Current Students
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Growing up in a rural town in western Oregon I wasn't a terrific student and the logging industry was in decline so I joined the Navy after high school. After six years of military service I started training to be a firefighter, but enjoyed the medical training more and ended up working as an EMT. After six more years I was topped out in my position at the ambulance company and I gambled on a job managing an event rental business. After a year and half of success, the owner of the ambulance company I had previously worked for offered the opportunity to return and restructure his medical supply company, but despite turning the business around I was not satisfied with my accomplishment. My wife posed a powerful question to me: If I could do anything, and money wasn't an issue, what would it be? My immediate response was: Whale Biologist! It didn't take long to figure out that my idea was not completely feasible, but what it did tell me is that I wanted to study the life sciences. I returned to school, part time at first, but soon it became clear that I couldn't balance the growing course load and my responsibilities running a business. After a year of doing both I quit my job as a manager and went to school full-time; one of the scariest things I've ever done. At Oregon State University I pursued ecology as an environmental science major. Shortly after my arrival, I got the opportunity to work in a grassland ecology lab that exposed me to scientists in a variety of disciplines. One of the things I discovered was that there are plenty of very smart people doing good science, but that science rarely makes its way into policy. Humans are engaged in activities that are changing natural systems in ways that are leading to immense suffering. I believe that in the next 10-20 years we will have to make very hard decisions about how humanity will continue to live on earth. I would like to be a part of that discussion. That is why I am studying policy at OSU. |
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Oregon has been home my whole life. Growing up in St. Paul, a town of 400 people, it was quite a change to start my Bachelors at Oregon State. I was one of the few lucky enough to soldier through and graduate in four year. With MPP in front of me and Law School following that, I have no intent to lose my momentum in school. Better to get it all done and over with. For my entire adult life, I knew I was to spend my career in public service. Whether this was an elected position or not, I knew it would require a deep knowledge of politics and public policy. That’s why MPP was the best choice. I come from a big family. There are more than 60 in Oregon alone, so a family potluck is a major event. From this, I learned to love listening and watching others. The best way to learn the true measure of a person is to ask a question and let them fill the dead air time. It also means I learned to love a sense of community and helping others. So, I have represented the students in the Student Government Senate for over 2 years. You’d be amazed how many millions of dollars goes through the hands of students – it’s like being on a city council. I hope my time in the MPP is exciting and educational. I hope to focus on International policy and Energy policy since these are fascinating issues that won’t go away any time soon. |
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Burns, Bridget
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Prior to commencing my studies in OSU’s MPP program I was an executive manager in the finance/banking sector and had finished graduate studies in a MBA program. My career experiences have entailed the management of a retail banking division, commercial lending, product research and development, financial turnaround initiatives, long-range strategic planning, corporate policy research and writing, and much more. I also served in the capacity of a nonprofit executive director and have been an active participant on several corporate and nonprofit boards. These professional and educational experiences introduced me to the discipline of public policy-making. I’ve often pondered about the theoretical and ideological lenses that guide the policy process and how stakeholders recognize policy issues, elevate these issues on political agendas, and ultimately shape the future of policy. Through OSU’s MPP program I’m able to explore these topics and prepare myself for a doctoral program in public policy. My research interests cover monetary and regulatory policies, economic and financial crises, domestic and international community development, and the continued study of public policy theories. |
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Before coming to Oregon State I had the privilege of working with rural communities in Oregon for two years. I have also interned for US Senator Larry Craig, and dabbled in disaster recovery and agricultural issues. These experiences not only helped fuel my passion for policy and understanding of the way it is implemented on the ground, but also convinced me that a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to complex problems is vital, which is what I appreciate about the MPP program. I completed my undergraduate degree at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg, VA majoring in International Studies. I look forward to combining my academic interests and work experience in my research at OSU. I am particularly interested in the intersection of rural and international policy at each level of government. I also plan to continue to study Arabic, and brush up my rusty French and Spanish while I have the chance! |
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I was born in Chenzhou, which is located in southern China. I got my bachelor in public administration in Dalian. In my third year at my university, I joined the Dalian Charity Federation and had the opportunity to work with an NGO. (NGOs develop at a slow speed in China.) My experience in this organization promotes my interests in NGOs and public policy, especially the social policy. Hence, I hope I can further my study in public policy and learn more about it.
