Course Description:
Classes will be held Wednesday, 3:00-6:00 p.m., Susquehanna Hall - SQH 2120.
The fall seminar course will examine water challenges and health threats, the major actors as well as mechanisms and initiatives involved in responding, and the factors that governments need to consider as they develop global water and health strategies. Water scarcity, poor water quality and inadequate sanitation negatively impact food security, health, and livelihood for families across the world. Water and sanitation related diseases remain among the major causes of death in children under five. The inter-connectedness between water and health, energy, food security, ecosystems, and climate change makes water a key foundation for achieving country-level sustainable development goals. Infectious disease outbreaks and other global health emergencies also pose threats not only to human health but to broader social, economic and political goals. The goal of building capacities to prevent, detect, and respond to a range of infectious disease outbreaks has emerged as a major global objective. The speed with which disease travels in today’s inter-connected world and the rapidity with which health care capabilities can be overwhelmed often require coordinated response efforts by multiple actors to combat such outbreaks. The course will also feature guest lecturers from Washington’s national and international policymaking, think tank, and NGO communities.
Please note that this course is cross-listed as HNUH398T.
Professor Descriptions:
Winston Yu, PhD., Senior Water Resources Specialist at the World Bank, Senior Advisor to the Director General at the International Water Management Institute.
Dr. Winston Yu has extensive experience working on technical and institutional problems in the water sector and has carried out several investment projects in a variety of developing countries (e.g. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Ethiopia, Ukraine, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Poland). His special interests include river basin management, hydrologic modeling, flood forecasting and management, groundwater hydrogeology, international rivers and transboundary issues, irrigation modernization, and adaptation to climate change. Prior to joining the World Bank he was a Senior Researcher at the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) working on water and climate change studies for river basins in China and California. He also served as a Science Officer at the US Department of State through the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellowship. He is currently serving as a technical member of the Water and Society Committee of the American Geophysical Union and serving on the Technical Committee of the Global Water Partnership. Dr. Yu is currently also an Adjunct Professor at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University where he teaches a course on international water issues in development. Dr. Winston Yu holds a PhD and MS in environmental science and engineering from Harvard University, and bachelor’s degrees in engineering and in economics (Wharton School) from the University of Pennsylvania.
Jonathan Margolis, Ph.D., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Science, Space and Health, Department of State’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs.
Dr. Jonathan Margolis, a career member of the Senior Executive Service, serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Science, Space and Health in the Department of State’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. In this position, he is responsible for policies and programs in the areas of International Health and Biodefense, International Science & Technology Cooperation, and Space & Advanced Technologies. As supervisor of the Office of International Health and Biodefense, Dr. Margolis and his team are responsible for the Department's Global Health Security work and for its response efforts for infectious disease outbreaks around the world. Margolis also served as the U.S. Government's lead for negotiating the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework through the World Health Organization. Dr. Margolis has also served as the Department’s Special Representative for Sustainable Development and as the Director of the Office of Policy Coordination and Initiatives in the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. In his capacity as Special Representative, he headed the U.S. Delegation to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. He also served as a member of international science and technology boards and sustainability partnerships. Dr. Margolis joined the Department of State in 1991 as an American Association for Advancement of Science Diplomacy Fellow and was integrally involved in water, environment, and economic issues and programs as part of the multilateral track of the Middle East peace process through 1996. During that time he also served as the Division Chief for the Middle East and Asia in the Office of Science and Technology Cooperation. Dr. Margolis has a Ph.D. from Harvard University in psychology and a Master's Degree from the Fletcher School of International Law and Diplomacy. His undergraduate degree is in Fine Arts from Harvard College.
Course Information:
Classes will be held Wednesday, 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., A. James Clark Hall - AJC 2134.
The fall seminar course will examine global issues and responses primarily from the perspective of the practitioner, as a means of providing students with practical insight into the challenges and crises that exist worldwide. The focus will be on a range of social, humanitarian, and human rights issues set in different global contexts. Class topics may include humanitarian assistance and international humanitarian law, refugees and vulnerable populations, human rights, global health, environmental and human security policy, the role of Congress and the Executive branch, U.S. and U.N. relations, and good governance initiatives. The class will utilize public institution publications and government documents, as well as academic literature, in the readings. Practitioners with experience in the field will share their knowledge and expertise with students and participate in class discussions. Class attendance and active participation is crucial to the course. The guest speakers, representing different organizations, will provide students with a better understanding of the range of possible responses to global challenges. This seminar will also focus on the practical knowledge needed for careers in the international arena.
