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Growing up in Kansas City, Trevor Paulus (MA International Studies, '27) was captivated by his grandmother's love of travel; her fridge covered in magnets from places he'd never been, her calls home from the road. That curiosity about the world eventually led to a seemingly simple decision to study Chinese in high school. "I took Chinese because it seemed cool and different than French or Spanish. Then I had my first class, and I was like, I'm where I'm meant to be."
That first class turned out to be the beginning of a path that has taken him across the Pacific and, this summer, to a prestigious U.S. Department of State scholarship.
This summer, Trevor will spend eight weeks in Taiwan as a recipient of the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS), a highly competitive, fully funded program of the U.S. Department of State that provides immersive overseas language study for American undergraduate and graduate students. The CLS Program offers instruction in nine languages deemed critical to U.S. national security and economic prosperity, and participants receive the equivalent of a full year of language instruction in just eight weeks through intensive coursework, cultural programming, and one-on-one time with native speaker language partners.
A Language That "Sunk Its Teeth In"
Studying Chinese in school wasn’t just an interesting elective; it was also the catalyst for Trevor’s first trip to Taiwan. "It kind of sunk its teeth into me and my interests," he said. "I've always wanted to go back."
That first trip came through the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y), the high school counterpart to the CLS Program, also administered through the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Trevor was selected for NSLI-Y in high school, studied Chinese in Taiwan, and has been chasing the language ever since through undergraduate coursework at Korbel, a junior-year study abroad in Taipei, and now the CLS Program.
"After NSLI-Y, they told us about future programs, different types of federal funding, grants, and language exchange programs. So CLS has kind of always been on my radar," he explained. He applied for CLS once during undergrad without much preparation ("I didn't really put much thought or effort in it, to be honest"), but this time around, he took a different approach.
The Application: Essays, Advisors, and Two Months of Red Pen
The CLS application consists of four essays. There are no interviews, no letters of recommendation, just the essays. That, Trevor said, is what makes the process both challenging and exciting.
"You have to be very to the T, and self-gloat, but not too much self-gloating," he said with a laugh. "Trying to balance that was crazy."
Trevor began the process by reaching out to Korbel's Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD), which then directed him to the Office of Scholar Development and Fellowship Advising. He worked closely with Dr. Savannah Pine over roughly two months, meeting weekly, turning in essays, and revising meticulously against the scholarship's stated criteria.
"It was a two-month process of just trying to get the essays on point," he shared. "I’m extremely grateful for the help I received."
Eight Weeks, One Language, One Goal
Trevor departs for Taiwan on June 17th and returns August 15th. He'll be living with a host family, a deliberate feature of the CLS Program that he is particularly excited about. "There's no other great way to get immersed than to live with a family," he said.
Beyond the language immersion, Trevor is looking forward to reconnecting with people he met during previous stays in Taiwan, including the host family he lived with during NSLI-Y in high school. He's also keenly interested in the geopolitical dimension of the trip: visiting Taiwan at a moment of considerable tension and seeing how the people who actually live there perceive the situation being discussed so intensely elsewhere.
"My main interest is media relations between the three [U.S., China, and Taiwan]," he said. "I'm hoping to get a better understanding of what it actually is like on the ground, and what people are actually thinking."
He's also mindful of the framing the CLS Program uses with its participants, that as an American abroad you are, in a sense, a citizen diplomat.
"Wherever you go as an American, you carry the badge of American on you," he said. "It'll be interesting to navigate those conversations and try to represent our country in a positive way."
Advice for Students Considering CLS
For fellow Korbel students who are curious about the CLS Program but uncertain about applying, Trevor's message is straightforward: try.
"It can't hurt to apply. I mean, I've applied twice," he said. "Work early and often with fellowship advisors at the Office of Scholar Development. Work with faculty and staff to try and hammer your essays out. If you want to travel and learn a language, there's no better scholarship to do that. It's funded, you get free flights, you get everything taken care of."
He emphasizes that the support available at Korbel is real and worth using. "There are people here who want to help you get the scholarship.”
And if it doesn't work out the first time? "There's always next year."
After nearly 40 years at the Korbel School, Professor Frank Laird is retiring, closing a chapter defined by intellectual curiosity, institutional growth, and a deep commitment to students and scholarship.
Professor Laird’s path to Denver was anything but linear. Raised in a small industrial town in Ohio, he began his academic journey studying physics at Middlebury College before continuing to graduate work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Along the way, a formative year in Edinburgh and early research in astrophysics gave way to a broader set of questions about technology, society, and policy. That shift would define his career.
“I was trying to understand how big systems change,” Professor Laird reflected. “Technology was always the through line.”
That curiosity led him to political science and, eventually, to Korbel in 1987, where he would shape generations of students and scholars. At the time, the school was a fraction of its current size. Professor Laird recalls being one of roughly a dozen faculty members; today, that number has quadrupled. With that growth came not just scale but transformation.
“Both the undergrad and master’s programs have grown so much,” he noted. The Korbel School now reflects a faster-paced, professionally oriented environment, one where students arrive with ambition and depart quickly to make their mark in the world.