I grew up in northeastern Oregon and, except for a year on foreign exchange in Germany, have spent my life living in different parts of the state. I attended the University of Oregon and majored in political science with minors in German and environmental studies. I made an effort to explore as many aspects of my major as possible, but the most significant focus of my experience was environmental politics and policy. I am a McNair scholar and wrote my undergraduate thesis on U.S. coal subsidies and their effect on carbon dioxide emissions. I am currently interested in environmental policy from an economic and administrative standpoint. Particularly my main interests are in infrastructure issues, environmental regulations and energy policy/planning. My culminating interest is in renewable energy policy and generation, which is the focus of my graduate research. |
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Brian Collins came to the MPP program at Oregon State from an accounting job for a major energy company in California. His policy interests include health care and tax reform, and he has enjoyed the mix of theory and practice in the MPP coursework. Brian is currently interning with the Governor's Postsecondary Quality Education Commission, where he is helping the members develop a model for linking higher education funding to quality outcomes. He has served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for Political Science and Sociology. |
 Crowley-Hall, Corey Policy Interests: Social Major Professor: Internship: I grew up in Northern Idaho in the college town of Moscow. As an undergrad I went to Linfield College up in McMinnville where I majored in political science. During that time I was fortunate enough to have many eye opening experiences traveling to Mexico, Australia, and Ecuador. After graduating from Linfield I went back to Idaho to work on the US Senate campaign in Idaho for Larry LaRocco. After the campaign I decided it was time to go to graduate school, and here I am.
Dewi, Cynthia I grew up in the very traditional Javanese family. I found myself haunted with plenty of questions. Within my community, I saw myself standing in the top of the comfort zone. My parents have a good reputation in the neighborhood; I-myself-graduated from one of the prestigious universities in Indonesia and then got a job at a bank as soon as I graduated. However, I did not feel satisfied with all the things I had achieved. I looked around: people living in poverty and misery. At the same time, so many tragedies were happening: tsunami 2004, earthquakes, terrorism and bombing, ethnic conflicts and hunger. I contrasted this with the easy way I lived and felt so ashamed. I want to do something valuable for them; at least, I can put a smile in their face again. June 2005, I decided to change my whole life. I quit my job at the bank and started my career in humanitarian work. I got my first unforgettable mission in Aceh's post tsunami assistance program. My family was completely against my decision as I am the only daughter. However, I persisted in my commitment. I found that I am on the right track, this is what I want to do in my life: helping others. I guess that's what finally brought me here at OSU. Last 2007, Fulbright awarded a scholarship for my advanced study in United States for policy studies. I am interesting in environmental policy and international development. I hope this opportunity will open opportunities to another goal, which is a PhD. What's next? My newest destination, which I decided last week, is a PhD in environmental anthropology. I hope, in future, my education will enable me in doing better for others.
5 years back, I started my career as an assistant in banking profession. Over the years, I got entrenched with the corporate sector holding a good position with the leading bank in Nepal. I had made up my mind to continue with banking as a long-term profession until I got the USAID scholarship this year. I am one of the 31 candidates from various parts of the world, who are selected for Women’s Leadership Training in Economics (WLTIE) Program. I find lucky to have been selected for MPP program at OSU. I had no expectations before arriving at the US but now I see a dream of working in my country helping people at various levels in terms of education, development, gender issues, political and social issues. The past few weeks of education at OSU have been challenging for me, as I have come from a different background (though worked in economic sector) and a different education system after all. I feel privileged to be a part of MPP Program under the guidance of experienced faculty at OSU. I am interested in International Policy, Rural Policy and Environmental Policy. Not to miss, few years down the lane, I find myself working with organizations helping people upbring their daily living standards, to bring positive changes in the society. Personally, I love making large circle of good friends and am fond of travelling (which has started with my journey to the US on Sept 13, 2009). I like to get updated with news, I love reading novels, I always wanted to be a sporty person but my sleep takes away all the morning and I love being with my family and friends. I have come to this diverse country with an open mind and I hope to take all the good things back to my country after 2 years. |
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Before coming to OSU to study environmental policy, Amy earned a B.A. in Urban Studies from San Francisco State University. There she gained valuable experience in policy advocacy and social service provision working at an HIV/AIDS organization. She also studied California's enterprise zone policy at a public policy institute. At OSU, the opportunity to explore the very different set of issues that affect rural areas has broadened her field of experience. Amy has had the privilege to serve as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in Sociology and to work as an intern at the Institute for Natural Resources. She is currently completing her MPP essay, which explores agencies' capacities to collaborate on permit streamlining.
