Director's Welcome

The great Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci once said, “It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.” The alumni, current students, staff and faculty that make up the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) are the type of people who “happen to things.” In the stories in this newsletter, you will discover this spirit in action. You will read about the work of Jessica Agnew, one of our newly minted doctoral students, on nutritional access in Africa. You will learn about one of our master’s students, Jordan Frijas, in the Governor’s Fellows Program. Also featured are SPIA faculty members Ariel Ahram and Todd Schenk, who were promoted this year. Ariel and Todd represent the type of first-class scholars who teach and conduct research at SPIA. We are unequivocally proud of the school’s human capital.

You will also read about one of the many fantastic programs that SPIA has been running in our state capital, Richmond, for the last several years. The Virginia Management Fellows (VMF) program seeks to strengthen the succession planning bench for leadership and management roles in all branches of state government. At the end of their two-year fellowship period, it is anticipated that fellows will apply to positions within state government. The track record so far has been impressive.  Learn more about VMF and other leadership programs in Richmond here.

Richmond is not the only campus where SPIA offers leadership development programs. In our Arlington campus, we will offer the second iteration of our National Security Executive Leadership Program (NSELP), beginning in November. NSELP is available to professionals of all backgrounds with an interest in national security, as well as Virginia Tech graduate students. Participants will gain a firm foundational knowledge of the U.S. national security apparatus, instruments of national power, the appropriations process, and critical decision-making. They will also gain a background in technical and regional policy issues. NSELP will be taught virtually by an outstanding cohort of academics and policy experts. For more details, view the NSELP website.

The continuing grip of a global pandemic has not altered the impact of SPIA, thanks to the drive and dedication of our people. So, I urge all SPIA and CAUS alumni to continue to happen to things!

Respectfully,
Mehrzad Boroujerdi