Throughout his tenure, Professor Laird’s early research interests on environmental policy and risk assessment evolved into historically grounded analyses of energy systems and public policy. Influenced in part by Deborah Stone’s Policy Paradox, Professor Laird developed a perspective that blended theory, history, and practice, an approach that resonated with students navigating complex global challenges.
Beyond his own scholarship, Professor Laird played a key role in building academic communities. He was a co-founder of a section within the American Political Science Association focused on science, technology, and environmental politics, helping to connect and mentor emerging scholars across the field.
In the classroom, Professor Laird found one of the most rewarding aspects of his career. “I remember one particular policy class,” he said. “We didn’t even get through a quarter of my notes. We got these discussions going, and we just roared ahead. The students were engaged, and they said interesting things. It was one of those moments where I thought, ‘Wow, this teaching stuff is really fun.’”
Professor Laird also served in leadership roles, including multiple terms as associate dean. Those experiences, while challenging, offered a valuable perspective. “I learned my strengths and weaknesses,” he reflected, emphasizing how administrative work deepened his appreciation for the complexity of running an academic institution.
As he prepares to retire, Professor Laird remains intellectually engaged. He is already working on a book manuscript on renewable energy policy and looks forward to exploring new writing projects. He envisions spending time in a local coffee shop, writing without distraction and revisiting ideas long set aside during the demands of academic life.
His advice to emerging scholars is both timely and optimistic. In an era of disruption, particularly in fields like climate and science policy, Professor Laird sees opportunity. “It’s a challenging time,” he acknowledged, “but also a chance to rethink assumptions and build something better.”
As the Korbel community celebrates his retirement, Professor Laird leaves behind not just a body of work, but a legacy of mentorship, curiosity, and thoughtful engagement with the world’s most pressing challenges. Korbel has been his home to develop those sides of himself, even as it has changed alongside him, too. “We shape institutions, but they also shape us,” he said. “I’ll always be really grateful for that.”
At the Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs, student success is built through a support network designed to help students navigate both the big picture of their academic journey and the day-to-day details that come with it.
At the center of that network is Korbel’s Student Affairs team.
Student Affairs provides valuable logistical and practical support that helps students move forward with confidence, from choosing and scheduling classes to developing long-term academic plans. Just as importantly, the team helps students cut through the complexity of a large university so they can focus on what matters most: learning, growing, and discovering their path.
“I love helping people,” said Director of Graduate Student Affairs Debbie Gaylinn, who has spent almost a decade supporting Korbel students. “I love new challenges. Even though I’ve been here for such a long time, new questions come up daily, so it makes it interesting. If students come with hard questions, it’s like a puzzle. I love it and it gives me a thrill to try to make everything they want happen for them.”
Debbie Gaylinn, Director of Graduate Student Affairs
Academic Support
Korbel’s Student Affairs team supports both graduate and undergraduate students.
For undergraduate students, support begins early and evolves over time. First-year advising is coordinated through the Office of Academic Advising, while Korbel’s Student Affairs team steps in more directly as students progress in their programs. From the second year on, Korbel undergraduates work closely with Student Affairs staff, including Mayumi Beckelheimer, Director of Undergraduate Programs.
Mayumi Beckelheimer, Director of Undergraduate Programs
Mayumi has spent more than ten years at DU working in student service roles. She currently works with hundreds of students across International Studies and Public Policy majors and minors every year. For Mayumi, advising is about more than course planning. It’s about connection.
“I love student stories,” Mayumi said. “I love finding a personal connection with each person.” From remembering their dream car to gushing over their favorite foods, Mayumi builds genuine relationships with the many students who walk into her office. “I want to be the fun meeting.”
In a large university environment, knowing where to go — and who to ask — can make all the difference.
“Anytime students have a question, I would want them to start with us,” Debbie explained. “It’s a big university, and there are a lot of people. I hate to see students who are wandering around campus looking for something when I’ve been there for 20 years and can help them with their question.”
That accessibility is reinforced not only by staff, but also by student employees, some of whom serve as peer advisors. These roles create a unique bridge between students navigating Korbel for the first time and those who have already learned how to make the most of it.
“Everyone on our Student Affairs team is very intentional in creating a community of care for our students, where they also get to thrive academically,” said undergraduate Peer Advisor Lety Madrigal Tapia, as she talked about her “wonderful experience” working for the Student Affairs Office. “Throughout my job, I have learned more about Korbel and all it has to offer us as students – and, in turn, I get to share that with the students I advise.”
Career Development and Experiential Learning Opportunities
Beyond academics, Student Affairs plays a critical role in helping students translate their interests into real-world experiences that allow students to test their interests in various contexts and begin answering important questions about their future.
Students have access to funding opportunities that support conference travel, immersive language programs abroad, and even emergency funding for international students, much of which is coordinated through Student Affairs. These resources are designed to remove barriers and ensure students can take advantage of opportunities that shape their academic and professional trajectories.
Student Affairs also facilitates graduate study abroad programs, a particularly distinctive part of the Korbel experience. Through partnerships with other international relations schools around the world, students can participate in exchange programs while paying the same tuition they would on campus.
In addition, Debbie and Mayumi also support student organizations and student government by providing guidance and resources that allow students to lead initiatives, build community, and develop leadership skills.