Fellows, Holly I was born and raised on California’s central coast in the small agricultural community of Gonzales. Before coming to OSU I received my bachelor’s degree in City and Regional Planning from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo. My studies at Cal Poly focused on urban growth management, agricultural preservation and transportation planning. I’ve worked as a city planner for several communities in California on a wide range of projects from downtown revitalization to historic resource preservation. Here at the MPP program I am focusing on rural policy and plan to continue working on policy issues related to community and regional development. Oregon’s innovative land use and growth management policies make OSU an ideal place for me to complete my research and graduate studies.
Hi! I am Narbada Ghimire from Nepal.I am primary level school teacher by profession. I have worked in various international and national institutions opened for orphan and disadvantaged children as a teacher.I always feel, I am obliged to do as much as I can for the destitute and hapless people living a very difficult life in my country. Hence, I consider MPP a venue to materialise my dream and I expect to train myself through this course to achieve that goal. |
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Margaret is currently providing budget and grants & agreements support for the Forest Service PNW economics and social science research program. She previously served as office manager for a natural resource consulting company, and an editor for an environmental engineering company. Her undergraduate degree is a BS from Concordia University, Portland, OR, in Business Administration. |
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Henthorne, Ryan I was born in the great potato state (Idaho), in what was a fairly small city but has grown at an amazing rate over the past 15 years (Boise). My family moved to our neighboring community Philomath when I was 4 and have remained rooted alongside their small farm for the past 22 years. After High School I began my studies at Oregon State University but quickly realized that I missed competing in Track and transfered to Western Oregon University. The summer prior to WOU I spent out in Massachusetts working at a sports camp about 3 hours west of Boston. During my last year at WOU I completed an internship in Salt Lake City working at a school for children with severe disabilities. Half of my time was instructing a P.E. class and the other was assisting in pool physical therapy. During the last two years at WOU I was working as a residential counselor for children and adult sex offenders that had developmental disabilities. I continued this work for two years out of college and began working as a foster home respite care provider - which basically meant I became a father of adolescent boys for periods up to two weeks at a time. After four years of working with this population I was ready for a change and joined the Peace Corps. I was sent to Bulgaria and worked in the Youth Development sector. During this time I gained experience working with the municipality, NGO's, private sector, school system, and with public services. I always wanted to be an adolescent clinical psychologist, and my undergrad degree was in psychology. However, working in Bulgaria and in International grassroots development broadened my perspective on the world and gave new direction to how I want to serve and better the lives of others. MPP it is, and I look forward to where this road will lead!! I love reading and anything outdoors! Competition is my middle name and golf is the most frustrating, yet most rewarding sport ever created. I aspire to one day live on a golf course and wake up to 9 holes every morning to kick off the day right, alongside some good dark coffee! |
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Juarez, Alejandra Alejandra writes articles for an on-line news site Political Affairs. Read one of her articles at: http://www.politicalaffairs.net/article/articleview/6712/1/328/ |
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Kopper, Sarah I am a recent transplant to the Northwest. I spent my formative years in Columbia, Missouri and then made the move to Conway, Arkansas to attend Hendrix College. I majored in Religion (officially) and ultimate frisbee (unofficially). Over the summers I interned at two Texas non-profit agencies dealing with hunger, homelessness, and poverty. Those summers showed me how the needs of people in our own society are too often ignored. During my junior year I studied in Fribourg, Switzerland and discovered a new love--travel. As a part of the MPP program I am hoping to combine my interests in social and international policy. We'll see where it takes me. |
