Insights from the Field: A Graduate Student Perspective on Starting a Career in International Policy and Development

Come learn from a panel of graduate students at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS) about what it’s like to specifically study IPD. Bring your questions, and be ready for the group to discuss topics like why they attended grad school, what skills are they developing and how they want to use their degree. Open to all students.

Here are the panelists for Wednesday, April 21 at 7 pm EST:

JANE EKLUND is in her fourth and final semester as an International Policy and Development student with a specialization in Conflict Resolution at MIIS. She is currently completing a semester-long internship with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs’ Conventional Arms Branch from her family’s home in New Hampshire. In her spare time, she loves to bake, haunt the aisles of the Walgreens cosmetics section, and play with her dog, Bear.

GALEN GIBIAN (IPD/ITED, Spring ’23) was born, raised, and currently resides in Ithaca, NY. His interest in international studies began in high school, when he traveled to Japan as a Rotary International exchange student from August 2010 – March 2011. He earned his bachelor’s in international relations from the State University of New York at Geneseo, with minors in Economics and Asian Studies. During his undergraduate career, Galen pursued internships with the Foundation for Sustainable Development in Jinja, Uganda, and the Global Entrepreneurship Network in Washington, D.C.

KATHERINE TREAT studies International Policy and Development with concentrations in Evaluation and Analytics and Professional French at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS). Before coming to MIIS, Katherine worked for Road Scholar where she started as a program assistant and ended her time as a program manager of educational travel programs in France. She is also an alumni of the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF), where she taught English to French students, and holds a Bachelor’s in Political Science with a second major in French and Francophone Studies from University of Massachusetts Amherst.

This is the second of four events this spring in a series of events about graduate school. There will be another about graduate programs at MIIS in nonproliferation studies on April 28 and Translation and Localization Management on May 6.

The series is a collaboration between the Center for Careers and Internships, the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs’ Student Advisory Board, the Model UN club at Middlebury, and the Student Council at MIIS.

Experience Summer in Vermont with one of the MiddWorks for Vermont PAID Internships!

Interested in making your mark in Vermont this summer? Experience SUMMER in VERMONT with one of these amazing MiddWorks for Vermont internships. The goal of these internships is for students to gain the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in making lasting change at the local or state level while working to further the mission of the organizations they will be serving.

There are some really wonderful internships posted now and more to come – apply by April 23rd and make an impact in Vermont this summer!

See all MiddWorks Internships

Do you want to utilize your Arabic or Russian language skills in your career? If you do, you should attend these two employer info sessions this week!

Torden is a New England-based professional services firm that provides foreign language solutions to the Federal Government – specifically, the Intelligence Community. Working as members of an integrated Government-Contractor team in support our nation’s National Security, Torden language professionals help protect against threats emanating from our Nation’s adversaries.


Torden language professionals must meet the Government language requirements, as well as be vetted for security clearances. The qualification process can be lengthy, but can also be accomplished while you are completing your degrees.

Torden’s requirements include Russian and Arabic language professionals to support National Level intelligence requirements from U.S.-based facilities. Their employees are a combination of native linguists and graduates from the nation’s top institutions for foreign languages. They will brief you on their current openings, the security process, and what life is like as a Torden professional.

Date: Wednesday, April 14

Time: 6pm-7pm EST

Click here to register in handshake!

Arab-American Business & Professional Association (ABPA) Institute is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing free professional development and internship opportunities to underrepresented groups, minorities, and Arab-American students across the US to boost their participation in civic services, federal agencies, Fortune500 companies, Think-Tanks, and Non-Profits.  

ABPA Institute’s Internship Placement Program (IPP) is an experiential learning program that empowers Arab-American students to integrate theoretical knowledge in their academic curriculum with practical application in a professional setting.  

The goal of ABPA Institute’s IPP is to foster Arab-American students’ professional skills and enable them to benefit from the vast opportunities across the United States.  

ABPA Institute’s IPP is a collaboration among ABPA Institute, a host employer, and the student. The role of ABPA Institute is to facilitate the way for young talents to their best career path within the public or private sector. ABPA Institute’s signature established a robust internship program that placed students within many top organizations including Bureau of Land Management of Dept. Interior, Dept. of State, Middle Eastern Institute, Gulf International Forum, US-UAE Business Council, Dept. Energy, and many more in the recent years.  

Moreover, ABPA Institute helps all Arab-American student applicants with the most critical mentorship services including:  
-Providing students one-on-one advising to prepare their internship application packages  
-Offering individually tailored mentoring services including: how to write a resume & cover letter for Federal internship positions and how to succeed in job interviews  
-Providing editing services such as: feedback on applicants’ cover letter, resume, and writing samples  
They offer paid/unpaid or academic credit, depending on ABPA Institute’s agreement with the host employer.  