Building Community and Connection
While academic and professional development are essential, Student Affairs also plays a central role in ensuring students feel connected to each other, faculty, and the broader Korbel community.
“What I love about Korbel is that we’re really trying to build a sense of community,” Mayumi said. “We try to make undergrads feel included and evolve the Korbel culture to incorporate students at all levels into the greater community.”
Throughout the year, the team organizes events designed to bring students together, from larger quarterly outings – like group trips to the theater or trivia nights – to more intimate opportunities such as lunches with the Dean. These moments create space for connection beyond the classroom.
“There’s so much to get involved with,” Debbie shared.
For Debbie, among the most rewarding aspects of her work is seeing that sense of connection come full circle from orientation to graduation.
“It’s so exciting to watch students come so far in two years and do such amazing things. I live vicariously through all of them.” she said. “It makes me feel hopeful about this generation and our future seeing these incredible people who care so much and are now so skilled.”
Approachability and Everyday Support
If there is one theme that runs through every aspect of Student Affairs, it’s approachability.
For Debbie, Mayumi, and the entire Student Affairs staff, that means maintaining an open-door policy and making themselves available to students whenever they need support.
“I love it when students stop by just to say hi,” Debbie said. “More than half of the students I meet with are walk-ins.”
That consistency is intentional for the team, who understands how overwhelming it can feel to navigate a university, especially for new students. But strong communication and responsiveness can make that experience more manageable, shares Mayumi.
“I hope I can be the constant support for students so it’s not so overwhelming to deal with everything,” Mayumi said. “I want to be the reassurance for people and the catch-all to direct them where to go.”
In practice, that accessibility makes a lasting impact. Many students rely on the team not just for answers, but for that sense of reassurance.
“The Student Affairs team has been instrumental in my experience at Korbel,” said Marisa Leagh Rugg, a second-year MA in International Studies student. “It doesn't matter if I send multiple emails, schedule another follow-up meeting, or just pop in with a question, I consistently leave each interaction with clarity and support. If they don't have the answer, they will always point me in the right direction or reach out on my behalf to gather the information I need.”
A Commitment That Lasts
For the Student Affairs team, this work is more than a role – It’s a long-term commitment to students and to the Korbel community.
“The students always motivate me, as do the people I work with. No matter how good or bad my day is, I always want to show up for them,” said Mayumi.
She also points to the culture of leadership within Korbel as a key part of that experience.
“I really love Korbel,” she added. “I love our leadership and am building more ways to get students connected with them. Having worked with Dean Mayer, I have consistently felt the care and transparency that is always there. He really cares, and he addresses areas of growth and opportunities to celebrate.”
At its core, Korbel’s Student Affairs team is built on a simple idea: Students should never have to navigate their university experience alone. Through academic guidance, professional opportunities, community-building, and everyday support, the team helps ensure that from day one, every student has the tools, relationships, and confidence to succeed.
Students at Korbel often describe their community as more than just a shared academic space. It’s also a deliberate choice, a place where students arrive with intention. For Matthew Krieger (BA, International Studies, 2028), that sense of purpose is what ultimately drew them back to the classroom after years of professional and military experience.
Matt is an undergraduate international studies major who brings a depth of experience shaped by their time in the workforce and military, perspectives that distinguish their path to Korbel from others who start their bachelor's right after undergrad. Prior to moving to Denver, Matt spent four years in the U.S. Navy, followed by several years working in cybersecurity roles across federal agencies, including positions at the Pentagon, the Senate, and the State Department. While their career offered stability, “it wasn’t something that I was ever going to be passionate about,” Krieger said.
That realization, paired with the opportunity to use GI Bill benefits, prompted a turning point. After relocating to Colorado in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Krieger began reconsidering their future. Their longstanding interests in politics, travel, and global perspectives led them to explore programs at the University of Denver and ultimately to Korbel. “DU just made the most sense, and then I learned more about Korbel specifically, and saw how well regarded the international relations school was,” they said.
Krieger’s decision to pursue international studies was also shaped by their desire to better understand perspectives beyond the U.S. “It’s really easy to live in a bubble,” they noted. “I started feeling that way in my old cybersecurity career, and I really want to pursue a career that helps me understand different perspectives around the world.”
That global curiosity is grounded in lived experience. While their time in the Navy involved limited international travel, their later work and life in D.C. exposed them to foreign service professionals and global policy environments. At the same time, Krieger credits their military service, particularly time spent in the American South, with broadening their understanding of domestic perspectives often overlooked in policy conversations.
“If our laws and policies are exclusively written by people that have never known scarcity, we’re going to leave out the needs of people that know scarcity,” they said.
At Korbel, Krieger has found a community that encourages exactly this kind of reflection. While they acknowledge that the broader university culture can mirror that of other predominantly affluent institutions, they see Korbel as distinct. “Korbel does feel like a group of people that aspire to be more introspective,” they said. “People here tend to want to understand the way things work… and the real-life implications of the systems we operate in.”
That intentionality is what sets the school apart. “I don’t think people just find themselves in a place like Korbel. I think it is chosen,” Krieger added.
