. Still living in DC (Falls Churchcome visit)! He is still doing consulting and financial advisory for international clients, but independently for the last year.

Class of 1994

Michael Chadwick (MSFS ‘94) will be headed to Karachi, Pakistan, this summer for a one-year assignment as Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Consulate General.

Class of 1995

Class of 1997

Urasa Pramoj Na Ayudhya (MSFS ‘94) is currently serving as Ambassador of Thailand to Poland at the Royal Thai Embassy in Warsaw.

Cheryl (Powell) Fischer (MSFS ‘95) is the host of the OMG Teach Me podcast, started in 2023. As an international trainer in the airline industry and an entrepreneur, she has learned so many mindset, success, and healthy living principles that she had never been exposed to before. It became a passion of hers to share those ideas with others. Cheryl releases two episodes a week and has interviewed experts on the topics of self talk, burnout, weight loss, money mindset, and more. OMG Teach Me is on all major podcast apps.

Joshua Archibald (MSFS ‘97) moved to Saudi Arabia with Amy Archibald (Wisgerhof, MSFS '99) and family to take jobs at the U.S. Embassy as the Political-Military and Economic Counselors, aka Guns and Butter. Riyadh is rapidly changing but is not quite as green as Arlington.

Class of 1998

Class of 1999

Joaquin Tasso Vilallonga (MSFS ‘98) is currently living in Lomé serving as European Union ambassador to Togo.

Robert Donovan (MSFS ‘99) accepted the role of Chief Compliance Officer with BitPay, the leading global crypto payments platform, in February 2024.

Margaret Enis Spears (MSFS ‘99) completed 4 years in Amman as Deputy Director of USAID in Jordan in August 2023, and moved back to Takoma Park, MD, with her husband John and two children, Michael (age 14, 9th grade) and Laura (age 12, 6th grade). Margaret is now Deputy Assistant Administrator in USAID's Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean. She looks forward to reconnecting with MSFS alumni back in the DC area.

Priya Madan Brooke (MSFS ‘99) Priya and Ed Brooke (MSFS 1999) live in Princeton, NJ, with their daughter, Maya. Ed works at the Federal Reserve Bank of NY, and Priya in the pharmaceutical sector. They recently visited Mark Schroeder (MSFS 1994) at his beach home in Las Terrenas (Dominican Republic). A wonderful reunion with “Uncle Mark.”

Kevin G. Ritz (MSFS ‘99) was nominated for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. He served as the United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee since 2022. From 2005 to 2022, Mr. Ritz worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee, where he served as Appellate Chief from 2018 to 2022, Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney from 2011 to 2022, and Criminal Appellate Chief from 2010 to 2018.

Class of 2000

Class of 2002

Daniel Kuo-ching Chen (MSFS ‘00) is Director General, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Seattle.

Class of 2003

Mateo Dunne (MSFS ‘02) After many years with the U.S. Government, he joined a law firm, Whitcomb Selinsky, where he focused on government contracting and international trade law. Meanwhile, he was elected in November 2023 to represent the Mount Vernon District on the School Board in Fairfax County, Virginia, which is one of the largest public school systems in the United States. He is working with his colleagues to ensure every child receives a world-class education.

Komal Bazaz Smith (MSFS ‘03) changed jobs relatively recently, became Chief Business Officer at Global Cyber Alliance.

Arturo Pylak (MSFS ‘03) is currently leading Corporate Strategy at Gartner and based out of their Stamford CT office. Also trying to survive with 3 kids 4 and under: Isabella, Lola, and Luke.

Melissa Byrnes (MSFS ‘03) recently published two books: ‘Making Space Neighbors, Officials, and North African Migrants in the Suburbs of Paris and Lyon’ (University of Nebraska Press, France Overseas) and the co-edited ‘Fertility, Family, and Social Welfare between France and Empire: The Colonial Politics of Population’ (Palgrave Macmillan, New Directions in Welfare History).

