A Vast Network for Humanitarian Experience

The World Food Programme is one of several global humanitarian organizations that have provided internships and, in many cases, career launchpads, for Maxwell students.

Julia (Schulteis) Bernard ’14, interned as a consultant with Unicef’s Corporate Social Responsibility Office in Geneva, Switzerland, while working toward a master of arts in international relations (M.A.I.R.). Integral in helping her secure the position was Werner Schleiffer, who, like Catherine Bertini, enjoyed a career with the World Food Programme before serving as director for Syracuse University’s Geneva Summer Program for seven years.

Bernard is now a partnerships specialist with the organization and has helped cultivate a relationship with Maxwell to create further opportunities for graduate students.

Similarly, alumnus Beau Miller ’10 M.A.I.R. has created a pipeline for students with the humanitarian organization he co-founded, Aythos. One of the beneficiaries is Rachel Penner ’16 M.A.I.R., who joined Aythos as an intern helping in earthquake recovery and relief in Nepal. Penner now serves as Aythos’ U.S. board vice president.

“These capstone projects are a core part of our M.P.A. curriculum. Clients, including NEF, USAID, the Gates Foundation and other organizations report the work produced by the teams is on par with what consultants produce for $10,000 or more.”

Still other global experiential opportunities are fostered by faculty members like John McPeak, professor of public administration and international affairs. He has developed a connection with the Syracuse headquartered humanitarian organization, the Near East Foundation (NEF). Since 2010 he has helped to provide capstone projects for students in the master’s in public administration program.

“Over the years, M.P.A. student teams have worked on different NEF projects,” he says. “The past few years, we have been working with them on Siraj centers, which are training centers to support livelihoods.”

This summer, a team of students is helping the NEF with natural resource management programming in the form of climate smart agriculture, adds McPeak.

“These capstone projects are a core part of our M.P.A. curriculum,” he says. “Clients, including NEF, U.S. Agency for International Development, the Gates Foundation and other organizations report the work produced by the teams is on par with what consultants produce for $10,000 or more.”

What’s more, he says: “The students have expressed enthusiasm for the practical experience and connections they make through these projects.”

—Jessica Youngman

—John McPeak

continued from page 19 time a fellow World Food Programme alumnus joined the faculty as a professor of practice. Masood Hyder joined public administration and international affairs in 2017 and offers courses on humanitarian action, food security, the U.N. and development aid, no doubt pulling from his experiences providing aid to places like Sudan, Bangladesh, North Korea, Iran, Indonesia and Djibouti.

“Masood brings a depth of field experience, human understanding, and a history of creative and compassionate leadership to his classes,” says Bertini. “We are so fortunate that the WFP legacy continues on the Maxwell faculty.”

Bertini has maintained the Maxwell connection, continuing to teach part-time. A signature class: A week-long intersession in which students get an up-close look at the inner workings of the U.N. in New York City.