Korbel ranked 12th best place in the world to earn a master’s degree in international relations.
Korbel ranked 20th in the world for the best undergraduate degree in international studies.
Korbel ranked 12th best place in the world to earn a master’s degree in international relations.
Korbel ranked 20th in the world for the best undergraduate degree in international studies.
Sabre Morris (M.A. International Security, 2020) first encountered the world of international affairs in a middle school classroom in her hometown of Aurora, Colorado, where she participated in a hands-on experience called the ‘World Affairs Challenge’ Her social studies teacher noticed the spark, and not long after, her mother handed her a clipped article from Essence magazine featuring a Foreign Service Officer stationed in Costa Rica. “This is something you could do,” she said, and Morris believed her.
That early encouragement stayed with her. Throughout high school, she dove into globally focused extracurriculars like speech and debate and Model United Nations, finding energy and purpose in understanding how different countries and cultures interact. But it was at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies where Morris began to grasp the full range of what a global career could look like. “I went into this thinking the only way to do international work was through the Foreign Service,” she said. “Honestly, I give credit to Korbel. I learned there are so many opportunities in the international affairs space, across both the public and private sectors.” While internships with the Department of State helped clarify career opportunities, it was a combination of classroom learning and insightful peer conversations that expanded her view of the field.
At Korbel, Morris encountered a fast-paced learning environment that mirrored the consulting world she would eventually enter. Real-world simulations, group projects, and rapid-fire discussions pushed her to adapt, think quickly, and communicate with clarity. “At first, I didn’t understand why we were doing so many simulations,” she admitted. But in her early days on the job, it became clear just how much those exercises had prepared her for real-world problem solving. “You're using the same muscle in your brain when you're in the simulation, and then you take those skills out into the real world.”
What began in the classroom grew into a successful career with the help of Korbel’s professional network and resources. “I participated in the Korbel in D.C. program, which gave me a tangible sense of international affairs work. I spent six months in Washington D.C. building connections, networking, meeting other alumni, and learned the in-and outs of the cross-sector [public, private, and nonprofit],” she said. “I didn’t know what government consulting was until I met Korbel alums. They described their roles, projects, and impact they made for their clients in the federal government space, and I thought to myself, is this a possible career path for me?” Those conversations helped her see how her international security background could translate to the private sector. After joining Deloitte’s Denver office, she helped recruit DU and Korbel students. After a successful run in Denver, she transitioned to Washington, D.C., where she supports defense and security clients.
While her career has taken her on an exciting journey to a new city, the sense of community she found at Korbel remains constant. Many of her closest friendships were formed during group projects and late-night study sessions, and she continues to stay connected with the Korbel network today. In D.C., she enjoys mentoring current students. “I met a recent grad for coffee in Arlington and was immediately impressed,” she said. “The Korbel community is always supportive, welcoming, and eager to connect.”
Sabre Morris’s journey is an inspiring testament to how following your passions can lead to a meaningful career, even if the path is not always linear. “International affairs will always be here,” she says. “Even if things feel uncertain or delayed, there’s still a need for subject matter experts and people on the ground doing this work.”
Now, Morris is excited to support current students through their time at Korbel and beyond, offering encouragement, perspective, and practical advice as an official alumni ambassador. You can connect with her at [email protected].
Former Secretary of State and Korbel Alumnus Condoleezza Rice’s recent message to the Korbel community was clear: Democracy as we know it hangs in the balance—but there is hope in tomorrow’s leaders. “When you’re in the middle of an avalanche, you can’t stop it; you just have to decide how you’re going to dig out,” the former Secretary of State told the audience at DU’s Korbel Honors 2025 celebration. “We’re in a little bit of an avalanche right now.”
The sentiment hit home at the annual gathering to honor the faculty, staff, and alumni who embody the ideals and values of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies: education, democracy, and service. The uncertainty of global affairs was not lost on the crowd, especially this year on the 60th anniversary of the school’s founding. “We find ourselves at a momentous point in history,” added Dean of the Korbel School Fritz Mayer. “It is a remarkably challenging time, and there’s been no other moment — certainly in my lifetime — where so much was changing.”
