The alumni below all pursued regional affairs or Fares Center-affiliated work in their studies, research, or professional paths. If you are a Fletcher alum who has engaged with regional analysis in your education or work, please fill out this survey.
2021-2022
Julie graduated from Fletcher in 2022 through the mid-career international relations program. Her fields of study were human security and international negotiation and conflict resolution. While at Fares, she led one of the Arabic Language Tables. She grew up in Syria and moved to the U.S. in her early twenties. She gr She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Health Science/Dental Hygiene and worked as a dental hygienist for over a decade. However, given the refugee crisis in her home country of Syria, Julie became eager to get involved in humanitarian work, especially with female refugees.
Born and raised in Berlin, Eda Nur Yilar holds an MA in Global Studies from Humboldt University. She graduated from The Fletcher School with a Master of International Business and now serves as the Strategic Projects Manager for Public Affairs, Communication & Sustainability in Europe for The Coca-Cola Company. As part of her education, she lived in Ireland, Thailand, India, and South Africa. Her professional experience is based at the intersection of the public and private sectors, where she has worked for a number of institutions such as the Federal Foreign Office, Volkswagen, the Konrad-Adenauer Foundation, and Microsoft. As the Director of the Sakura Peace Institute in India, she has worked to raise awareness about the importance of education for marginalized communities. Hence, she hosted an event on the subject of “Education for Transformation” on the sidelines of the 50th Annual World Economic Forum in Davos. She is involved in supporting underprivileged youth in Berlin and contributed to the public discussion of identity and integration through different volunteering organizations. Eda is fluent in German, Turkish, and English and considers herself a Global Citizen.
Layan graduated from Fletcher with a MALD in 2022; her focus areas were tech policy and development. While at the Fares Center, she led the Arabic language table. Prior to Fletcher, she worked as a journalist covering news in politics, economy, and society. She was also a tech editor in which she traveled regularly to cover business and industry events. Layan holds a Bachelor’s degree in political science with a regional focus on the Middle East from Sciences Po Paris. Her hometown is Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Ben graduated in December 2022 with a MALD and a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School. His academic and professional interests include international politics, security, and religion. Before attending Fletcher, Ben worked for two years in Beirut, Lebanon, with an NGO focusing on conflict resolution and humanitarian aid. He received his B.A. in International Relations and certificate in Conflict Management from Pepperdine University.
2020-2021
Trad Alroweilly is from Saudi Arabia and holds expertise on water and food securities in arid regions of the MENA. Trad’s subjects of interest include water efficiency through sustainable agriculture resource allocation and transboundary water resource management. He was also recently a research intern at the Stockholm Environment Institute supporting the Jordanian and Moroccan governments with their water policies through water-energy-food nexus modeling. Trad supported the Fares Center in environmental and natural resource policy through editing, writing, and technical support. He holds two degrees from Tufts University: an M.S. in Sustainable Water Management with a concentration on Water Diplomacy, and a Master of Civil and Environmental Engineering from the School of Engineering.
Rachel Carrillo worked for the Fares Center from 2018 to 2021, serving as Center Coordinator from 2020 – 2021. Rachel is a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) graduate of The Fletcher School, where she studied U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East and North Africa. Before beginning her studies at Fletcher, Rachel was a Fulbright grantee to Morocco, then worked as Project Manager for a CDC public health initiative implemented in the Moroccan Ministries of Health and Interior. She has also served as a graduate intern in the Political Section of the U.S. Embassy Rabat, where she focused on the human rights and religious freedom portfolios. In addition to Fulbright, Rachel was awarded the Gilman Scholarship for study in Morocco and the Boren Fellowship for study in Oman. She has a B.A. in Communication, a B.A. in French & Francophone Studies, and a Minor in Arabic Language from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Rachel now works for Chemonics International in Washington DC, concentrating on international development in the Middle East and North Africa.
Within the M.A. in Law and Diplomacy program, Marina pursued concentrations in International Negotiation & Conflict Resolution and Southwest Asia & Islamic Civilization. She has a particular interest in diplomatic negotiation, sanctions, and arms control. Before graduate school, Marina held two roles focused on the exchange between the US and MENA Region at the American Middle East Institute and at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco. Marina is now a Graduate Fellow at McLarty Associates.