Please note that this course is cross-listed as HNUH388T.
Professor Description
Rhoda Margesson, Ph.D., Specialist in International Humanitarian Policy in the Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division at the Congressional Research Service
Dr. Rhoda Margesson works as a Specialist in International Humanitarian Policy in the Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division at the Congressional Research Service (CRS). She conducts research and policy analysis on international organizations and global issues, with a focus on humanitarian assistance and intervention, disaster relief, displaced populations, and some aspects of human rights. As a member of the United Kingdom delegation with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Union, she serves as an election observer. Previously, she was an Associate with Harvard’s Program on International Conflict Analysis and Resolution and worked in the conflict resolution field on both domestic and international projects. Dr. Margesson has also held research and teaching fellow positions at both the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Dr. Margesson earned a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy and a Ph.D. from the Fletcher School, a Graduate School of International Affairs at Tufts University.
Course Information:
Class will be held Wednesday, 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Susquehanna Hall - SQH 1101.
This course will explore the nexus of foreign policy/diplomacy with specific science and technology sectors including energy and climate change, health, infrastructure, and economic development/poverty reduction. Solutions to today’s global challenges will rely on developments in science and technology. Developing countries are investing heavily in their science and technology infrastructure. The United States and many other countries view science and technology as the means to achieve economic goals and to ensure the well-being of their populations. As a result, the linkages between foreign policy and science and technology have never been stronger. Science Diplomacy integrates the foreign policy and scientific and technological communities. The U.S. incorporates scientific and technological knowledge into our diplomacy to help ensure that our policies are technically sound, programmatically viable, and politically feasible. Students, through expert speakers, presentations, readings, and negotiation exercises, will explore the critical roles scientific knowledge and technological innovation play in the formation and implementation of foreign policy issues. A strong focus of the course is the development of memo writing, oral presentation, and negotiation skills, culminating in a final, capstone negotiation simulation.
Please note that this course is cross-listed as HNUH378T.
Professor Description:
Jonathan Margolis, Ph.D., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Science, Space, and Health, Department of State’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs.
Dr. Jonathan Margolis, a career member of the Senior Executive Service, serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Science, Space, and Health in the Department of State’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. In this position, he is responsible for policies and programs in the areas of International Science & Technology Cooperation, Space & Advanced Technologies, and International Health and Biodefense. From 2007-2011, Dr. Margolis served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Global Communications in the Bureau of International Information Programs. Dr. Margolis oversaw the Bureau’s internet, video and print products, including social media. From 2006-2007, Dr. Margolis served as the Senior Coordinator for Global and Functional Issues in the Office of the Director of Foreign Assistance, where he oversaw reform efforts to ensure effective use of foreign assistance resources, through strategic planning and transparent performance measures. From 1997-2006, Dr. Margolis served as the Department's Special Representative for Sustainable Development and as the Director of the Office of Policy Coordination and Initiatives in the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. As Special Representative, he headed the U.S. Delegation to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. Margolis joined the State Department in 1991 as a American Association for Advancement of Science Diplomacy Fellow and was integrally involved in environment, water, and economic issues and programs, as part of the multilateral track of the Middle East peace process through 1996. During that time he served as the Division Chief for the Middle East and Asia in the Office of Science and Technology Cooperation. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor at American University and the Foreign Service Institute, where he conducted courses on environmental policy, negotiations, and international organizations. Jonathan Margolis has a Ph.D. from Harvard University in psychology, focusing on negotiation and conflict resolution. He holds a Master's Degree from the Fletcher School of International Law and Diplomacy. His undergraduate degree is in Fine Arts from Harvard College.
Griffin M. Thompson, Ph.D., Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Transformation, Bureau of Energy Resources, U.S. Department of State.
