Author: Bergthora Gudbergsdottir evag@miis.edu

Alumnus Peter Evans: Applying Lessons from MIIS in High-Stakes Policy Debates

Bergthora Gudbergsdottir evag@miis.edu Alumni, CNS, Featured, IPS, newsroom, Nonproliferation
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“MIIS Match” Peter Evans and Fumio Evans Miyoshi, with their daughter, “a trilingual third-culture kid!”

When the Assad regime in Syria used chemical weapons against it citizens in the city of Ghouta in August of 2013, Peter Evans (MAIPS ’97) represented the Near East Affairs Bureau of the U.S. State Department’s nonproliferation policy office in the policy discussion of the response. “I applied all that I had learned at MIIS and during my internship at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague, and it positioned me to be on top of the topic from the start.”

Peter was first attracted to the Monterey Institute by the Translation and Interpretation program, but once he realized his language skills were not “that good,” he found that the Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) offered a great fit for his aspiration to work with the federal government. He was in the first class that was offered a certificate in nonproliferation studies in 1997. Right after graduation, his work with CNS and the internship with OPCW helped him “stand out amidst the crowd of job seekers,” and he joined the State Department as a civil servant in the nonproliferation policy office.

In his first ten years in Washington, Peter worked on UNSCOM weapons inspections and the Australia Group export control regime. Over time, his area of focus moved to military policy issues and he was appointed to a five-year commission in the Foreign Service, working in Jerusalem and Riyadh from 2008-2013. He is currently serving as the deputy director for Jordan and Lebanon in Washington, DC, but will soon be going overseas again as he has been approved for a mid-level conversion to the Foreign Service full time. 

“MIIS graduates are everywhere,” Peter shares happily, noting that he has met classmates all around the world. He says MIIS prepared him perfectly for the career of his dreams. But best of all, while in Monterey he fell in love with and married his wife, Fumio (née) Miyoshi (MATI ’97). “Our 9-year old daughter is already a trilingual third-culture kid!”

 

Recommendation from MIIS Alumnus Leads to Transformative Internship

Bergthora Gudbergsdottir evag@miis.edu development, Featured, IPS, newsroom
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Michael Lui (MAIPS ’15) on the job at his summer internship working for the nonprofit organization Global Compassion in Cameroon.

For Michael Lui (MAIPS ’15), his summer internship working for the nonprofit organization Global Compassion in Cameroon was a transformative experience that he hopes to continue to build upon as he completes his degree in International Policy Studies, with a certificate in Conflict Resolution. For two and a half months Michael worked in the rural municipality of Santchou working on a grant proposal to implement a water project. His work involved researching existing wells and water taps, meeting with stakeholders, consulting with water experts and lots of writing.

The internship was exactly the missing piece Michael had been searching for. “I have always been amazed at the breadth of experience many of my fellow students bring to the class,” he shares, adding that he is a “California boy” who is really interested in conflict resolution as it relates to development issues, but before this summer had no experience working in a developing country. “It changes everything,” he says. Despite having studied poverty, development and conflict case studies for many years, he now says he finally understands what issues such as lack of access to potable water really mean.

Michael learned about the internship opportunity through the Center for Advising and Career Services. They in turn heard about it from recent alumnus Mohammed Makhlouf (MAIPS ’13), who had encouraged the president of Global Compassion to hire MIIS students and notified CACS staff of the position. Mohammed is a part of the very active international Monterey Institute alumni network.

Back in Monterey, where he has just started his third semester of studies, Michael has plans to build on his Cameroon experience as part of his class projects. His language of study is French, and during his time in Cameroon he says he was able to greatly improve his language skills. “Being able to talk to people in French really helped me a lot in my job because I was able to communicate directly and establish rapport with people.” Michael admits the experience was not without its challenges, but he learned a lot about himself and the field to which he aspires. “My main take away,” he says earnestly, is that “the world is full of opportunities and we have the ability to make a big difference if we do things right.”

