Alumni Spotlight: Goodwyn on International Consulting
Scott Goodwyn (Pardee ’96) currently works as a Vice President of International Business Development and Strategic Planning for a consulting firm whose focus is on defense, security, energy, aerospace, and agriculture.
Upon graduation, Goodwyn worked for the Dean of the School of Law at Boston University and two law firms, including Holland and Hart in Denver for one of their senior partners to gauge whether or not he wanted to attend law school. While Goodwyn says he learned a great deal in those positions working for various senior partners of each firm, he also came to the conclusion that continuing further down the legal path was not for him.
“I subsequently applied to Officer Candidate School in the Marine Corps, something I was very keen to do, but as a result of the ‘Stop-Loss’ Order issued by the USMC, my application along with countless others across the country was left pending for an extended period of time, at which point I had to make the decision to move on,” Goodwyn said. “This was truly disappointing in light of all the prep work up until that point. Having many family and friends who have served in the military, following in their footsteps was important to me, but as it turned out, it was not meant to be and a decision ultimately beyond my control.”
Goodwyn then worked for a DOD contractor specializing in strategic communications during the Iraq and Afghanistan operations. From there he re-engaged on international consulting working on various projects. One client Goodwyn has been involved with over the past several years is in Controlled Environmental Agriculture (CEA), which is short for hydroponics and growing food indoors in large commercial scale greenhouses.
“A major component is food security. These greenhouses are generally five-plus acres, grow a wide variety of primarily leafy greens and microgreens, but can grow many other types of food,” Goodwyn said. “Like many businesses in the world today, farming is being revolutionized. There are many reasons why, including addressing water shortages, labor, contamination-public health, consumer demand for healthier- higher quality products and of course, efficiency.”
According to Goodwyn, this client has a system that saves up to 97 percent of the water used in field grown produce, uses a fraction of the labor, is non-GMO, has no chemicals or pesticides, and limits the carbon foot print of transportation by growing within the USDA radius of what qualifies as organically grown, among many other positive attributes.
“In short, the environmental benefits of CEA are extensive,” Goodwyn said. “Holland, for example, has been leading the way in this sector for years with their innovations and we are bringing that technology and expertise to the United States and the rest of the world.”
Goodwyn says his Pardee School education remains crucial to the work he currently does, particularly in terms of the faculty with real-world experience he learned from while at Boston University.
“Reflecting back now, I realize how my education at the Pardee School was invaluable, in terms of the outstanding faculty and their breadth of knowledge from various arenas within government, NGO’s, business and education,” Goodwyn said. “That exposure to such talent makes an enormous difference in the minds of young people, who are like sponges, they crave such opportunities to learn from professors who have actually worked in their respected fields and are not just teaching from a text book. Students want to take that knowledge base and go out into the world to make it a better place. Certainly, the word ‘networking’ is used a great deal in our society, but it absolutely plays a critical role with opening doors. It doesn’t mean that plans always pan out the way we envision, but having the access is the first critical step. This ability to strategically connect the dots has helped me through the entire course of my life and can surface at the least expected moments. One introduction leads to another and so on.”
Goodwyn says he fondly remembers one of his first classes with Prof. Henry Shockley — a retired Army Colonel and my advisor — “Intro to I.R.” Even though the class at that time which was held in Morse Auditorium was large, Goodwyn says it never felt that way because Prof. Shockley had a unique way of always keeping the setting accessible, whether through questions in class or outside during office hours. According to Goodwyn, Prof. Shockley spoke with authority on the subject matter because he had lived much of what he taught.
Another professor Goodwyn remembers as influential was Jo Benkow, a Visiting Professor and the former President of the Norwegian Parliament. Goodwyn recalls having class with him in a classroom attached to his residence in a brownstone on Bay State Road.
“Our class was small, but the experience was unsurpassed in terms of quality, dialogue and occasionally vigorous debates,” Goodwyn said. “For me, I had always wanted to learn more about Scandinavia and who better to learn from than someone of Prof. Benkow’s stature.”
Goodwyn says another memorable component of his time at the Pardee School was his internship for a Member of Parliament (MP) in the U.K. while partaking in one of Boston University’s many study abroad programs. Goodwyn was able to play a role in working with various members of Prime Minister John Major’s Cabinet while immersing himself in countless policy issues of the day.
“Not only was I able to take classes simultaneously with my internship, but I was able to travel throughout Europe and meet many wonderful people and enjoy the countless sights,” Goodwyn said. “Studying abroad and summer internships, no matter the country, are an invaluable experience that will reap rewards many times over. I had so many truly great professors and experiences within and outside of the Pardee School at Boston University, which melded the various aspects of international relations in a seamless way.”
Offering advice to current Pardee School students who may be considering a similar career path to his own, Goodwyn stressed the importance of remaining passionate about learning regardless of subject matter.
“One of the main objectives of going to college or graduate school is to be exposed to many different viewpoints, some of which you may agree with wholeheartedly and others you may be vehemently opposed to,” Goodwyn said. “That to me brings to life the true essence of a liberal arts education. Boston University and the Pardee School in particular, stand out amongst their peers in this regard, for I never once felt as though I would have my grade lowered or be embarrassed in class because I might share a different point of view. I always felt that no matter where my professors were on the political spectrum there was always a mutual respect for one another and my work and contributions in class were graded on merit.”
Goodwyn also urged students to take advantage of the resources available to both current students and alumni through the Boston University Center for Career Development. He said that one way to help define your purpose and reinforce your existing strengths may be by taking the Myers-Briggs assessment or other similar tests.
“There is no doubt that the volume and flow of information today is enormous and at times can feel overwhelming, but it is always better to have more options than fewer, when it comes to sketching out your life. Just don’t allow yourself to fall into the trap of paralysis by analysis. The best way to decide if you like a profession is to be mentored by someone in it or to do an internship,” Goodwyn said. “This can save you a lot of time and financial investment to see things first hand and then decide if you can see yourself in that arena. The earlier you can take the plunge, the better. Not every detail of your future should be planned out, always leave room for the flexibility, which is so vital in our lives for happiness, and in turn, success. Likewise, service to country comes in many forms, but giving back in life is essential whether it be volunteering or through philanthropy. If you have a passion for what you do, the sky is the limit! In those moments where you are unsure of whether you should or shouldn’t do something, don’t hold back and you may discover a whole new world you never even contemplated. Try to live with as few regrets as possible and at the end of your life you will know it was one well served and lived by leaving the world a better place.”