Welcoming 29 Higher Ed Professionals to 2024 APSIA Advisor Workshop in Durham

Welcoming 29 Higher Ed Professionals to 2024 APSIA Advisor Workshop in Durham

On Friday, September 20, 2024, APSIA and Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy welcomed 29 community college and undergraduate advisors from nine institutions to the 2024 APSIA Advisor Workshop in Durham, North Carolina. 

To begin, Nadia Chamberlin, Assistant Dean of Career Services & Professional Development at the Sanford School, and Manoj Mohanan, Sanford School Dean, welcomed everyone and shared their enthusiasm about gathering colleagues from across North Carolina’s Research Triangle and beyond.

Nadia Chamberlin then invited Will Guzmán, Assistant Vice Chancellor of International Programs and Community Engagement at North Carolina Central University, to moderate the alumni panel on career journeys and possibilities. Speakers Brianna Clarke-Schwelm, Executive Director of North Carolina Global Health Alliance, Caitlin Jones, Senior Climate and Energy Resilience Analyst at Concurrent Technologies Corporation (George Washington Univ. ESIA Alumna),  Medina Korda Poole, Director of Program Design and Implementation for RTI International’s International Education Division, and Stephanie Hutchison, the US Department of State’s Diplomat in Residence for the Mid-Atlantic region, emphasized that there is no singular path to a career in public and international service. Students should focus on mastering key skills and transferable competencies such as collaboration, quantitative analysis, and communication. 

After the career panel, advisors heard from Cullen Newton, Director of Employer Outreach at Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, Meggie Romick, Graduate Academic Advisor Coordinator at North Carolina State University School of Public and International Affairs, and Thomas Welch, Director of Financial Aid at the Sanford School. Moderated by Melissa McGinnis, the Sanford School’s Director of Master of Public Policy Admissions, the panelists discussed key factors that prospective graduate students should consider when comparing graduate programs and mapping financial aid. They provided an overview of advanced degrees in public administration, policy, and international relations while highlighting common career roadmaps for each degree type. The panelists also highlighted financial aid options, tuition reduction benefits, pipeline fellowships and other opportunities as ways to make graduate education more affordable and prepare students for success down the line.

After lunch, advisors reconvened for a final panel moderated by Abdullah Antepli, Professor of the Practice and Director of the Sanford School’s Center for Politics. Looking at how advisors can connect their global-minded students with regional opportunities, panelists Ciara Coughlin, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Manager at RTI International (Duke Univ. Sanford School Alumna), Tobin Freid, Sustainability Manager for the Durham County Government, and Laura Morrison, Senior Economist at RTI International (Duke Univ. Sanford School Alumna), talked about ways students can connect locally with global security, sustainability, and climate change, among other topics. Panelists explained how local issues often have global ripple effects; often, major international challenges like climate change can be driven by local-level policies. Then, panelists spoke about the importance of being flexible and open to enriching opportunities in the early-career stages.

To close out the day, APSIA Constituent Relations Coordinator Britnee Chuor (Univ. of Texas LBJ School Alumna) shared more about the PISA Network and explained the access attendees now have to events and resources for themselves and their students. Learn more at pisanetwork.com

Attendees shared

  • “I am so glad I attended this event. It was very educational for me, and it gave me information to share with others at Martin Community College, and with my students, one of which is my daughter.” (R. Breed, Martin Community College) 
  • “The event was excellent all the way around. Great diversity in the backgrounds of the panelists…” (Z. George, High Point University)
  • “Nice makeup of panelists and audience - was organic but not super formal which made it feel like an approachable workshop.” (E. Grace, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
  • “Excellent panelists with very interesting perspectives. They really appreciated the thoughts + advice from the first panel and found it an excellent, informative day. (Anonymous)
  • “The panelists were all amazing! Loved the topics and great questions.” (K. Bassett, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

Speakers also had positive feedback about the workshop:

  • “It was my sincere pleasure to be a part of the panel. I rarely get to talk about my international relations background and interest plus I always enjoy talking about public service. Thank you for including me,” said Tobin Freid.
  • “Thank you so much for inviting me today. I sincerely enjoyed listening to the first panel and participating in the second! Great group, great questions, always thought provoking,” said Cullen Newton.
  • “Great event and an enlightening discussion,” said Brianna Clarke-Schwelm.
  • “I had a lovely time, and it's always nice to see and mingle with our Triangle counterparts,” said Meggie Romick.

Attendees came from

  • Duke University
  • High Point University
  • Martin Community College
  • North Carolina Central University
  • North Carolina State University
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Wake Forest University
  • Winston-Salem State University