“Being in Denver in the Mountain West has always given us that kind of critical distance.... We’ve been able to adapt and respond... because we’re not in the day-to-day fray of the Washington beltway." - Fritz Mayer, Dean of the Korbel School
However, it was not so different for the founder of the Korbel School, the late international relations professor Josef Korbel. The Czechoslovakian native worked as a European diplomat immediately following World War II (during which he fled to London to escape the Nazi invasion), but immigrated with his family to the United States in 1948 to avoid the Communist takeover of Czechoslovakia. With a promising diplomatic future in the rearview, Dr. Korbel redirected his energy toward academia, where it became apparent that few international affairs professors at the time possessed his rare blend of real-life diplomatic experience and intellectual curiosity about the principles of democracy—and the need to uphold it. He parlayed that into the debut of DU’s Graduate School of International Studies in1964 and remained at the university until his death in 1977. In 2008, the school was renamed to honor his legacy.
Korbel alumna and keynote speaker Dr. Rice (PhD ’81) is living proof of Korbel’s legacy. With trademark eloquence, she reflected on her journey from would-be music major at DU to mentee of Josef Korbel; to provost and professor of political science at Stanford University; and to her appointment as the 66th U.S. Secretary of State—the second woman to serve as such after the late Madeleine Albright, Dr. Korbel’s daughter. And her vision for democracy is rooted right here in the teachings of her mentor. “I knew I wanted to be somebody who did a lot of the things that Dr. Korbel had done: diplomacy, the study of foreign cultures and languages…He opened the world of the Soviet Union to me…He always said that mentors are people who see things in you that you don’t even see in yourself.” Dr. Korbel did indeed share his gift of diplomatic acumen with both his daughter and Dr. Rice—something he excelled at in part because of his extensive firsthand experience.
“We sometimes want to put a price tag on education: What will it be worth in what I can earn? It’s not a bad thing to think about. But it’s more about expanding your mind and the possibilities of who you might become.” - Former Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice, Korbel School Alumna
Dr. Rice was the last student that Dr. Korbel taught. She recalled a remark he once made in class that democracy is “the only system where human dignity can be fully realized. So he was fundamentally devoted to the democratic enterprise,” she said. “There are now people in the world and even in our own country who aren’t so sure [they share that view].” Now is not the time, she argued, to sit back and wait for those people to come around. Rather, it’s a time to tackle conflicting values head-on.
In fact, 60 years ago when Dr. Korbel founded the school (currently ranked 12th in the world for international relations graduate programs), world forces as we knew them were shifting then as well. The conflict in Vietnam was escalating, passage of the Voting Rights Act spurred the larger Civil Rights Movement forward, and the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union was gaining momentum. “We were a school founded … by a generation who was grappling with the great issues of that time,” said Dean Fritz Mayer. “How to avoid a third world war, how to address international development, how to tackle human rights—these were the salient issues of that moment.”
For Dean Mayer, these are the most important questions faculty and staff tackle together. “How do we prepare our students for the challenges of today?” he asks. “The challenges they’re likely to face in their career?” Engaging with these pivotal issues still remains at the heart of Korbel’s ethos, even when the weight of uncertainty and drastic change is daunting. Because when the avalanche stops, digging out will require savvy tools, sharp strategy, innovation, and grit. And, as each of the 2025 Korbel award recipients pointed out, our government, institutions, NGOs, and businesses will need the kinds of smart, engaged leaders that the Korbel School matriculates to grab shovels when the slide clears.
That’s where Korbel students shine, said Beth Ingalls, (B.A. ’96), Division Chief at the U.S. Department of State and recipient of the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award. “The Korbel School promotes meaningful action through their programs,” she said. “They’re promoting democracy, human rights, and protection of national security. All of these issues will continue to be extremely important regardless of who is in the White House.”
“One of the things the Korbel School instilled in me is the idea of service.” - Beth Ingalls, Korbel Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient
Ingalls’ impressive career in foreign service, national security, and counterterrorism grew from her interest in public service, launched at the Korbel School. Building on her love of travel and interest in the global community, she took an international politics course on a whim. It was the catalyst for a profoundly impactful professional track that has taken her from Egypt to Pakistan to Afghanistan and back to Washington, D.C. “One of the things the Korbel School instilled in me is the idea of service,” Ingalls said. “Getting into the international studies degree program opened up opportunities and made me think about where I could work in the government, which brought me to the State Department.”