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Kwon, Taehyum Growing up in a rural town in South Korea, and moving to big cities like Seoul, at last I came here a small university town, Corvallis. Oregon. After high school, I attended Korea University and my major was Law. After I graduated from Korea University, I had to spend many years to pass one of the exams to become a high-level government official. I worked at the legislative counsel office, and the committee of policy (deals with all the bills presented by the Monetary Supervision Department, The Fair Trade committee, the Veterans Department, etc,) and the Committee of Homeland Security (deals with Internal affairs department, the National Police, etc). My job at the committee was to make a written report with my senior advisor concerning bills, and suggest opinions to congress members. It surely has been a great job to enjoy though too much work made me exhausted. I’m really happy to be here in Corvallis. |
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Le, Khan The opportunities to work and be involved in various international projects have had an influence on my decision to attend the MPP program at OSU. I saw the urgency to work with other developing nations, especially from the grassroots level, to address issues of poverty and environmental problems that affect many communities. I would like to continue my education after the MPP and apply for a Ph.D. program because it will allow me to work in Asia or Latin American. My interests include environmental, rural and international development policy. |
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My name is Stuty and I am from Nepal. I was very glad when I got through the Public Policy program in OSU as my country is going through a political & social transition and I think that this program will enable me to intellectually comprehend contemporary social issues through a broad exposure to the humanities and social sciences. I am happy to have classmates from diverse educational background (also from various parts, within outside of USA) and a resourceful & encouraging set of faculty. In these two years I wish to make up for the lack of exposure to the social sciences in the Nepali education system, and prepare myself to intellectually demanding job openings.
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Julia holds a B.A. in Political Science and Russian Studies from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. After completing her undergraduate degree, she worked for two years as an Estate Specialist for a corporate law firm in Minneapolis. Having decided that neither the legal profession, nor the frigid climes of Minnesota, were quite right for her, she headed for the M.P.P. program at Oregon State University. Her research interests include foreign policy, international development, democratization, transportation policy, and program evaluation. Julia loves to travel and has already studied abroad in Turkey and the Czech Republic. After completing her M.P.P. degree, she hopes to enter the foreign service or work in some area of public administration. |
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Opfer, Pamela I grew up in a small, rural town in Northern California and moved up North to Oregon to pursue my undergraduate degree in Geography at Western Oregon University. After graduating with a Bachelor's of Science, I volunteered with AmeriCorps for a year in Corvallis. My program was through the Corvallis Environmental Center where I was coordinator of the Youth Garden Program. Currently, I am enrolled in the MPP program with an environmental focus; my research interests include food systems, population issues, rural studies and land use management. I am also working as a Research Assistant studying the Wildland Urban Interface and its effects on fire management policy. I am very happy to be living in the beautiful State of Oregon and in my free time I enjoy skiing, biking, camping/hiking and cooking. |
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A native Oregonian and born Beaver Believer, Aaron Phillips received a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Oregon State University in 2007. After an internship with the nonpartisan and nonprofit voter education organization Project Vote Smart (http://votesmart.org), he decided to continue academically in the Master of Public Policy program at OSU. Aaron recently completed an internship with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, through Portland State University’s Exceptional Summer Internship Program, where he conducted policy analysis and procedure redesign to determine the feasibility of implementing an electronic certification process for the department. |
