Alumni Spotlight: Nick Burk (CAS ’00) on BU Foundations to Driving Innovation in Disaster Management and Student Engagement
Nick Burk (CAS ’00), Co-Founder and Managing Director of Blue Ocean Analytics (BOA), a mission-driven venture established in 2018 to help organizations foster innovation in response to complex overlapping crises, reflects on how his experience studying international relations at Boston University shaped his career in disaster management, the motivations behind launching BOA, and his ongoing efforts…
Urban Refuge Celebrates 10 Years and Unveils New Website
Urban Refuge, the refugee resource initiative launched a decade ago, has reached a major milestone with the debut of its new website, UrbanRefugeMap.org. Originally developed in 2016 as part of Professor Noora Lori’s “Forced Migration Policy Incubator” course, the project has since evolved into a signature Pardee School effort involving dozens of students and alumni….
Alumni Spotlight: Elisa Cifiello (BA IR ’20) on her Career in Climate Finance
Elisa Cifiello (BA IR ’20), now an Associate at Clarmondial in Zurich, Switzerland, reflects on how her Pardee School education shaped her path into climate and sustainable finance. After early roles as a Data Analyst, International & European Relations Analyst, and Climate Finance Analyst, where she consistently worked with complex datasets, cross‑team collaboration, and policy…
From Protest to Polarization: A Collaborative Study of the Reopen Movement
Protests and Radicalization in the Digital Age: The Reopen Movement, published by Cambridge University Press, examines how social movements emerge, evolve, and radicalize in an era shaped by social media and digital infrastructure. The book is the result of a deeply collaborative, interdisciplinary effort between Boston University faculty and alumni. Together, they combine political science,…
From Pardee to NASDAQ: Alumni Reflect on ROC’s IPO Milestone
On March 19, 2026, recent Pardee School of Global Studies graduates Lexi Pfalzgraf (’24) and Michelle Kaplun (’21) traveled to New York City to mark a major milestone in their professional journeys: the successful initial public offering of their company, ROC (Rank One Computing Corp), on the NASDAQ. The company, which integrates sovereign biometric, video…
Urban Refuge Wins Crowdfunding Award, Charts Next Phase
In January 2026, the Pardee School’s Urban Refuge project was announced as the recipient of over $5,000 through BU Crowdfunding support! Urban Refuge originated in 2016 as a classroom project developed by students in the “Forced Migration Policy Incubator” course taught by Dr. Noora Lori, Associate Professor of International Relations and Director of the Middle…
Bringing You Back Home: Dave Diaz (MAIR ‘02) on the Education that Equipped him for a Career in National Security
Written by Charlotte Cheung (BA in International Relations and Economics, ‘27) In Bringing You Back Home, we talk about how Pardee has shaped our alumni’s paths in significant ways that would not have been possible without their time here. Dave Diaz (MAIR ‘02), a veteran of the Marine Corps, the Pentagon, and the State Department,…
Bringing You Back Home: Jerry Pi (BA ‘99) Reflects on his Formative Years in International Relations
Written by Charlotte Cheung (BA in International Relations and Economics, ‘27) In Bringing You Back Home, we discuss how Pardee has shaped our alumni’s paths in significant ways that would not have been possible without their time here. Jerry Pi (BA ‘99) shares how international relations influences his work in real-estate development and his key…
Bringing You Back Home: Kelsey Garrett (BA ‘03) Revisits Learnings That Shaped Her Career as an Analyst
Kelsey Garrett (BA IR ‘03), a Chief of Staff at The Boeing Company, shares her thoughts on how Pardee shaped her professional trajectory, what a successful career in international relations entails, and the most valuable things she learned at Pardee.
Bringing You Back Home: Sutton MacQueen (MGP ‘19) Talks About Pardee Days and Global Development
Pardee Alumna Sutton MacQueen goes down memory lane, sharing how her time at the school prepared her for a career in global development.
Pardee Welcomes Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones (‘03) to Talk Leadership and Public Service
On December 15, 2025, the Honorable Gina Ortiz Jones (Pardee ‘03), San Antonio’s 69th Mayor as of June 7th this year, visited the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies for a Q&A discussion. She was joined by International Relations students, faculty, fellow BU alumni, and ROTC affiliates, many of whom with personal connections to…
Professor Woodward and Dave Diaz’s Keynote Address for 250th Navy and Marine Corps Birthday
To celebrate 250th birthday of the United States’ Navy and Marine Corps, John D. Woodward, Jr. Professor of the Practice of International Relations at the Pardee School of Global Studies, and F. David Diaz (MAIA ’02), Pardee Alum and former Foreign Affairs Officer for the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs and U.S. Department of State, delivered…
Zachary Sherman (Pardee ’24) Joins BU’s Young Alumni Council
Pardee’s Zachary Sherman (IR ’24) joins BU’s Young Alumni Council.
David Barth (Pardee ’92) Named President & CEO of Perkins School for the Blind
Perkins School for the Blind appoints Pardee alumni David Barth (IR ’92) as the president & CEO.
Pardee’s Urban Refuge Program Wins APSIA Award for Community Building
Pardee School’s Urban Refuge Program wins APSIA’s Inclusion Award for Community Building.
Pardee Career Mentorship Program: Guiding Global Leaders of Tomorrow
In October 2024, Pardee Career Services launched the Pardee Career Mentorship Program — a new initiative designed to foster meaningful connections between graduate students and alumni through consistent individual meetings throughout the school year. Twelve alumni mentors volunteered their time, representing careers across industries and sectors and calling in from the U.S. and around the…
Pardee Alumna Gina Ortiz Jones Wins the 2025 San Antonio Mayoral Election
On June 7, Gina Ortiz Jones (Pardee ‘03), former under secretary of the Air Force under the Biden administration won a runoff election to become the new mayor of San Antonio, the country’s seventh largest city. A Filipino American and progressive, Jones will be the city’s first openly gay mayor. Jones beat Rolando Pablos, a…
Bringing Boston University’s World War II Heroes Back into Memory
Prof. Woodward and Michael Tozeski (Pardee’25) bring Boston University’s World War II heroes back into memory.
A Pardee Alum’s Mission for Global Economic Equality
Faina Rozenthal opens up about how Pardee helped paved the way for her dream career.
From Pardee to Purpose: A Student’s Journey in Humanitarian Advocacy
Pardee Alum Morgan Cassidy reflects on her humanitarian advocacy journey