 

Students Participate in UN Negotiations as Members of National Delegations

Bergthora Gudbergsdottir evag@miis.edu Center for Nonproliferation Studies, CNS, newsroom, Nonproliferation, NPTS, Student Life
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MIIS at the UN: (l-r) Benjamin Pack, Thomas Gray, Aoi Sato, Dr. Bill Potter, Andrew Brown, Amanda Moodie and Gaukhar Mukhatzhanova

For generations of Monterey Institute students, the semester-long NPT simulation course has been a life-changing experience.  Led by Dr. Bill Potter, Director of the Institute’s James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS), the class is devoted to a simulation of upcoming negotiations on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, or NPT.  Students prepare for and participate in the simulated negotiations as members of different national delegations, often joined by visiting current or former lead negotiators.  At the 2014 NPT Preparatory Committee Meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York, dozens of Monterey Institute faculty, alumni, staff, and students participated in the official negotiations. 

Current students in the Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies program, Thomas Gray (MANPTS ’15), Benjamin Pack (MANPTS ’14) participated in the negotiations as part of the Chilean delegation, and Andrew Brown (MANPTS ’15) as part of the U.S. delegation.  Dr. Potter himself also served as technical advisor to the Kyrgyz delegation and in total, MIIS/CNS alumni and current students and staff accounted for 20 delegates from 13 nations and 2 international organizations.

“First, I learned that international diplomacy moves at a glacial pace,” says Thomas Gray, describing his experience at UN.  “After the simulation class, I was ready to discuss the issues and the national positions, but I was not ready for how slowly everything moves in the real world, compared to how fast the simulation seemed. Secondly, and I think more importantly, I realized that the ‘MIIS mafia’ is real. It was great to make those connections, not only in terms of networking, but also in reminding me that MIIS people do go on to some really awesome jobs after graduation.” 

In this week’s edition of The MIIS Experience in 60 Seconds, Thomas talks about Dr. Potter’s simulation class. 

Celebrating Outstanding Alumni: The MIIS 2014 Alumni Achievement Awardees

Bergthora Gudbergsdottir evag@miis.edu Alumni, newsroom
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Vladimir Cernavskis and Jennifer Ullman on the steps of the Alumni Office in Simoneau House before a celebration in their honor on May 16.  Ed Brzytwa was not able to attend Commencement this year.

This spring marks the third consecutive year of alumni, staff, faculty and friends nominating outstanding alumni for a trio of awards that acknowledge professional success, service, and other values important to the Institute. The Alumni Achievement Awards Review Committee, comprised of the provost, deans, student council representative, alumni relations director, one alumni influencer, and one faculty member met in February to review the numerous deserving nominations. After careful consideration and deliberation, the committee announced the following 2014 award recipients:

Distinguished Alumni Award: Mr. Ed Brzytwa, MACD ’03

Young Alumni Achievement Award:  Mr. Vladimir Cernavskis, MAIPS ’04

Alumni Volunteer Service Award: Ms. Jennifer Ullman, MAIPS ’93 

The 2014 Alumni Achievement Awards were presented during Spring Commencement as a way to acknowledge the many achievements of our alumni, and to demonstrate that our alumni truly live the motto of “Be the Solution.” While Ed was not able to attend Commencement, due to a commitment with a trade delegation negotiation in China, we happily celebrated Vladimir and Jennifer’s professional success and volunteer service to the Institute. Ed will receive his award later this year in Washington, DC.

For details about each awardee, check out their stories at alumni.miis.edu, and please mark your calendars for the 2015 award cycle in January—your nominations of our outstanding alumni are critical to the success of this program!

Monterey Mayor Commends Team of MIIS MBA Students for Excellent Consulting Work

Bergthora Gudbergsdottir evag@miis.edu Business, International Business, MBA, newsroom
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Team members (l-r) Henry Webbe, Whitney Hales, Alex Dennis, Charley Ruegger and Mary Vargo.

City of Monterey Mayor Chuck Della Sala has issued a letter of commendation to each member of the Golden State Theatre International Business Plan team.  In his letter, Mayor Della Sala writes: “We have worked with a number of consultants over the years on a wide array of topics. The work your team provided rivaled, if not excelled, those professional consultants.”