For Krieger, community at Korbel isn’t defined by clubs or traditional undergraduate social life, but by meaningful classroom conversations and shared purpose. As someone returning to school after years of professional experience, they initially worried about standing out, but quickly realized those concerns were largely internal. “No one cares,” they said. “You may be acutely aware of what makes your journey different, but that just helps you in the long run.”
Instead, their age and experience have become assets. Krieger feels more confident engaging with professors and contributing to discussions in a candid, informed way. “I’ve had a career. I’ve lived life, but I still recognize I have so much to learn,” they said.
Looking ahead, Krieger plans to focus on global health and hopes to continue into a master’s program through Korbel’s JumpStart program. Their interests lie in understanding systemic health challenges in developing nations, though they remain critical of traditional international development frameworks. “There’s a lot of neo-colonialism there that needs to be broken down,” they said.
Even as they describe themselves as “still new” to the Korbel space, Krieger points to alumni as a powerful reflection of the school’s impact. “An incredible example of the quality of a program is how alumni speak of it,” they said.
For Krieger, that enthusiasm is contagious and reinforces their decision to be part of a community that values curiosity, perspective, and purpose.
Learn more about what our undergraduate programs can offer here.
At the Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs, global challenges are not abstract. They are lived, debated, researched, and translated into action. A shining example of this real-world approach is Korbel’s Sié Chéou-Kang Center for International Security and Diplomacy, a research hub born from a vision that ideas, when supported and connected, can move the world toward greater peace, security, prosperity, and justice.
Thanks to a transformative endowment from the Anna & John J. Sié Foundation, the Sié Center was dedicated in 2009 and named in honor of John Sié's father, Ambassador Sié Chéou-Kang, an extraordinary diplomat, educator, author and playwright, who spent much of his adult life in Europe forging relationships on behalf of China. Inspired by Ambassador Sié Chéou-Kang’s legacy of bridge-building, the Center was designed to bring scholars together across disciplines and perspectives.
This generous gift created more than a physical space; It established a durable intellectual infrastructure designed to support interdisciplinary research and elevate scholarship that bridges security and diplomacy across sectors and borders.
Korbel Distinguished University Professor Deborah Avant became the center’s inaugural director, and under her leadership, the center launched important, policy-relevant initiatives and brought in its first faculty and students. Over time, the Center has evolved through different leadership eras, partnerships, and major grants, including multiple iterations of Carnegie Corporation funding.
“As it exists today, the Sié Center serves as a dynamic hub to support faculty whose research interests span the spectrum of security and diplomacy – from nuclear strategy and military security to cultural diplomacy, gender and security, conflict studies, and climate governance,” said Ashten Scheller, program manager of the Sié Center. “We want to be responsive to global events as they happen.”
Today, the Sié Center is led by Korbel Professor Rachel Epstein, who continues Sié’s ambition to keep communities informed through pathbreaking faculty research and programming on ongoing global issues, from the recent elections in Bangladesh to nuclear non-proliferation efforts to understanding limits on immigrants' and asylum seekers' legal access in the United States.
“In our programming, we connect faculty research to events unfolding in real time,” Dr. Epstein said. Faculty expertise puts world developments in historical perspective and illuminates the deeper sources of conflict and cooperation across many regional settings.”
The Sié Center brings research to light to ensure scholarship serving the public good reaches the public itself. Through its primary engagement initiatives, the center explores how academics and policymakers can engage ethically and effectively:
Beyond these initiatives, Sié hosts more than two dozen events and programs each year, including new “Policy Pop-Ups” that bring faculty together for informal conversations about pressing global events, giving students direct access to expertise beyond the classroom.
“We want to be a hub for research and also a gathering hub for community,” Scheller shared, an ethos that is visible in how the center supports both faculty and students.
Faculty Support
From its earliest days, the center’s intention was clear: build an interdisciplinary body of research that cuts across silos, enabling faculty within Korbel and across DU departments such as the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences, along with visiting scholars and practitioners, to collaborate in an ongoing exchange of ideas.
Supporting such research and collaboration means more than administrative coordination. It means working directly with faculty who secure external grants, offering frequent feedback, connecting research opportunities with available funding, and brainstorming programming ideas.
For example, Sié staff coordinate with affiliated faculty like Dr. Hilary Matfess, who leads a team of 14 research assistants as part of a grant on Women’s Mobilization Within Armed Groups During and After War, and support other leading projects on nuclear security, democratic erosion, climate transitions, and global economic restructuring. The center provides the backbone that allows these projects to scale.
Sié’s small staff team has always had an outsized impact. The centralized structure — typically a director and program manager partnership — creates a focused research support unit within the larger school.
“It allows us to specialize more in our program and, in some ways, be more creative with our programming,” Scheller explained. This tight coordination enables faster idea generation, more constructive brainstorming, and targeted administrative support for research projects, she said.
In addition, while high-level research often happens behind the scenes, the Sié Center ensures it does not stay there.
“Because we understand the wide-ranging research outputs of all faculty, we also try to support them in communicating to the public via social media and newsletter announcements to increase their exposure,” Scheller added.
“The Sié Center is also about providing research resources to outstanding students,” said Scheller.