Dr. Griffin Thompson is responsible for guiding the Bureau's work on energy transformation, leveraging U.S. leadership in clean energy innovation to open markets for U.S. companies abroad by promoting market-based policies and the introduction of advanced and efficient clean energy technologies. Before joining the Bureau ofd Energy Resources, Dr. Thompson was a Senior Climate Program Manager where he represented the Bureau on energy matters regarding the environmental impacts of energy production and use, with primary emphasis on the intersection between energy and climate change. Dr. Thompson also served as the U.S. Government lead negotiator on Technology within the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and was responsible for overseeing the planning, designing and implementation of the Department’s energy and climate project portfolio. He also facilitated the strategic development of the programs, generating the substantive policy, technical and budgetary rationale for the programs, and managing the implementation of the project portfolio: clean energy, adaptation, and sustainable landscapes. Before coming to the State Department, Dr. Thompson served as Director of the Office of Energy at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and before that, as Senior Policy Analyst at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Thompson has a Ph.D. in Political Philosophy from Georgetown University and a B.A. in English from Gonzaga University.
Course Information:
Class will be held Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Edward St. John Building - ESJ 1309.
The fall seminar course will examine how U.S. foreign policy is formulated and executed in a contemporary context. The course will first look at the ideological perspectives and cognitive biases that tend to shape how U.S policymakers view and approach diplomatic challenges and opportunities. It will then look at the range of tools that U.S. decision-makers have at their disposal to approach these challenges and opportunities. The course will then examine the context and process through which decisions about specific foreign policy objectives are set and actions are implemented. Throughout the course the emphasis will be on practical understanding and appreciation of how U.S. diplomacy is formulated and pursued. Team-taught by a U.S. foreign and defense affairs specialist and a Foreign Service Officer, the course will seek to build practical skills of students for potential applications in internships and professional experiences in the international arena. As such, the course will emphasize practical writing, professional presentation, and policy analysis, including through an interagency simulation. The course will also feature guest lecturers from Washington’s international policymaking, think tank, media, and NGO communities.
Please note that this course is cross-listed as HNUH368T.
Professor Description:
Chip Usher, M.S., Senior Manager, Central Intelligence Agency
Chip Usher is a senior manager with CIA's Near East Mission Center. A 26-year veteran, he has held a variety of leadership assignments overseeing CIA's intelligence analysis work on the Middle East and Northeast Asia, supporting four U.S. Presidents. His teams provided all-source assessments to senior U.S. policymakers on Iraq during the so-called "surge" in 2007-09, Libya during the 2011 attack on the U.S. diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Syria at the outbreak of the civil war, and Lebanon and the Persian Gulf. He has served overseas on two occasions, in Tokyo and Tel Aviv and was Executive Assistant to the Director for Intelligence. Usher received his B.A from Duke University and an M.S. in National Security Studies (with honors) from the National War College. He speaks some Hebrew and Japanese. He is married to Mrs. Adrienne Usher, a senior official with the National Institutes of Health, and they have a two-year old son, Reed.
Ylber Bajraktari, Senior Fellow, Office of Net Assessment, U.S. Department of Defense
Ylber Bajraktari is a Senior Fellow in the Office of Net Assessment at the U.S. Department of Defense. Previously, he served as a Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Defense Policy and Strategy at the National Security Council. From 2015-2017, he served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy to the Secretary of Defense. From 2008-2014, he held several different positions dealing with U.S. policy towards Iran at the Department of Defense and on the National Security Council staff. Bajraktari joined the Department of Defense as a civil servant through the Presidential Management Fellowship program in 2006, spending the majority of his fellowship in Baghdad, Iraq. Bajraktari earned a B.A. in International Relations from American University, Washington, DC and a M.P.A. from Princeton University. He is also a graduate of the National War College. Bajraktari is a native of Kosovo, but moved to the United States in 1999 as a refugee, having been forcefully displaced by the regime of former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic. He, his wife Besa, and their son Noah now consider Washington, DC as their home.
Course Description:
Classes will be held Thursdays, 7:00-10:00 p.m., Plant Sciences - PLS 1113.
This course recognizes the importance of regional study within the field of international relations and is designed to examine key challenges. It will look at the wide array of factors influencing global events and dynamics, and the various tools available to foreign policy practitioners to address challenges in such critical regions as the Near East, the Indo-Pacific, and Europe. Questions to be addressed include: What are the policy tools available to the United States and its allies as they confront Russia's aggression against Ukraine, and how is the war reshaping Europe's thinking about its own security? How is the war in Ukraine affecting Russia-China relations, and what lessons is Beijing taking away as it contemplates a potential future invasion of Taiwan? How should the United States engage with key regional powers such as Turkey, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt, and Brazil as those countries also seek to balance their relations with Russia and/or China? Could the United States have reached a nuclear deal with Iran alone, without its “P5+1” partners - France, Germany, the UK, Russia, and China? How do the actions of multilateral economic institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund influence regional and state behavior, and conversely, how do the policies and priorities of individual states and regions determine the actions of multilateral institutions?