Class of 2004

Courtney Radsch (MSFS ‘04) joined Open Markets Institute as Director of the Center for Journalism & Liberty, a political economy think tank focused on ensuring fully independent and robustly funded news media in the 21st century digital economy. She has testified before the CA Senate, Canada’s Parliament and briefed policymakers globally on how public policy can support journalism including how tech policy and AI governance shape our information environment and the role of competition and antitrust in pursuing these goals.

Katherine Shamraj (MSFS ‘04) recently wrapped up 18 month tour in Ukraine leading humanitarian assistance program on mental health and women ’ s rights, heading to Addis Ababa with Renew Capital as Head of Programs, Entrepreneurship and Investment. Met a few East Africa based MSFS including Claudia Zambra with the World Bank, Anne Murphy (married name - can’t remember her name before!) with USAID, Chris Carver with State, Zenaida Hernandez with the World Bank. The pic is with Claudia during a whale shark expedition in Tanzania.

Class of 2005

Jin Xiao (MSFS ‘05) recently joined the IFC as a Senior Investment Officer, based in Hong Kong.

Class of 2006

Kazi Islam (MSFS ‘06) says it’d be great to have a Class of 2006 reunion sometime in the near future!

Class of 2007

Chia-Yang Kao, SJ (MSFS ‘06) has been a member of the Jesuit USA East province since 2014 and is to be ordained a priest in the Roman Catholic Church in June 2024. In the fall of 2024, he will start a doctorate in adult learning and leadership at Columbia University's Teachers College.

Nancy Leahy Martin (MSFS ‘07) started working for the City of Portland, Maine, last year, implementing economic development programs. She saw fellow alumna Sarah Hansen Rupert last fall in Boston when she attended an Executive Education course at Harvard Business School. Would love to see other MSFSers that find themselves in the area!

Vijay Rajendran (MSFS ‘07) recently launched an Executive Coaching practice, based in Silicon Valley, focused on leaders in high growth organizations like startup founders, investors, and executives, based on his experience since MSFS as a startup investor, founder, and advisor to technology leaders (www.MyStartupSystem.com).

Karolina Barwinski (MSFS ‘07) is so happy to announce a new addition to the family - baby Ariel Isaac who joined them last January - and the Moonlight Motherhood Etsy shop that she has opened and is building with Astrology, Nature, and Human Design inspired prints, art, and journals for mothers and kids. You can find the link to it on her website www.moonlightmotherhood.com. They’ve also been living just outside of Austin, TX now since Summer of 2022 and would love to connect with any MSFS alums living out here.

Class of 2008

Michelle Cormier (MSFS ‘08) recently joined Banyan Global as the Director of New Business Development. Banyan Global is an international development consulting firm, founded on the principle that integrating expertise and experience from the development community and private sector will achieve a broad and lasting impact. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Banyan Global maintains staff around the world and is a womenowned small business.

Class of 2009

Scott Winton (MSFS ‘09) has been appointed Special Advisor to the VP for Western Hemisphere.

Class of 2010

Class of 2011

Sarah Andely (MSFS ‘10) opened up her company Moyi Arts concept that sells exquisite Congolese arts in the USA.

Gabriel Gough (MSFS ‘11) has taken on a couple new political roles. He was appointed by Governor Wes Moore as Deputy Secretary of the Maryland Democratic Party, and is the Vice Chair of the Veterans and Military Families Council at the DNC.

Class of 2013

Alex Hagelin (MSFS ‘13) joined the Foreign Service in April 2022 and is completing his first political tour in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. Off to Paris in March 2025 for a consular tour with his wife, Leah, and one year old, Desmond. Please reach out if you swing through!

Fernando Heredia Noguer (MSFS ‘13) is currently the Consul General of Spain in Mumbai. In July he’ll go back to Spain.

Peter Billerbeck (MSFS ‘13) enjoys serving as a Senior Professional Staff Member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee's Democratic Staff for the past five years focusing on the Middle East, North Africa, as well as counterterrorism and rights issues. Prior to the Foreign Affairs Committee from 2015-2019 he served as Defense & Foreign Policy Advisor to Rep. Seth Moulton and aide to Sen. Tim Kaine. He fondly remembers his time at MSFS as a Teaching Assistant to the late Sec. Madeleine Albright & in SFS student groups.