Between 30 and 40 students support affiliated faculty each academic year and do much more than research alone. Assistants develop skills in data collection, literature review curation, analytical writing, and subject-matter mastery, often working one-on-one with faculty in intensive mentorship relationships. Among these research assistants are the highly competitive Sié Fellows, who receive full scholarships that help remove financial barriers and embed students directly in active research.
These unique research experiences and direct line to Sié faculty affiliates have shaped many careers during students’ time at Korbel and after graduation. Here are just a few of many Sié student stories:
Universities produce important research, but that research does not always travel on its own. Centers and institutes create a structure that allows scholarships to thrive, even beyond academia.
“Centers provide increased research support and reduce systemic barriers for our faculty,” Scheller said. “As we are able to focus on our specific faculty’s research and needs, Sié allows resources to be allocated more specifically and efficiently to research clusters.”
Without that structure, research can happen more slowly, more sporadically. A center provides organizational scaffolding around research, bringing visibility to work already underway while helping faculty balance scholarship with public engagement, student mentorship, and grant development.
Beyond faculty initiatives, centers and institutes allow opportunities for greater student engagement “because they centralize research projects into both clear and tangible opportunities within the school,” Scheller added.
At the Sié Center, that structure translates into measurable impact that reframes traditional divides in global affairs and contributes to real-world understanding and experience.
The world of security and diplomacy is not static. Neither is the Sié Center.
“Times have always been tumultuous. But today’s foreign policy landscape moves quickly — and the public wants clarity,” Scheller said. “The Sié Center exists to ensure that when global events unfold, the experts are ready, the research is visible, and the next generation of scholars and practitioners is already engaged in the work.”
In the 2025–2026 academic year, programming highlights the human costs and policy dilemmas of Russia’s war in Ukraine; the restructuring of the global economic order under renewed U.S. tariffs; the power of cultural diplomacy through sports and the arts; and the domestic and international implications of a second Trump presidency, among many other pressing topics.
Student simulations, data workshops, and spring programming on nuclear proliferation, democratic erosion, genocide, and the global energy transition are already underway.
The center’s priority remains constant even as topics shift, as staff at Sié continue working directly with faculty to support their most impactful research and ensure that expertise informs public conversation.
“By linking faculty research to analysis of developments in world politics, the Sié Center highlights the importance of deep and free inquiry, independent of any given political wind,” said Dr. Epstein. “Our faculty and students remain committed to seeking the truth, no matter how unpopular or controversial it may be.”
For Braxton Fuller (MA, International Studies, 2026), one of the defining moments of his graduate school journey took place far beyond Denver. In his first year, he traveled into the heart of Peru’s Amazon rainforest, working alongside Indigenous communities and international researchers in one of the most biodiverse places on Earth.
The experience was part of an internship with the Tree Foundation, a research nonprofit operating in Maijuna territory. Braxton found the lead through the Explorer’s Club, a national organization of scientists and adventurers with whom he’d worked as a speleologist and editor of a cave science publication. After finding the lead, he turned to Korbel’s Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD) to help prepare his application materials. “OCPD is extremely helpful in everything they do,” Braxton said. “Jamie and Rae Ann are so encouraging and make things possible.”
Braxton ended up talking to Meg Lowman, the CEO and Founder of the Tree Foundation. She was going to the Amazon for work, and she offered Braxton the internship. Amongst his list of options, his reaction was immediate: “That one.”
Life and Work in the Amazon
Within weeks, Braxton found himself traveling upriver by boat from the city of Iquitos. “We sailed for four days,” he said. “I couldn’t believe it. We were in a boat in the middle of the Amazon.”
The Tree Foundation operates in Maijuna territory, a region slightly larger than New Jersey and home to about 500 people across four settlements. The organization conducts canopy research while coordinating closely with local communities, medical teams, and eco-tourism organizations.
A major initiative of the Tree Foundation is to aid Indigenous people as they navigate increased traffic on the Amazon, a side effect of the Iquitos-El Estrecho Highway’s construction and it ecological impacts. Braxton’s efforts to aid that mission were different every day: helping transport supplies, setting up blood drives, and mapping canopy walkways the Maijuna tribe uses in the forest are just a few examples. From fishing with local families and navigating language barriers, each day required adaptability.
“One of the most gratifying things happened with one family whose home I was staying at,” Braxton said. “They lived in an outdoor hut, and when it rained in the middle of the night, I woke up with the family. I helped them harvest a root for cooking, and once I was done, I noticed one of their boats was filled with rainwater. I discreetly bailed out the water so they could go into town later that day before they could stop me. It was a really gratifying moment. They paid me the kindness of letting a random guy stay in their house, and I paid them the small favor of getting them food and taking care of their boat.”
Experiences like these reinforced a key lesson Braxton will carry into his career: the importance of building genuine relationships.
Lessons in Leadership and Connection
Through his day-to-day, Braxton met humanitarian leaders from around the world. “There’s a Peruvian version of the Red Cross that we worked with to help set up the blood drives,” he said. “There are the other medical teams and the eco-tourism groups, too. There was one intern, like me, who was traveling from Duke, and we worked together a lot.”