Please note that this course is cross-listed as HNUH358T.
Professor Description:
Danusia Hubah, M.A., Foreign Affairs Officer, U.S. Department of State.
Danusia Hubah is a Foreign Affairs Officer and currently Director of the Office of Security and Human Rights at the Department of State. She was previously Deputy Director of the Office of Iranian Affairs and Director for Iran policy at the National Security Council. She has extensive interagency experience from the policy, diplomatic, and intelligence perspectives on issues related to the Middle East, particularly Iran, Iraq, and the Gulf region. Danusia has served domestically as a policy officer and overseas as a diplomat in U.S. embassies and consulates in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the United Arab Emirates. Prior to that, Danusia worked as an intelligence analyst focusing on Iran. She has an M.A. in Security Studies from Georgetown University, and a B.A. in Political Science/International Relations from the University of California, San Diego.
Course Information:
Classes will be held 3:30-6:30pm, Tuesday, Hornbake Library - HBK 0125.
The fall seminar course will explore issues of environmental sustainability through an investigation of federal policymaking in energy, climate change, and sustainable development. Students will examine efforts of the U.S. government to respond to linked challenges of increasing energy demand, climate change, growing population, and poverty alleviation. Guest speakers from Congress, federal agencies, and the non-governmental sector will highlight domestic initiatives as well as the role of the U.S. government in international agreements related to climate change and sustainable development.
Please note that this course is cross-listed as HNUH348T.
Professor Information:
Ed Fendley, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Sustainable Communities
Ed Fendley's 26 year-career with the Federal government has included environmental policy work at the Department of State, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the White House. For much of that period, Fendley served as a negotiator and policy advisor related to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and international activities on global climate change and sustainable development. From 2009-2010, he served as Director for Environmental Affairs in the Executive Office of the President, National Security Council staff. Fendley currently works in the U.S. EPA’s Office of Sustainable Communities, known as the smart growth office. In addition to his Federal career, Ed Fendley teaches at the University of Maryland. From 2006-2009, Fendley served as an elected member of the Arlington County School Board.
Course Information:
Classes will be held 6:30-9:30pm, Monday, Plant Science Building - PLS 1117.
The fall seminar course will examine the concept of U.S. homeland and national security in the context of recent history. It will supply students with an understanding about the nature of threats and major vulnerabilities that are the focus of homeland and national security efforts, with emphasis on events since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The course will pay special attention to implications of policies and strategies regarding the threats of terrorism. Expert practitioners from the government or private sector, responsible for homeland security and counterterrorism operations, will often visit class, address topics, and participate in seminar discussion. Students will also learn and practice fundamental skills of analysis, communication, and collaboration that are necessary for success in the professional workplace.
Please note that this course is cross-listed as HNUH338T.
Professor Information:
Magdalena A. Bajll, M.S., Deputy National Intelligence Manager for Africa, Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Magdalena Bajll is a the Deputy National Intelligence Manager for Africa in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland, College Park. Prior to this, Bajll served as the Group Chief for the Asia, Europe, and Africa Planning Group at the National Counterterrorism Center. Until January 2010, Bajll worked as a senior policy analyst at the U.S. Department of Homeland (DHS). She joined DHS when it was first established in March 2003, and held various leadership, policy, planning, and operational positions throughout the Department. Prior to her work at DHS, Bajll served at the U.S. Department of Justice in the Office for Domestic Preparedness. She started her career as a consultant at Research Planning, Inc., where she worked on counterterrorism, national preparedness, and defense projects for the U.S. government. Magdalena Bajll has an extensive background in domestic and global security issues. She holds a B.A. in History from Rutgers University, a M.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, and a M.S. in National Security Strategy from the National War College, where she was recognized as a Distinguished Graduate.
Course Information:
Classes will be held 3:30-6:30pm, Tuesday, School of Public Health - SPH 0308.