No matter where Ingalls’ path has taken her, she’s continued to keep her ties to Korbel strong. Connections and community, she says, are at the heart of the school’s culture and the continuing success of its students in our nation’s capital and beyond. In fact, Ingalls is the executive chair of Korbel’s Alumni Council, and plays an instrumental role in hosting students in Washington, D.C. through Korbel’s D.C. Career Connections program. At Korbel, she said, “You’re not just a number. You’re not lost in thousands of students … The school really punches above their weight in terms of having so many alumni here in the State Department and other places in the federal government. That’s something to be proud of.”
Success beyond the degree is due in no small part to educators like Professor Sachin Desai, winner of Korbel’s 2025 Outstanding Teaching Award. Born in Mumbai, India, Professor Desai completed both his M.S. and M.B.A. at DU, and has been teaching at the Korbel School since 2012. In his graduate quantitative methods courses, Professor Desai helps students apply data and statistics to understand and solve problems—even those students hesitant about the subject matter. “More than half of them take a second or third class with me because they end up finding the skill sets very relevant in the real world,” Professor Desai said. “I have changed the curriculum over time to reflect market realities and what is in demand for students.”
“They are already coming in with some passion about something. In the classroom, you’ve got all these diverse perspectives about where they’ve been and what they’ve done. They are already disciplined, diligent, and focused.” - Professor Sachin Desai, Outstanding Teaching Award Recipient
The mutual respect between Professor Desai and his students is a reflection of a strong relationship between an engaged, invested faculty and the driven, curious students who choose a Korbel education. “They are already coming in with some passion about something,” Professor Desai said. “In the classroom, you’ve got all these diverse perspectives about where they’ve been and what they’ve done. They are already disciplined, diligent, and focused. Their minds are ready to receive. It’s easy for us to give what we have to give.”
And how exactly does one inspire the next generation in times of such glaring uncertainty? It’s about taking the long view, expanding possibilities, and encouraging students to be adaptable in order to stay the course. It’s remembering that no one at Korbel is working in isolation to educate tomorrow’s leaders, he said—that it does indeed “take a village.”
The fact that the Korbel School is a community 1,600 miles away from the political buzz of our nation’s capital, and many agree that this distance is advantageous. “Being in Denver in the Mountain West … has always given us that kind of critical distance,” said Dean Mayer. “We like to say we have a bit of a wider aperture, maybe a longer horizon. We often use the phrase, ‘You can see far from here.’ We’ve been able to adapt and respond perhaps more nimbly in part because we’re not in the day-to-day fray of the Washington beltway.” Put another way, that distance gives students the space to make creative and deliberate choices that help channel their passions.
That’s where Rae Ann Bories-Easley comes in as the Senior Director of the Korbel Office of Career Development, and the winner of the 2025 Outstanding Staff Award. Not only does Bories-Easley model what service looks like in her work with so many students, but she also plays an instrumental role in shaping their trajectories through fellowships, internships, networking events, job workshops, and more. Even amidst this troubling slide, she pointed out, Korbel students are continuing to step up because they know what drives them—be it climate policy, gender equity, conflict resolution, or human rights—and they have the advantage of that wide-angle perspective, removed from the noise. “Many students are interested in federal service, specifically,” she said, though she noted that this door is a little sticky right now. “So a lot of students are thinking about a pivot: How do I do good in this world in a different way?”
"What’s really important now is the skill of being the human in the room—being able to build relationships, talk to people, read the room, and engage with stakeholders.” - Rae Ann Bories-Easley, Korbel Staff Excellence Award Recipient
As for what the future holds for the Korbel School and the way it shapes tomorrow’s leaders, there’s no doubt that change is already upon us, Bories-Easley said, with artificial intelligence front and center. AI as a tool is critical moving forward, she pointed out, and already omnipresent, “So what’s really important now is the skill of being the human in the room—being able to build relationships, talk to people, read the room, and engage with stakeholders.”
Perhaps that’s what the Korbel School has done best throughout its history: Provided space for the exploration of new frontiers while simultaneously keeping its students grounded in the human-to-human connection that makes cross-cultural progress successful. Connections, Dr. Rice pointed out, are key to the interdisciplinary nature of the Korbel School’s programs. After all, you can’t worry about problems like sustainability or national security without building a spectrum of economists, political scientists, environmentalists, and psychologists—and then wielding their tools in tandem with each other. “Problems,” she said, “don’t come with neat disciplinary boundaries.”