These connections required Braxton to develop a new set of communication skills. “Caving prepared me for uncomfortable scenarios already,” Braxton said. “When you’re underground, it can get really cold and wet, and maybe you’re light on sleep. In that sort of state, a joke can really bring people together. But that’s not always appropriate when you’re working across cultures and language barriers.”
Meg taught him a different approach, but one that still built on his strengths. “I’m naturally good at being cheery and cooperative when things are hard. If you can make somebody laugh, you can make somebody feel that you’re having a genuine conversation with them, then you’ve done most of the work. Meg helped me tailor that for the international, humanitarian work we were doing together.”
Carrying the Amazon’s Lessons into a Global Career
Now nearing graduation, Braxton is exploring the next steps that build on his interests in communication, fieldwork, and global service. While his path may not be linear, his time in the Amazon has already shaped how he approaches both challenges and opportunities.
And, of course, it delivered on a lifelong expectation.
“I guess my whole life I have thought one day I’d see the Amazon,” he said. “But actually sticking my hand in the Amazon River was pretty crazy.”
To learn more about the Maijuna People and humanitarian interventions, read Braxton’s article with the Tree Foundation here.
The Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs is proud to announce that Professor Deborah Avant has been recognized with the Distinguished Scholar Award by the International Studies Association’s International Security Studies Section (ISSS) and Interdisciplinary Studies Section (IDSS). This prestigious honor, awarded by an interdisciplinary community of scholars dedicated to addressing pressing global issues, recognizes her outstanding research, leadership, and influence in the field of international security.
Professor Avant is the Sié Chéou-Kang Chair and Distinguished University Professor at Korbel, where she is widely known for her expertise in global governance, security studies, and civil–military relations. As the award demonstrates, Professor Avant has built a truly exceptional career as a scholar, educator, and leader whose work has shaped how scholars and policymakers alike think about security and governance.
In the 2000s, Professor Avant broke new ground by studying private military and security companies and the prominent role they played in the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Her 2005 book The Market for Force: The Consequences of Privatizing Security earned widespread acclaim for exposing how outsourcing military power transforms conflict and global politics. Her analysis highlighted regulatory gaps and democratic risks.
In 2007, Avant testified before the U.S. Congress on the extensive role of private contractors to train Iraqi Security Forces, solidifying her reputation as a scholar whose research transcends the academy to shape strategic and impactful change. As the role of private military and security actors grew in scope and scale, her research and advocacy evolved in tandem, with Avant advancing pragmatic approaches to governance and accountability. For this pioneering work, she was later awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of St. Gallen.
"Through her distinguished career, the hallmark of Deborah's scholarship has been a remarkably broad-ranging intellect and an unusual comfort with complexity. Those attributes have made her work a model of engaged scholarship that seeks not only to understand an issue but also to inform those who would address it."
Frederick “Fritz” Mayer, Dean and Professor, Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs
In 2011, Professor Avant became the Sié Chéou-Kang Chair and inaugural faculty director of the Korbel School’s Sié Chéou-Kang Center for International Security and Diplomacy (Sié Center). Under her leadership, the Center grew rapidly, welcoming new faculty, launching multiple initiatives, and becoming a model for engaged scholarship on security, peace, and governance. She built multidisciplinary programs and partnerships that brought together faculty and students on policy-relevant research projects.
Among other accomplishments, she and a team of faculty at the Sié Center secured a $1,000,000 grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York in 2014 to research the peacebuilding role of nonviolent, non-state actors. This project became a centerpiece of the Sié Center’s research and scholarship.
Under Avant’s leadership, the Sié Center also became the first home of the Journal of Global Security Studies (JoGSS), a new journal launched by Avant under the auspices of the International Studies Association. As the founding Editor-in-Chief from 2016–2020, Avant shaped the journal around her vision of security as an interdisciplinary field, challenging scholars to examine security in broader global and societal contexts.
In 2016, she also published an edited volume The New Power Politics (with Oliver Westerwinter) which explored transnational security networks and illustrated how governance depends on actors like NGOs, businesses, and activists, as well as states. This was followed up by Civil Action and the Dynamics of Violence (edited with Marie Berry, Erica Chenoweth, Rachel Epstein, Cullen Hendrix, Oliver Kaplan, and Timothy Sisk), which showcases research stemming from the Carnegie Corporation-supported grant and examines how citizen-led non-violent efforts in conflict zones resist, reshape, and rebuild social order amid war.
Professor Avant has also held numerous leadership roles in the scholarly community. She served as ISA President from 2022–2023, guiding the profession during a time of renewed global challenges. In 2021, the University of Denver named her a Distinguished University Professor. Her service also includes editorial and advisory board roles. Outside the academy, she regularly advises governments, NGOs, and international organizations on security and governance. Through teaching and mentorship, Professor Avant has influenced a generation of students at Korbel and beyond.
“Dr. Avant was a fantastic professional role model, mentor, and scholar. She possesses a virtually unlimited capacity for scholarly and intellectual work, has built and leveraged a diverse network of professional colleagues to the advantage and edification of those around her, and can make the most unexpected connections between intellectual threads.”
Sarah Bakhtiari, PhD, (Colonel, retired), Korbel Class of 2016
The Distinguished Scholar Award from the ISSS and IDSS is more than an award. It signals recognition by the global community of scholars and practitioners that Avant’s work has moved the needle not just within international security studies but across disciplines and into real-world policy. For Korbel, it reinforces our position as a school where cutting-edge research, high-impact teaching, and global engagement come together.
