Get to know the Fletcher community, #2
Let’s meet the folks whom the Fletcher Student Council profiled in the second of their community introductions. You can find the first of the introductions here.
Moriah (first-year Januarian MALD)
What are you studying at Fletcher?
I am studying International Security Studies and International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (for now!).
What did you do before Fletcher?
I spent time in California doing environmental restoration and trail work. Most recently, I was in Washington, DC working with the Democratic National Committee, managing technology projects.
Where are you from?
I consider myself to be a pan-Southerner.
What is your favorite, most unique place you have ever been or traveled to?
All of Bangkok, but the Grand Palace — with its life-size monkey soldiers holding up one of the palace domes — is my favorite.
Who has been the greatest inspiration in your life?
My grandmother, who came of age in Jim Crow-era Alabama, worked while putting herself through college and raising two children, and was a teacher for over 30 years. Through it all, she has always maintained a sense of humor and curiosity about what life has to hold.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
I once caught a jackrabbit with my bare hands. It was awesome.
Which living person do you most admire?
I really admire Condoleezza Rice and her story.
What has been a challenge you have faced during your career or time at Fletcher?
Choosing a course out of the many here — four semesters is not enough!
What has been your favorite moment at Fletcher so far?
Shopping day was really fun! The ability to explore any course you’re interested in is such a great opportunity.
Dylan (second-year Januarian MIB)
What are you studying at Fletcher?
International Business: Strategy and Consulting.
What did you do before Fletcher?
I was a physical commodities trader in Durban, South Africa.
Where are you from?
Durban, South Africa.
What is your favorite, most unique place you have ever been or traveled to?
Tough question! Although I have traveled extensively, Cape Town in South Africa is still my favorite place and the most beautiful city I have ever seen.
Who has been the greatest inspiration in your life?
My father.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Getting a full scholarship for my undergraduate degree at BYU was a tipping point in my life.
Which living person do you most admire?
Desmond Tutu.
What has been a challenge you have faced during your career or time at Fletcher?
Braving the Boston winter is a daily struggle — I’m getting better at this.
What has been your favorite moment at Fletcher so far?
Being a part of the Januarian Class of 2019 is a blast!
Dave (first-year Januarian PhD)
What are you studying at Fletcher?
Security studies, outside intervention into civil wars and humanitarian disasters.
What did you do before Fletcher?
Columbia SIPA, think-tanker in Washington.
Where are you from?
Colorado.
What is your favorite, most unique place you have ever been or traveled to?
Crested Butte (one of the last great mountain towns).
Who are your favorite writers?
Lauryn Hill, Steve Coll, Dr. Seuss.
Who has been the greatest inspiration in your life?
My family.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Staying at home with my new son for the last eight months.
Which living person do you most admire?
My wife.
What has been a challenge you have faced during your career or time at Fletcher?
Trying to sneak out of an event after splitting my pants.
What has been your favorite moment at Fletcher so far?
Human rights law (took it many summers ago).
Brad Macomber (Media Services Specialist)
What do you do at Fletcher?
I am a Media Services Specialist. I help with classroom technology, video conferencing, and events.
What did you do before Fletcher?
I was in a similar role at the New England Institute of Art in Brookline for over a decade.
Where are you from?
I was born and raised in Marblehead, MA, up on the north shore, a beautiful little town that I highly recommend visiting!
What is your favorite, most unique place you have ever been or traveled to?
While it’s not the most unique place in New England, my family always went to Lake Megunticook outside of Camden, ME every summer. It’s the most serene, calming place I can think of.
Who are your favorite writers?
I’m a huge fan of Isaac Asimov, Philip K. Dick, Kurt Vonnegut, and Ray Bradbury.
Who has been the greatest inspiration in your life?
My parents. My father was (he recently retired) a doctor in Marblehead and my mother was the head nurse in their office. They both dedicated their entire professional careers to making people comfortable and healthy. I can’t walk through my hometown without people stopping me and telling me a story about something remarkable one of my parents did for them.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
I’d love to say all the touring I’ve done with my various bands, but my relationship with my wife has been and continues to be my greatest achievement.
Which living person do you most admire?
Again, it would have to be my parents. They have always provided me with everything I needed and did so (generally) with a smile.
What has been a challenge you have faced during your career or time at Fletcher?
Being one person trying to stay on top of all the requests for assistance (which are sometimes inherently last minute) can be very challenging. Fortunately, folks within the Fletcher community are very understanding.
What has been your favorite moment at Fletcher so far?
Commencement and Convocation are two of my favorite times of year, but this year, I received an American flag that had been flown over the Baghdad Embassy as a thank you from a student who recently got their PhD here. It was extremely touching and the flag is framed in my workshop now. Makes me very proud.
Jette Knudsen (Professor of Policy and International Business)
What do you do at Fletcher?
I am interested in government regulation of social welfare. I define this topic as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities and employment and training policies that focus on low-skilled workers. My overarching research interest has been to try and understand how governments can contribute to reconciling market pressures with norms of fairness.
What did you do before Fletcher?
I worked as an Assistant Professor at the Copenhagen Business School for a few years and I also worked at the Center for European Policy Studies in Brussels. For four years I then served as the Director of a think tank in Copenhagen that focused on CSR and I worked for Maersk (a large shipping and oil conglomerate) as a CSR expert. I also worked as a consultant for Deloitte and PwC. Before coming to Fletcher, I was appointed as a Professor of Political Science at Copenhagen University and I had been on sabbatical for a year at MIT. I am still affiliated with Copenhagen Business School as a Velux Fellow and remain engaged in various research collaborations with my former colleagues.
Where are you from?
I grew up in Denmark. I first visited the U.S. when I was 19 years old. I spent a year at a small liberal arts college called Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin funded by the Scandinavian-American Foundation. I liked the U.S. very much and later came back and did a PhD at MIT.
What is your favorite, most unique place you have ever been or traveled to?
In December 2017, I saw the Nerja Caves near Malaga, Spain. They were inhabited from about 25,000 BC up until the Bronze Age. Cave paintings, found on the walls, date back to the Paleolithic and Post-Paleolithic periods and show a culture based upon hunting. The caves were amazing.
Who are your favorite writers?
One of my favorite books is Memoirs of a Geisha. I read that book on a plane once coming from France when the engine caught fire and we had to make an emergency landing in Switzerland. I hardly noticed the problems because the book was so good.
Who has been the greatest inspiration in your life?
My dad, who has always told me to find my own way in life. He did so himself and built an amazing naval architecture company that was engaged in improving shipping transportation all over the world. Another inspiration is Mr. Maersk McKinney Moeller who hired me while I was in graduate school and later to work on sustainability in Maersk. I have a great card from him where he congratulates me for getting into the political science PhD program, and then adds, “Ms. Knudsen please do not forget to focus on real life.” I try to remember that.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
I have a son who is both smart and kind. I can’t really say that he is my greatest achievement as he is clearly his own person, but I am proud of him. He will be attending Tufts next year and I am very pleased.
Which living person do you most admire?
I can’t think of a particular person that I most admire. But I do think that having “grace under fire” is an admirable trait. I admire people who face unspeakable tragedy yet are able to carry on.
What has been a challenge you have faced during your career or time at Fletcher?
I am not very practical and so the Fletcher IT system can sometimes be a challenge, but I want it to work perfectly every time I am in the classroom. I do not think the students know my limitations because Brad Macomber has always been able to cover for me. Thanks Brad!
What has been your favorite moment at Fletcher so far?
Getting tenure as a full professor in the fall 2017.