The team consisted of five students in the Masters of Business Administration (MBA) program, Whitney Hales (MBA/MAIEP ’14), Mary Vargo (MBA ’14), Charles Ruegger (MBA ’14), Alexander Dennis (MBA/MAIEP ’14), and Henry Scotson Webbe (MBA ’14).  The project for the City of Monterey involved consultation regarding the future of the historic Golden State Theater in downtown Monterey.  The team investigated different uses of the theatre and assessed impact on community development, economic benefit, and financial viability. Instead of presenting the city officials with a set of strategic recommendations of the optimal use scenarios, the team also provided an easy-to-use spreadsheet tool that would allow the city officials to experiment with different mix of objectives and discover associated optimal use scenarios.

Spring Commencement: Celebrating Achievements of 278 Graduates from 40 Countries

Bergthora Gudbergsdottir evag@miis.edu careers, Featured, MBA, newsroom
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Spring Commencement at MIIS, held on Saturday, May 17th 2014 at the historic Colton Hall lawn. 

Under sunny skies on Colton Hall lawn, 278 students from 40 countries received their degrees from the Monterey Institute of International Studies on Saturday afternoon.  Friends and family members gathered from near and far to celebrate their achievements, providing cheers and laughter in competition with the barks of sea lions and calls of seabirds, the daily soundtrack of downtown Monterey.

Commencement speaker and honorary degree recipient David A. Jones, co-founder of Humana, Inc. and a longtime MIIS board member, called language acquisition “the essential gateway to cultural understanding,” and urged the graduates to “be adventurous, be willing to take some risks.”

Former U.S. Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana, who serves on the advisory board of the Institute’s James Martin for Nonproliferation Studies at MIIS, received an honorary degree as well. Also honored at the ceremony were Middlebury trustee emerita and alumna Betty Jones, and longtime MIIS board members Beverly Hamilton and Stephen McDonald.

Student speaker Charles Ruegger, who received his Master’s in Business Administration, highlighted the diversity of the relatively small student body.  “It helps you to see what life is like on the other side of the fence,” said Ruegger adding, “It can really open your eyes.” Prefacing Jones and Ruegger’s comments, the processional featured flag-bearers representing each of the 40 home countries of students in the graduating class, led by bagpiper (and Russian professor) Mike Gillen in full Scottish regalia.

 

 

Sustainable GeoDome to Serve as Hub of Activities for Earth Week, TEDxMonterey

Bergthora Gudbergsdottir evag@miis.edu Featured, newsroom
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The GeoDome takes shape behind the Admissions building on April 19, 2014.

TEDxMonterey “Edges” and Earth Week 2014 at the Monterey Institute both unofficially kicked off on Saturday with the construction of a GeoDome that will house numerous activities during the week ahead. Earth Week is a five-day long event featuring debates, presentations, workshops and activities focused on different environmental issues each day. TEDxMonterey, now in its fifth year at the Institute, is a full day celebration of ideas worth spreading with a diverse group of speakers addressing everything from life on other planets to the origins of creativity.

The GeoDome is a 30-foot diameter geodesic dome with 750 square feet of usable interior space, constructed entirely of sustainable materials. Created by The Eco-Infinity Group of Pacific Grove, the GeoDome features flooring made from recycled rubber tires, chandeliers created from recycled six-pack rings, inflatable sofas made from recycled materials, post-consumer recycled cardboard benches, bio-ethanol fireplaces and a 1500-watt solar energy system providing power. 

The GeoDome will function as the hub for activities associated with both Earth Week and TEDxMonterey during the week of April 21, transforming a parking lot into a learning space. 

4/18: Renowned Political Scientist Francis Fukuyama to Give Public Lecture at MIIS

Bergthora Gudbergsdottir evag@miis.edu Featured, newsroom, trade
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Dr. Francis Fukuyama.

On Friday, April 18 the internationally renowned political scientist and economist Francis Fukuyama will give a public lecture in the Monterey Institute’s Irvine Auditorium. Dr. Fukuyama is the latest in an exceptional line of highly respected and influential speakers to address some of the world’s most pressing and challenging issues as part of this semester’s Spring Colloquium dedicated to economic diplomacy and statecraft. 

Francis Fukuyama is the Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at Stanford’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI).  He has written widely on issues in development and international politics but is perhaps best known for his influential 1992 book The End of History and the Last Man declaring the triumph of liberal democracy and arrival of a post-ideological world. His most recent book, The Origins of Political Order was published in 2011 and the companion volume Political Order and Political Decay will be published later this year.