“Deborah Avant is renowned for her path-breaking work in global governance, security studies, and civil-military relations. A hallmark of her scholarship, and central to its significance, is her interdisciplinary perspective, intertwined with her commitment to grappling empirically and conceptually with political phenomena that matter. In her many disciplinary roles — like serving as the founding editor-in-chief of the Journal of Global Security Studies — she has expanded the avenues for a broader conception of “security” within our discipline, encouraging cross-disciplinary approaches and bringing underrepresented voices into the scholarly conversation.”
Naazneen Barma, Professor and Director of the Scrivner Institute of Public Policy at the Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs
The impact of Professor Avant’s work can be felt in classrooms, policy forums, and in the careers of the students she mentors. Korbel will continue building on that legacy: connecting students to global security practitioners, supporting interdisciplinary research, and convening dialogue on the great issues of our time. Her influence will guide the next generation of scholars, diplomats, and public leaders.
In Instructor Carla Canales’ Cultural Diplomacy class, students don’t just study diplomacy. They practice it.
Students learn about diplomacy from a world-renowned practitioner and create program proposals with budgets and full implementation plans. They leave not only with an understanding of the field but also a project portfolio, connections, and the confidence to start careers in diplomacy.
The course is offered through the Sié Chéou-Kang Center for International Security and Diplomacy’s Cultural Diplomacy Initiative, funded by a gift from the Bonfils Stanton Foundation. It is an intensive, 8-to-10 day class in the middle of the Spring Quarter, open to current Korbel students and influential community members. Together, Instructor Canales packages theory, practice, and networking into one experience.
A Practitioner’s Perspective
To kick off her course, Instructor Canales pulls from her wealth of experience doing cultural diplomacy programming for 20 years. She was initially trained as a classical opera singer, and her passion for entrepreneurship eventually led her to work as an arts envoy for the State Department. She served the Biden Administration at the National Endowment for the Arts and later at the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, as Senior Advisor and Envoy for Cultural Exchange. Through collaboration with the Biden-Harris White House and other institutions, she promoted the arts and humanities as bridges to foster dialogue, connection, empathy, and change-making.
“There are three key components to the class,” Instructor Canales shared. “The first pillar is looking at definitions, looking at the theoretical. Let’s define culture.”
She goes on to explain how essential this is for diplomats. “When a politician or diplomat gets in front of a group, the audience senses that the speaker wants something. When an artist gets in front of a group, we expect them to give us something. They’re going to share a piece of their heart. The superpower of this class, and of cultural diplomacy, is learning how to make those work together.”
For the second pillar, students look at case studies, analyze historical and global examples of cultural diplomacy, and explore successful programs and lessons learned. This middle component helps put cultural programs in context, which is an important prerequisite for understanding diplomacy’s modern landscape.
“The third pillar,” Instructor Canales said, “is to look at current events and the future. Let’s look at modern technology, like AI, which is such a game-changer. Let’s understand the global ecosystem. Then, we can learn how to intervene and make a meaningful difference.”
Creating Programs in Community
The small, collaborative nature of the course is intentional. In past quarters, Instructor Canales has opened it to the public, allowing students to work directly with community members already well into their careers.
“Last year, we had high-level local art leaders,” Instructor Canales said. “These are people whom I consider my peers. They audit the class, and students get to work alongside them. That’s a huge networking opportunity.”
Instead of a final paper or an exam, students create a cultural diplomacy program in groups with industry leaders. “They’re given a very specific simulation,” Instructor Canales said. “That simulation includes a challenge in the real world that they can help solve. My goal is for every student’s solution to be an actionable program. They work with their group and make a PowerPoint with a spreadsheet, a budget, and projects that could be put into place and implemented the next day.”
The exercise pushes students to think beyond theory and toward real-world solutions they can carry into their careers, without sacrificing understanding of theory. “Denver is the perfect place for this sort of work,” Instructor Canales shared. “I spend a lot of time going back and forth between Cambridge and D.C., but it’s critical for folks in the Beltway to still have their ears to the ground with what’s going on in other parts of the country. Korbel gives you that distance and perspective, and I look forward to teaching here every year.”
Rethinking Culture’s Role in Global Affairs
For students interested in diplomacy, international development, or global cultural exchange, the course offers a rare chance to test ideas in a practical setting while learning from seasoned professionals.
Instructor Canales hopes students leave with the confidence to act. “If you're looking to learn how to do this work in under a week, this is the course for you,” she said. “You'll come away with a full understanding of how to do cultural diplomacy.”
Read more about Instructor Carla Canales’ career here, and dive more into the Sié Center’s programming here.
The Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs is proud to announce that it has joined the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA), a global association dedicated to advancing excellence in public service education.
For the Korbel School, NASPAA membership strengthens our connection to an international community focused on educating the next generation of public service leaders. Students will benefit from expanded opportunities to engage with peers from around the world through initiatives such as the Global Student Simulation Competition, as well as increased visibility within a network of leading public service institutions.