Our future leaders will need interdisciplinary attention and resiliency—and Korbel is equipping its students to navigate that journey, which won’t be straightforward. “There’s a balance between clear-eyed realism about what is happening,” said Dean Mayer, “a willingness to speak truth as we see it and be critical—coupled with the underlying belief that these problems are caused by humans, and we can therefore address them with the courage, intellect, and will to tackle even the most daunting of problems.”
Dr. Rice agreed, pointing to the change that one person’s decisions can set in motion. Her grandfather, she shared, was the son of a sharecropper and a freed slave, and he figured out how to put himself through college. Now, there’s not a member of the Rice family who isn’t college-educated. “We sometimes want to put a price tag on education: What will it be worth in what I can earn?” she said. “It’s not a bad thing to think about. But it’s more about expanding your mind and the possibilities of who you might become.”
Learn more about the 60th Year Anniversary of the Korbel School below.
Creating a truly inclusive learning environment takes more than good intentions—it takes commitment, creativity, and care. Korbel School Professor Rebecca Galemba embodies these values every day, and to mark this year’s Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), the University of Denver awarded her the GAAD Award for Accessible & Inclusive Classroom Experiences. This distinction highlights her outstanding efforts to ensure every student feels supported and empowered to succeed.
Prof. Galemba’s approach to accessibility is an everyday extension of what GAAD celebrates in higher education: inclusive and accessible teaching practices. One student remarked, “Prof. Galemba has placed such an emphasis on accessibility and making sure that all of her students can learn in the way that best suits them. Her efforts to make her course accessible really encouraged me to engage with her and her course.” This kind of student feedback underscores the powerful ripple effect of Prof. Galemba’s thoughtfully inclusive classroom.
The University of Denver and the broader Korbel community are proud to recognize Prof. Galemba’s unwavering commitment to her students. Her work not only exemplifies the spirit of GAAD but also raises the bar for what inclusive education can and should be. Congratulations to Prof. Galemba on this well-earned honor!
Teaching Assistant Professor Dr. Stefan Chavez-Norgaard’s lifelong interest in public policy began at just six years old. As he took Philadelphia’s SEPTA train from his grandparents’ house to Center City, he was struck by the disparate quality of livelihoods visible from his window. “Even as a young kid,” he said, “I was shocked by the inequalities that the city line could mean in terms of land use, tree cover, and house size.”
That early awareness of inequity sparked a lifelong passion for public policy and urban planning, one that eventually brought him to the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, where he is now completing his first year as a faculty member.
“That’s where it all started,” he reflected. “A six-year-old visiting his grandparents with his mom and dad.”
That moment on the train sparked more than curiosity; it ignited a lifelong commitment to understanding how people with different lived experiences exist alongside one another, and how systems can either support or hinder that possibility. “The throughline across all my research is how can people of different backgrounds — racial, ethnic, gender, and class — live together side by side, as opposed to being separated by walls, segregation, and disparity,” Dr. Chavez-Norgaard explained.
That guiding question led him to Johannesburg, South Africa, where he returned many times to study the Born Free Generation: the first cohort to come of age without direct memory of apartheid. “This generation represented a really amazing historical moment — a society of explicit racial hierarchy and oppression giving way to a multiracial democracy,” he said.
Dr. Chavez-Norgaard’s research centers on local democratic governance — bottom-up forms of engagement — and in Johannesburg, he found a powerful case study of a multiracial society striving to transcend its past. “I’ve stayed in touch with many of the original interviewees from my undergraduate thesis. They became interviewees in my PhD dissertation — and now, I would call them friends.”
The insights gained from this work not only shaped his academic journey but also drew him to Colorado, where he was born and raised, and where the intersection of democratic engagement and urban development offered new opportunities to continue his exploration. So, when the opening for a faculty position at the Korbel School popped up, Dr. Chavez-Norgaard was immediately interested. “There’s a sort of pragmatism about democratic problem solving in Colorado,” he said. “And then there’s the nature and beauty of the region as well as dynamism and growth.”