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My love for historic homes means that in my free time I’m usually refinishing a floor, wiring a light or working on a tile project. My husband and I are the owners of two historic homes in Albany’s Hackleman and Monteith historic districts. We are raising our two small daughters, five-year-old Savannah, and three-year-old Madeline, in the Chamberlain House, named after Governor, and later U.S. Senator, George Chamberlain. We fell in love with and bought the house, an 1884 Stick Victorian, two years ago and have been slowly rehabilitating it since. Our second house, which we lovingly refer to as “the project house,” is an 1877 Victorian Cottage currently undergoing a total and complete overhaul. For the last two years I have had the great fortune to work as Urban Renewal Manager for the City of Albany, a job that allows me not only to work for the community I love, but to guide the revitalization of our historic urban core. My work is comprised of the trifecta of attributes that anyone strives for in a job: it is diverse, rewarding, and challenging. I have the opportunity to interact with a wide array of people and organizations—from large developers to architects to urban planners. I believe in giving back to my community. I run the Friends of Historic Albany (FOHA) group, an organization committed to historic preservation and the sharing of knowledge. FOHA acts as an advocate for historic properties and is the resident voice in Albany’s preservation program and policy planning. Additionally, I serve on the Association of Oregon Renewal Agencies Executive Board and am currently participating in the International City Management Association’s two-year Emerging Leader Program. In striving for a better community, both in my professional career and in my personal life, I try to balance a respect for the past while ensuring a quality future through solid decisions that will guide our community forward. For it does not escape me that the buildings we build now, the decisions we make, and the policies we set today will be visible, palpable, in our community for decades to come. |
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Porter, Suzanne I was born and raised in the Portland area. I graduated from Portland State University a long time ago, and I have worked for the State of Oregon for many years. I forecasted the prison population and community corrections caseloads for more than 11 years. In 2008 I began forecasting self sufficiency and child welfare caseloads for the Oregon Department of Human Services. My area of interest is social policy, especially poverty and anti-poverty programs. I live in Salem with my husband, Scott, and my daughter, Erin. My son, Joe, attends the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau. |
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Reeves, Zachary Growing up here in Corvallis, I lived in an environmentally conscious community. As a result, I was always aware of it, and took an early interest in conservation. It remained in the background of my life, however, until after I was finished with college. After graduating with a degree in philosophy, I moved to Portland, and worked for two sides of the policy arena, the government and a NGO. Doing work for the Forest Service and for Trout Unlimited interested me in policy and how these organizations function. After living in New Zealand for two years, I came home with two interests: policy and the environment. OSU provided the perfect combination of the two, and here I am. |
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I grew up in the middle of nowhere, in a place that is great to be from--Burns, OR. Yes, I am an eastern Oregonian through and through. In fact, as the possible stereotypes might suggest, I was raised on a rural cattle ranch, have a huge family, graduated with 60 people, and love to get away from civilization as much as I can. After high school I shipped off to Utah to attend Brigham Young University (BYU) with the intent of becoming a veterinarian and returning to the ranch. One year later I found myself on a LDS church mission in Tulsa, Oklahoma; and for the next two years I lived/traveled throughout Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Upon returning home from my church mission I re-enrolled at BYU and obtained a Bachelors Degree in Economics with a minor in management. I worked my way through college as a research assistant, high school religion teacher, LDS missionary instructor, venture capital analyst, commodity trader, and summer hay crew boss. I spent a summer in Mexico learning Spanish, and I explored a life-long passion and learned to fly planes on my spare time. I am married to a beautiful Texan named Becca, and we have a healthy and energetic son named Bryce. While at Oregon State I plan on merging the economic/social/political/scientific implications of water into an Oregon based project that hopefully yields some practical and usable results. To do that I am double majoring in Environmental Economics and Environmental Public Policy, and I am focusing all of my electives on water related methodologies. My dreams job is an environmentally conscience yet agriculturally supportive water rights attorney, and when I make it through all of this schooling I would love to settle in the desert of Oregon, Idaho or Nevada and raise a family in the middle of nowhere just like I was. Thanks OSU for giving me a shot to learn.