Membership also connects Korbel faculty and programs to a community dedicated to innovation in teaching, curriculum design, and professional development. By participating in this global network, the Korbel School continues to enhance opportunities for students to access career pathways, academic resources, and professional communities shaping the future of public policy and public affairs.
Joining the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration reflects the Korbel School’s ongoing commitment to preparing graduates with the analytical skills, global perspective, and practical understanding needed to serve communities and institutions around the world.
The Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration is a nonprofit membership association representing more than 300 institutional members across 28 countries and serving more than 25,000 students worldwide. Through its global network, NASPAA brings together leading schools committed to preparing students for careers in public service, public policy, and public affairs.
Learn more about the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration:
https://www.naspaa.org/
As an undergraduate student, declaring a major is not always easy. Narrowing down career aspirations into one subject matter can feel overwhelming without the proper support. It’s no surprise that many students start college undeclared.
Lila Ash, a current sophomore and double major in International Studies and Criminology, was one of these students. She moved from Philadelphia and started college without declaring a major, but over the course of her first year, she took advantage of the Korbel School’s diverse class roster and flexibility to craft her ideal degree program.
Lila recently shared her journey from undecided to double major who studies abroad, hoping to help other students who are just starting their degrees.
Lila: Mountains. Nature. Access to the outdoors. I love Philly, but there wasn’t anything similar back home. DU’s study abroad program appealed to me, too, so all of the above made it a really easy decision to move out here.
Lila: I always knew I wanted to go to college because a lot of the jobs I was interested in required a bachelor’s degree. Criminology has always been an interest of mine, so I looked at schools with criminology programs. I waited to declare a major, though, because I wasn’t 100% positive that was my only path. I’ve also always been interested in politics and sociology. I’m curious how people interact with each other and with systems, especially with global politics.
Lila: I was looking at the class roster to register and saw a Global Politics course at Korbel. I was already interested in politics and global affairs, so it was the perfect class for me. I had a really great professor, and the class was amazing. I realized I have a genuine interest in this, and from there, I started learning more about Korbel and its programs.
Lila: Professor Keith Gehring. It wasn’t until my first Spring Quarter that I declared my major in International Studies, and that was because of him. He's a fantastic professor and a great instructor, and he really pushed me to make that final step. He helped me realize just how valuable an experience at Korbel could be.
Lila: It's a lot more flexible than a lot of people think. A lot of people at Korbel have a very specific goal, and it's easy to feel intimidated. There are people ready to go to law school or to go into government work, but those aren’t the only paths. The degree is a lot more flexible. You can make it your own. Personally, I don't want to work for the government or become a foreign services officer, but the classes are still very relevant and interesting. It’s very easy to see how they’ll help my career, even if I don’t have my path 100% figured out yet. I think my experience is pretty common here, too.
Lila: There are lots of driven, dedicated people here, especially since there are lots of people here who have a specific career goal in mind. Other students help me stay on track and keep in mind why I'm doing this. It's a really great support system. Everybody's motivating themselves to be the best and most involved students they can be.
Lila: I’m still very interested in Criminology and Global Politics, so seeing how those two things overlap has been really helpful. After starting in International Studies, I looked back on my interests and realized that I was always interested in extremist behavior. Korbel helped me realize I want to pursue a career in counter-extremism through a non-profit or non-government agency.
Lila: Thankfully, there are lots of programs here that complement the International Studies degree. Criminology is one of them, as it’s sort of designed to be a double major. With the support of Korbel and different advisors in my programs, you really have all the support you need.
Lila: That was one of my main draws. They’re everywhere. This past Winter Interterm, I was in the Balkans: Serbia, Bosnia, and Croatia. We met with a lot of important figures and officials within those countries. There were some great reporters we met in Serbia who were discussing their work. We met with a bunch of different ambassadors and former ambassadors, as well as a representative at the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia. I met and learned from a lot of really important figures. If I’d gone to school anywhere else, I think I would’ve missed out. It feels unique to Korbel and its connections. Professor Gehring led that trip, and he made the whole experience possible. I’m already planning on more study abroad trips, I’m just not sure which ones yet.
Lila: If you have any kind of interest in politics or policy, whether domestic or on a grater scale, there is a place for you here. There's so much you can do with it. You have the five different concentrations, and there's a ton of different electives and courses. A lot of them can focus on global affairs or particular topics, like this terrorism class I’m taking right now that is super fascinating. As someone interested in counter-extremism, there's a wide range and a lot of depth to the major. Even though you may feel intimidated by the people who get all these fellowships and already know their careers, it doesn’t feel overwhelming or exclusionary once you’re here. There is a place for everybody in this major.
The Korbel School offers two undergraduate majors and minors, International Studies and Public Policy, designed to give students the flexibility, global perspective, and hands-on experience to start impactful careers. With customizable concentrations, immersive study abroad opportunities, and close faculty mentorship, Korbel empowers students to shape a degree that aligns with their goals, even if those goals are still evolving.
Learn more about our degrees, concentrations, and certificates here, and contact our admissions team at [email protected] with any questions. Curious what a Korbel study abroad experience really looks like? Read one student’s firsthand perspective on the Balkans trip and see how learning extends far beyond the classroom.
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