Join. Connect. Grow. Arab-American Business and Professional Association (ABPA) is a Non-Profit organization. ABPA strives to promote networking and professional opportunities Arab-Americans, African Americans, Asians, Pacific Islanders and Native Americans, Hispanics, Veterans, and individuals with disabilities.

Date: Friday, April 16

Time: 12:00pm – 1:00 pm EST

Click here to register in handshake!

Climate Action Fellowship is Hiring their Second Cohort

With its launch in the Fall of 2020, the Climate Action Fellowship program offers students from various backgrounds and disciplines the opportunity to deeply engage in collaborative thinking and skill development on how to confront the climate crisis in meaningful ways. Fellows work together (and with partners and mentors) to identify their own roles and theories of change while supporting the engaged learning pillar of Energy2028. They coordinate with groups on campus and in the community through a mix of defined projects and projects of their own design to envision pathways for all students to leave Middlebury with the knowledge, motivation, and capacity to act on climate change in just and equitable ways.

Applications are open March 15 – April 25th 2021 for the second cohort!

Click HERE for more details about the 2021-2022 Fellowship

APPLY NOW!

Sustainability Solutions Lab is Hiring

The Sustainability Solutions Lab (SSL) is a program through the Office of Sustainability Integration. The SSL, located in the Franklin Environmental Center at Hillcrest, provides our community with resources, information and support to carry out sustainability-related projects on campus dealing typically with waste, energy and transportation. The SSL employs student interns who work either during the regular fall and spring semesters or intensively over the summer and Winter Term. This opportunity is a great way to gain skills and experience doing project-based consulting work while being a full-time student.

We are hiring summer interns! Read more and apply here by 5pm on Sunday, April 18th 2021.

You can read about what it’s like to be a part of the SSL on the SSL Blog. Currently, the SSL is playing a major role in meeting the goals of Energy2028. Contact Eva Fillion (efillion@middlebury.edu) if you have any questions.

Solve Climate by 2030 – Vermont panel

Tuesday, April 13 , 7:00p ET
Register for webinar here to receive Zoom link  

Tune in to this webinar hosted by Franklin Environmental Center at Hillcrest on behalf of “Solve Climate By 2030,” a global teach-in designed to accelerate local solutions to climate change. The Vermont webinar is open to the public and is one of over 100 events in fifty countries, including 47 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. It will feature the work of Middlebury students and their community partners in an environmental studies course for seniors who collaborate with local organizations to address current sustainability issues in the region and elsewhere.

“Vermont farmers, educators, brewers, manufacturers, healthcare providers, policymakers, families, and individuals are all equal members of the Vermont community,” said Kate Holly ’21, an environmental studies major taking the course this spring and a member of the webinar’s three-person panel. “We can act on the individual level, as I believe we all should, but we should also be looking to take action together as a community. There is hope in this unified action.”

The Vermont panel, which will be moderated by Jonathan Isham, Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies, is scheduled to include:
•    Johanna Miller, Energy and Climate Program Director, the Vermont Natural Resources Council 
•    Cara Robechek, Network Manager, the Energy Action Network 
•    Kate Holly ‘21, Middlebury College student and Sustainability Consultant and Writer, Middlebury College

The panelists will offer their perspectives on pursuing a just and sustainable energy transition in Vermont, presenting three ongoing class projects designed to support a diverse climate-economy workforce, affordable clean-energy methods of transportation for low-income households, and zero-net energy housing for migrant workers on dairy farms. Registered participants will have the opportunity to ask questions during the webinar, which will be recorded for public use by Vermont educators and others.

Celebrate Earth Week @ Middlebury: 4/19-23

How do we build a just and equitable future at Middlebury as we address the climate crisis? How might Energy2028 play a part in that? What should we consider in the future? We are thrilled to have the chance to dive into these ideas and many others during a series of Earth Week Energy2028 events planned for April 19-23, and we invite students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members to join in the conversation! These events will serve to help us understand how Middlebury College has approached climate priorities and the paths we should consider going forward. 

  • Monday, April 19, 5pm: a discussion of our past and how we arrived at Energy2028 featuring Middlebury College President Laurie Patton, Provost Jeff Cason, Schumann Distinguished Scholar Bill McKibben, 350.org co-founder Phil Aroneanu ‘06.5, students, and others.
  • Wednesday, April 21, 5pm: a discussion of our present—our progress, priorities, and challenges in implementing Energy2028 to date, especially as we seek to integrate justice in our work and navigate COVID-19. This panel will highlight work from across campus.
  • Friday, April 23: open-ended facilitated discussion sessions will consider our future, both between now and 2028 and beyond. 
    • 10:00 am: Educational Integration (SIGN UP)
    • 11:00 am: Integrating Justice into Energy2028 (SIGN UP)
    • 12:00 pm: Building a just climate community between the region and the college (SIGN UP)
    • 1:00 pm: What happens after 2028 and how should we get there? (SIGN UP)