I was born and raised in Beaverton, Oregon. Growing up in Northwestern Oregon had many benefits; specifically it provided many options for outdoors enthusiast. From a young age my Father would take my Brothers and I into the Cascade Mountains of Western Oregon where we would go hiking, backpacking, rafting, skiing, and cycling. As I got older these childhood experiences formed my passion for environmental preservation. Today, I am still an avid outdoorsman and you would most likely find me in the mountains skiing or mountaineering in my free time. I attended Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington for my undergraduate degree and majored in Political Science and History. My emphasis was on environmental history and I wrote my thesis on the development of Scientific Forestry in Prussia in the 19th century and the spread of that system to India and the United States. It was the combination of my passion for environmental preservation and my academic experiences that led me to the Public Policy program at Oregon State University. My focus in the MPP program is on the policy ramifications of climate change in the Pacific Northwest (PNW). I hope to work towards a sustainable future in the PNW and believe that policies combined with education can shape such a future. “God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand straining, leveling tempests and floods, but he cannot save them from fools- only Uncle Sam can do that." - John Muir (Our National Parks, 1901) |
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I grew up in Eugene, Oregon and completed my undergraduate degree at Portland State with a B.S. in Political Science and a minor in Public Health. I had been living in Portland for the last 3 years and had been working for Mayor Tom Potter on his visioning project Vision PDX. I am very interested in international health policy and social policy in different regions of the world. I eventually would like to be a policy analyst for the World Health Organization or a similar organization. I am enjoying my time here in Corvallis and am excited to be here at Oregon State! |
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It is a great pleasure for me to write my introduction. My name is Jung Hyun (first name), Song(last name). I'm from South Korea. All of my family lives in Korea. My grandfather and father were the headmen of villages over a period of ten years. They naturally influenced me about administration of my village and then I determined to study in a department of public administration. During the undergraduate and master's period, my major was Public Administration and I did a lot of projects, helping my academic advisor. When I was in graduate school, I wrote a thesis about The Effects of Social Capital on The Organizational Performance, working as an administrative assistant in the department of public administration and an assistant in the office of my academic advisor.I have an interest in Environmental Policy and Rural Policy. I will pursue a Ph.D. degree after graduating MPP.
I grew up in California, am a former Mathematics Major, and enjoy good beer and good company and good chats about politics from any perspective.
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I grew up in Costa Rica on a coffee and dairy farm just outside the nation's capital, San Jose. The Masters in Public Policy at Oregon State has fascinated me because of its exceptional balance between practice and theory, its interdisciplinary scope. My research is focused on redistributive policies in developing countries.
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Completing my BS in sociology, I was thrilled to discover that the master’s program I wanted was right here in my backyard. Twenty-five years ago I started my education—only to have it interrupted by circumstances beyond my control. About four years ago the opportunity to finish presented itself. I started in accounting, then switched to technical writing, and finally to sociology. Studying people, their habits, motivations, and actions was infinitely more interesting to me than manipulating numbers or interpreting technical data for a specific audience. That schooling won’t be wasted, however, because those skills are useful in any career. It seems to be a natural progression from studying groups of people to public policy. Public policies have ramifications for all of us, and I am extremely interested in discovering how policy is shaped and ultimately how it becomes a reality. I am attracted to social programs and civil rights issues. The MPP program will give me the skills and experience necessary to possibly help shape public policy in those areas. I am excited to have a new administration under which we can expect new ideas and directions. |
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Kellie is originally from Texas, but has been in Oregon since 1993 and has very much enjoyed her time here. She completed her undergraduate work at Southern Oregon University, and after graduation spent 3 years working for the Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program, where she witnessed the effects of the program on the lives of participants and became aware of the value of public service grant programs. She is interested in social policy with a focus on education. Currently she is a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Sociology Department.
Winters, Kirsten
I came to OSU to study environmental policy and have tapped into a |
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Adams, Vince
Aljets, Paul
Bene, Heather
Campbell, Michael 
Chatfield, Kristin 
Clark, William 
Collins, Brian 
Dhakal, Gunjan 
Ewing, Amy 
Ghimire, Narbada 
Green, Alastair 
Hamilton, Margaret 
Jacobs, Derric 
Kawanaka, Emi 
Maskey, Stuty
Matsuda, Akane 
Miaso, John 
Michaels, Julia 
Porsche, Kate
Root, Skye 
Runberg, Damon
Shaddy, Andrea
Song, Jung Hyun 
Tucker, Ashley
Vaughan, Andres
Veritas, Kathleen
Weston, Daniel