Throughout his first year, Dr. Chavez-Norgaard visited neighborhood associations and community organizations, which led to involvement in projects like the East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. The effort to bring public transportation to this part of Denver required collaboration among a diverse range of stakeholders, creating a dynamic participatory process at the intersection of democratic principles and urban planning. “Who’s the envisioned rider of such a system?” he asked himself. “What about the displacement of existing residents of Colfax? Is BRT along Colfax even the right answer?” Projects like this, and the complex questions they raise, have affirmed that coming to Colorado was the right decision — a place where his research can take root and make a tangible impact.
All Dr. Chavez-Norgaard’s efforts networking across the city culminated in making his debut Public Policy Analysis classes possible – one for undergraduates and another for graduate students. “These aren’t your typical lecture-based courses,” he said. “They’re chances for students to dive into real-world policy work, connect with professionals, and explore how cities like Denver interact globally.” Throughout the quarter, students meet with a lineup of inspiring guest speakers, taking an experiential learning approach.
Some of the guest speakers are former ambassadors, representatives from institutions like the Truman Center, the Pacific Disaster Center, World Denver, and multiple members of the Colorado Consular Corps. Students work directly with the U.S. Department of State and Colorado’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) on client-based projects.
Much of this is powered by the Korbel alumni network, which plays a big role in opening doors. Former students now working in these agencies are eager to give back, mentoring current students, and bringing their professional world into the classroom.
Dr. Chavez-Norgaard’s first year at Korbel has been defined by connection to his colleagues, students, and the broader Denver community. By grounding his teaching in hands-on experiences and his research in questions that matter across borders and backgrounds, he’s created a learning environment that is as intellectually rigorous as it is personally meaningful.
“I’ve felt welcomed and supported by the Korbel faculty from the very beginning, and I’m hoping to grow alongside faculty and staff colleagues at Korbel, whom I hope I can think of as lifelong friends,” he shared. That spirit of collaboration and purpose is shaping not just his own path, but the journeys of the next generation of public policy leaders — students learning to navigate complexity with clarity, empathy, and a drive to make a difference.
Making career moves while serving in the U.S. military can be tricky. “A lot of people still do it,” says Daniel Doerr, a Veteran and alumnus of the Korbel School, “even though you could be deployed and pulled away from your degree at a moment's notice. But graduate school at Korbel was worth it.”
Military service is something that appealed to Daniel from a young age. There were Veterans and active military personnel in his family, and moments like the September 11th attacks compelled him to join once he was an adult. “It’s always been about protecting people for me,” Daniel says. “That’s been a huge driving force in my life.” He began his military career in Fort Benning in Georgia — now known as Fort Moore. After deployments while on active duty in Afghanistan and again while in the Reserves to the South Pacific, he took a quick pivot to medical sales. After a break from the military, he relocated to Colorado, where he would soon re-enlist and serve at Fort Carson.
Through peers in the Denver area, he heard about the Korbel School and its expertise in security. It was an easy decision to enroll, even though he knew his military service would always come first. Thankfully, circumstances allowed him to pursue his degree uninterrupted.
Daniel graduated with his M.A in International Security in 2022, the same year his military service ended. His career trajectory has been unconventional. He’s stepped away from planned career paths for personal matters and has shifted focus once or twice. When prompted to give advice to others considering graduate school while mid-career, Daniel says to just go for it: “It was a really rewarding experience. I found community at Korbel, but since I was older and already established in Denver, I had community outside of school, too. I was similar in age to a few of my professors and had life experiences they didn’t. My professors felt like peers — peers who taught me a lot along the way.”
As an officer in the military, Daniel spent his time at Korbel side-by-side with students who had served in completely different capacities. “A good example is my peers coming in from the Peace Corps,” he says. “On the surface, the Peace Corps and the Army are diametrically opposed in their approach to foreign affairs. But we approached things with an open mind, and I’m proud of my friends in the Peace Corps and me for creating a space for open and safe dialogue. We ended up having excellent conversations about some difficult subjects, and in the end, I now approach security from a more well-rounded standpoint.”
For Daniel, Veterans Day can be challenging. “It’s a time to reflect on my own combat experiences, both positive and negative,” he says. “It tends to be somber as I think of the friends that I’ve lost, much like Memorial Day. But it’s a day to embrace the feelings and emotions that I carry with me, and also a day to pay homage to all those who’ve served. If I’m honest, it’s also a day to pat myself on the back, thinking how wild of a ride it was and how much I learned through it all.”