Russell Galeti (MSFS ‘13) was promoted to a new role as the Chief of Staff in the Department of State’s Bureau of Arms Control, Deterrence, and Stability in December. Also in December, after 25 years of service in the Ohio Army National Guard, he transferred to the U.S. Army Reserve to begin duties as a Politico-Military Planner in the Joint Staff J5 (Strategy, Plans, and Policy).

James Zimmerman (MSFS ‘13) works at TikTok, where he oversees partnerships with talent agencies. He divides his time between Los Angeles and New York City.

Class of 2014

Kathy Yao (MSFS ‘14) The Foreign Agricultural Service, an awesome organization where a few MSFS alums and her are working at, is recruiting the next generation of FSOs (see the Alumni Career Corner on page 11).

Class of 2019

Ségolène Dufour-Genneson (MSFS ‘14) made it back to Europe from Shanghai mid Covid and is now based in Paris with her 2 year old son Edouard. Great location as she gets to see many classmates come in and out of the city. In 2022 she co-founded a tech company called Arthis, a proprietary AR/XR editor for smartphones, which was launched at CES in January. It's a very exciting space and she is enjoying mixing running a business and being active in policy work to ensure fair and representative policies in Tech.

Tyra Beaman (MSFS ‘19) She and Sofia Economopoulos were recently announced as 2024 Aspen Strategy Group Rising Leaders, following MSFS Alum Esther Im who was a 2023 alum! https://www.aspensecurityforum.org/class-of-2024.

Christian Conroy (MSFS ‘19) has been promoted to Principal Data Scientist at AT&T. This puts him at the forefront of managing teams and projects to integrate GenAI into AT&T internally and externally facing solutions.

Class of 2020

Cristine Pedersen (MSFS ‘20) has departed Tijuana, Mexico and is heading to Islamabad, Pakistan for a year-long tour with the Department of State in April.

Rita Walker (MSFS ‘20) resigned from the UAE Embassy, due to a move from Washington, D.C. to Washington State. She has since landed a new role as the Director of Communications at the Partnership for Learning, the education foundation of the Washington Roundtable in Seattle. The role will allow her to work at the intersection of comms and policy, while shaping the communications of a great org. with a great mission: ensuring that, by 2030, 70% of Washington students will earn a postsecondary credential by age 26.

Mikaela Rear (MSFS ‘20) started a new role as a the National Security Council director for international economics at the White House.

Caroline Lanford-Meek (MSFS ‘20) will serve her second tour as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer in Monterrey, Mexico, beginning this autumn 2024. If you ’ re in the area, say hi and try some carne asada!

Class of 2022

Casey Ling (MSFS ‘22) is currently an Associate Director in the Office of Energy at the US International Development Finance Corporate, and will be getting married this October in Brazil.

Hans Johnson (MSFS ‘22) is open to discuss all things cybersecurity related.

Class of 2023

Guy Kelley (MSFS ‘23) started working at Guidehouse Inc, a consulting firm local to the DMV but with plenty of remote opportunities all over.

John Chappell (MSFS ‘23) passed the DC bar and is working as a human rights lawyer at Center for Civilians in Conflict. He is getting married in September!

Miglé Petrauskaité (MSFS ‘23) May 2023 saw Miglé tossing her grad cap and leaving for Uganda, where she serves as ODI Fellow/Senior Economist at the Ministry of Finance. Not long after, she received an invite to participate in a conference on equitable partnerships in global health, organized by the Uganda National Academy of Sciences. And presiding over this gathering? None other than Christian Acemah (MSFS '08), an MSFS compatriot and plot twist part of the panel that grilled her during oral exams just months prior.

WELCOME NEW JACK!

Last year, Georgetown University's mascot, Jack the Bulldog, passed away after a brief illness. MSFS joins the Georgetown community in welcoming the new Jack to campus!

Follow Jack on Instagram @gujackbulldog

CONNECT WITH US

As always, MSFS is dedicated to our alumni community. In the meantime, be sure to follow us on social media, and join our official LinkedIn group to stay connected with your fellow alumni!

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