The fall seminar course examines the formulation, implementation and evaluation of health policy. Health care policies determine who receives health benefits, what type of care is available, who administers care, how frequently care is provided, and how much care will cost. These policy decisions are critical in influencing the health and well-being of our society. The course also explores the complexities and challenges facing the American health care system. Students will formulate a policy brief and conduct an impact analysis to better understand the potential benefits and costs of health policies addressing issues such as child health, health reform, infant mortality, teen pregnancy, smoking cessation or injury prevention.
Please note that this course is cross-listed as HNUH328T.
Professor Information:
Dr. Woodie Kessel, M.D., M.P.H., Senior Child Health Scholar, C.E. Koop Institute, Dartmouth College and Medical School (Lead Instructor)
Dr. Woodie Kessel is a community pediatrician and child advocate with experience in bioengineering, medicine, public health, community-based programming, and public policy. Dr. Kessel is the Senior Child Health Scholar in Residence at the C.E. Koop Institute, in Dartmouth College and Medical School, and Professor of the Practice at the UMD School of Public Health. Dr. Kessel is actively involved in projects focused on eliminating child poverty, advocacy and science related to the care and cure of rare diseases, community-based strategies to prevent gun violence aimed at children, community data systems, and standards of care for newborns and children requiring cardio-thoracic surgery. Previously, Dr. Kessel served in the US Public Health Service as an Assistant Surgeon General and senior advisor on child and family health matters to the White House, Cabinet Secretaries, Surgeons General, and Health and Human Services officials spanning eight administrations. Dr. Kessel has been involved in setting child health policy, including the Children’s Health Insurance Program, guidelines for health supervision of children and adolescents; preventing childhood obesity through federal initiatives and community-based research helping grandparents help their grandchildren make health choices; and the Healthy Start Initiative to reduce infant mortality in the US. Dr. Kessel serves on several boards including the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition Board; the Sesame Workshop Health and Nutrition workgroup; PBS KIDS Health Council; Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation; Healthy Children, Healthy Futures Organization; the Fischell Bioengineering Advisory Committee, UMD; and others. He has received the USPHS Distinguished Service Medal the highest USPHS recognition award, the Drexel 100 Distinguished Alumni Award, the Einstein College of Medicine Lifetime Achievement Award, and the American Academy of Pediatrics Excellence in Public Service Award, and others. Dr. Kessel studied electrical engineering at Drexel University; medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine; and, Fall Seminar Federal and Global Fellows Student Handbook, 2016-2017 20 public health at the Johns Hopkins University. He completed his pediatric residency and primary care fellowship at Boston City Hospital. He was a RWJF Clinical Scholar and an ambulatory pediatrics fellow at the George Washington University’s Children’s Hospital National Medical Center.
Elaine Anderson, Ph.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Family Science, SPH, UMD
Dr. Elaine Anderson chairs the Department of Family Science in the School of Public Health. She is a member of the State of Maryland Governor’s Fatherhood Advisory Council and holds Fellow status for the National Council on Family Relations. Dr. Anderson is a former Congressional Science Fellow (1985-86) and has conducted policy analysis and research for the U.S. Senate, the Minnesota and Connecticut State Legislatures, and two presidential campaigns.
Course Description:
Classes will be held Mondays, 6:30-9:30 p.m., PLS 1111.
The fall seminar course will examine questions and issues in the practice of political engagement and advocacy. The seminar will focus on the art of building a lifetime of political engagement (at local, state, or national levels) and will cover such topics as how to participate in the political process, run for office, become a legislative staffer, and influence or make policy. This non-partisan course will also stress the importance of civil discourse across political parties. The class will utilize public institution publications and government documents, as well as academic literature, in the readings. Practitioners with experience in the political, civic engagement, and advocacy arenas will share their knowledge and expertise with students and participate in class discussions.
Please note that this course is cross-listed as HNUH318T.
Dale Crowell, Congressional Liason for the General Secretariat, Organization of American States.
Dale Crowell has over 20 years of political development, public affairs, community relations and civic education experience working in the federal government, private sector, non-profit, and international organizations. He currently serves as the Congressional Liaison for the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States where he manages relations with the United States Congress. He has also served as the director of communications for the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Pan American Development Foundation as well as a congressional staffer. Crowell has also held positions with the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems. He is a doctoral candidate in American Politics at Catholic University where he earned a Master of Arts in Congressional and Presidential Studies and was APSA Minority Fellow. Dale Crowell was also a former McNair Scholar at the University of Maryland, College Park where he earned his bachelor's degree in Government and Politics.