Daniel is currently a Physical and Digital Security Advisor for RedBag Inc. He works toward providing safety and security for K-12 school teachers, allowing him to continue protecting others as he did in the military. His security experiences — both in the Army and at Korbel — have given him unique perspectives that help him improve the safety of kids at school.
The Josef Korbel School of International Studies is now partnering with the William D. Clarke, Sr. Diplomatic Security Fellowship (Clark DS) to complete graduate degrees at Korbel. The Clarke DS Fellowship, funded by the US Department of State and administered by The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars (TWC), aims to recruit underrepresented minorities and women into the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). Clarke DS Fellows receive two years of funding to pursue graduate degrees that enable careers with the DSS. The Korbel School joins the Department of State by offering additional benefits to Clarke DS fellows:
“The Korbel School has a long history of connecting our students with careers in government agencies like the US Department of State. I am thrilled to join them in diversifying government work with the Clarke DS Fellowship. The Korbel School has always worked hard to remove barriers for talented leaders and scholars to pursue careers in International Affairs.” – Dean Fritz Mayer
Through the Clarke DS Fellowship, eligible graduate students can embark on a career path that takes them around the world, where they work to protect US personnel, facilities, and information, all while supporting diplomacy. By partnering with the US Department of State to further ease the financial burden of a graduate degree, the Korbel School continues its commitment to training the next generation of diverse, talented leaders in International Affairs.
“The Clarke DS Fellowship aims to attract qualified candidates to the Diplomatic Security Service who represent the diversity of the United States,” says Shannan Spisak, Executive Director of Federal Initiatives for The Washington Center. “The generous scholarships offered by the Korbel School provide Clarke DS Fellows the opportunity to enroll in a master’s degree program they otherwise may not have been able to afford.”
The Korbel School will enable Clarke DS Fellows to earn a master’s degree in any one of the following programs:
The MA and MPP programs at the Korbel School require 60 credits and two academic years of full-time enrollment. To apply to our programs, follow this link.
About The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars
The Washington Center creates flexible, immersive pathways to enhance the pipeline of diverse talent that build more equitable, inclusive workplaces and communities. Since our founding, we’ve helped more than 60,000 young people translate their college majors into career paths. We use our scale and expertise to customize each learner’s experience to be truly transformative.
About the Josef Korbel School of International Studies
The Korbel School at the University of Denver is the 12th-ranked program in the world to earn a master’s program in International Relations and the 20th-best place to pursue an undergraduate in International Studies by Foreign Policy. The Korbel School offers flexible undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificate programs, allowing students to build skills to solve real-world challenges.
Tom Rowe, a lifelong advocate of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB), received the Korbel Lifetime Achievement Award this year at our annual Korbel Honors—a fitting tribute to his extensive work in the field. As the founder and director of the International Career Advancement Program (ICAP), Rowe has dedicated the past twenty-seven years to supporting mid-career professionals from marginalized communities and over 40 years to the Korbel School.
Rowe's commitment to advocacy stems from his upbringing in Michigan, near Detroit and Ann Arbor, where his politically active family and their opposition to racism influenced him. "I grew up in and around Detroit," says Rowe, "raised by parents who were very active in the union movement and the opposition to Henry Ford, who was a racist and antisemitic. My father was also a Quaker, and I remember attending many meetings in Ann Arbor, discussing human rights and peace studies." After he graduated high school, Rowe attended the University of Michigan and pursued his PhD/MA at Berkeley.
His career path took an unexpected turn when his dissertation supervisor at Berkeley informed him about a teaching position in Connecticut, where he could work on his dissertation. While in Connecticut, Rowe also received a call from Josef Korbel, who was seeking an assistant dean. Although Rowe did not take the position then, this was his first contact with the Korbel School.
Rowe's activism against the Vietnam War created challenges in Connecticut, prompting his move to Virginia. After confronting issues of gender inequality in Virginia, he finally made his way to Denver in the mid-1970s. At the Korbel School, during many years as Associate Dean and then Dean of the School, Rowe made a special effort to recruit students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-serving institutions. Despite his success, he grew frustrated with the limited opportunities for credentialed Korbel School alums from underrepresented groups. Recognizing this gap and after several attempts to address it through existing channels, Rowe took the initiative to found ICAP in 1996, with funding from the Mellon Foundation. He was assisted in this by his wife, Emita Samuels, a former Director of Student Affairs at Korbel.