Dr. Fukuyama’s lecture at MIIS will be titled “Economic Diplomacy and Global Governance in a Multi-polar World,” and it will be followed with a session for questions and answers. The lecture begins at 6 p.m. in the Irvine Auditorium at 499 Pierce Street in Monterey, and is free and open to the public.

MIIS Students Have “Eye-Opening” Experience on Spring Trip to Shanghai Free Trade Zone

Bergthora Gudbergsdottir evag@miis.edu Featured, IPS, MBA, newsroom, trade
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Professors Li Juan Zhang (seated, 2nd from left) and Robert Rogowsky (seated, far right) with MIIS students and local hosts in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone.

Last fall, Professors Robert Rogowsky and Li Juan Zhang designed an immersive learning course to give Monterey Institute students the opportunity to experience first hand the real-world issues, impacts and policy implications of the Shanghai Free Trade Zone (FTZ). Fifteen students then joined them for a week-long trip to China over the March Spring Break, where they visited the Shanghai FTZ, met local policy makers, and learned from guest lectures by industry professionals and scholars. Students also had the opportunity to meet with faculty and students from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics and work with them.

Abdel K. Seck (MAIPS ‘13) calls the trip “a lifetime opportunity” because of the valueless amount of learning it offered him. Minnie Patnick (MBA/MAIPS ‘15) is especially grateful to her professors for organizing such an enriching experience filled with amazing site visits and “phenomenal” lectures. Like many graduate students, Haiben Ren (MAIPS ‘14) is focused on career opportunities and says that it was great to meet so many important people in the Shanghai FTZ, “where potential job positions are from in the future.” All of the students spoke of the importance of well-designed immersive learning opportunities, to put what they learn in the classroom into perspective, and to deepen their understanding of the issues they will face as professionals.

 

MIIS Alumni Find Dream Jobs Come with Familiar Faces – Fellow MIIS Alumni

Bergthora Gudbergsdottir evag@miis.edu Alumni, careers, Featured, newsroom
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Thailand alumni – all part of the diplomatic corps — and their families gathered for a group photo.

A story we posted last year about alumni from the same era working at the U.S. Embassy in Turkey seems to have started a trend, spurring a flurry of e-mails from groups of MIIS alumni working closely together around the world!

Christine Carlson-Ajlani (MPA ’13) wrote to tell us about what she calls “the MIIS enclave” at the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking (OCFT) in the International Labor Affairs Bureau. After serving in the Peace Corps in Morocco as part of her MIIS Peace Corps Master’s International degree, Christine landed her “dream job” last year.

Christine attributes her success directly to the skills she learned in the Peace Corps and the instruction of professors Edgard Coly and Beryl Levinger. She recently helped secure a $5 million grant to combat child labor in Morocco and will be travelling back there to help create their monitoring and evaluation plan. When she arrived at her new job, she discovered that two out of 45 new colleagues also graduated from MIIS: Rachel Rigby (MBA ’03) and Lorena Davalos (MAIPS ’05).

A competitive fellowship program specifically designed to hire MBA graduates brought Rachel to the Department of Labor in her last year at MIIS; Lorena brought experience from working on youth employment issues in Brazil to the job. All three are tireless advocates of reducing child labor and forced labor around the world. As Christine says, “It’s pretty great working across the street from the Capitol Building in the heart of international policy making in D.C., especially with two other talented colleagues from MIIS!” 

Four classmates working in three different embassies in neighboring countries recently got together in Bangkok, Thailand. The hosts, Jennifer Green Matlock (MAIPS ’02) and her husband Dean Matlack (MPA ’01), both work at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok. Yekta Noyan (MAIPS ’02) works for the Turkish Embassy in the same city. Their friend Darby Parliament (MAIPS ’03), who works at the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, also flew over from Malaysia with his wife Adanys.

Another MIIS get-together was held in Berlin recently, when Lara (Tozawa) Sullivan (MAIPS ’02) and John Kastning (MATI ’05), who both work at the U.S. Embassy, met up with fellow MIIS alumna Nicola Kim (MAIPS ’05), who works in the Canadian Embassy.

For more stories from the Communiqué, check out our latest edition online.