ICAP provides a comprehensive support network, including leadership training, career advising, mentorship, and policy analysis resources. It empowers professionals from underrepresented groups, with over 800 alums, including prominent figures such as the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officers of the US Department of State and leaders of the Southern Poverty Law Center, Texas ACLU, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, and PepsiCo Foundation. The program's reach is far and wide, and its origin was creating a community for professionals to tackle issues like racism, ethnocentrism, and misogyny.
Each year, ICAP hosts its capstone program at Aspen Meadows Resort/Home of the Aspen Institute. The retreat allows participants to focus on personal and professional growth, career development, and broad policy issues. "My wife and I drove through the mountains looking for a place where people could step away from their daily lives," Rowe reflects, "focusing instead on themselves and each other."
Though Rowe is proud of ICAP's reach so far, he understands that commitment to programs like these is even more existential for marginalized communities in the years to come. "Issues of equity & inclusion have become politicized and controversial," Rowe says, "which is unfortunate because DEIB is about improving the quality of leadership and of folks' lives. It's ensuring that all talent of all populations in the United States is represented."
On the other hand, when Rowe gets discouraged, he thinks about how far we've come. "There really has been progress, and we will deal with this new backlash. We'll each step forward and renew our efforts. We may change some vocabulary and evolve, but we keep working. That's what we do."
To learn more about ICAP, you can check out its website here.
For alumnus Stephanie Trejo, the Korbel School quickly became a home that welcomed all aspects of her journey: her non-linear career path and her identity as a Latina woman, to name a few. Before Korbel, Stephanie wasn’t sure how to make her dream career possible. “Now, I’m finally doing it,” she says, “I have a career in International Trade. But for the longest time, I never had mentors or someone that could direct me to the right path to get where I am now.” Ultimately, Stephanie's leap of faith when she moved to Denver offered her the perfect path to a career in Washington, D.C.
Stephanie graduated in 2023 with her master’s in Global Economic Affairs, and while at the Korbel School, she worked as an Employer Outreach & Events Coordinator. She also landed positions at the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission as a graduate student. Stephanie explains that these incredible opportunities were only possible after faculty and staff encouraged her to embrace her non-linear background, rather than seeing it as an obstacle. “At first, I was intimidated by a lot of my classmates,” she says. “They had really impressive internships and really impressive job experiences. My experience was not very linear.”
Originally, Stephanie graduated with a degree in Philosophy from the University of El Paso, Texas, and wanted to be a teacher. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she wanted to do something different and took the chance to finally explore careers in International Trade. After finding the Korbel School and moving to Denver, she quickly found support in her Global Economic Affairs community. “It’s a great program,” she says, “There were times when it was hard to navigate a new career or new life step, so the support that Korbel provided — that helped me feel included — was really great.” At first, working with so many talented faculty and students felt intimidating, but her mentors encouraged her to move past that. “That’s one thing I love about Professor Ilene Grabel. She always gave you the opportunity to speak, and she was always engaged in what you wanted to say.”
Stephanie’s career counselor also helped her see that many of the Korbel School’s most successful students and alumni had non-traditional paths, too. Once Stephanie discovered the International Career Advancement Program (ICAP), everything clicked. ICAP is a mid-career, professional development program designed to bring greater diversity to senior management and policy making positions in International Affairs. Their annual, two week-long seminar in Aspen is a cornerstone event for many leaders in the industry seeking community, and Stephanie got to take part as a Program Manager supporting the event. “Up in Aspen,” she says, “they talk about career development, career history, and all their journeys in the government." For Stephanie, this experience helped her form invaluable connections to pursuing her career in International Affairs. “Sometimes, as a woman of color, a Latina, it is really hard to find good mentors, especially those who work in the government.”
When asked about Hispanic Heritage Month, Stephanie maintained the importance of community and celebrating each other’s accomplishments. "Anyone can achieve their goals with hard work and perseverance," she says, and for Stephanie, prioritizing strong connections with mentors and following their advice is one of the most important parts of the journey. "Mentees, treasure your mentors along the way, really make sure to value that connection. Treasure it because that will take you so far. Sometimes, there are a lot of obstacles, even though the world is changing for people of color, especially women. But having this month to recognize us and our hard work is really cool, because I feel like we are seen, we are heard, and we are recognized.”
Stephanie currently works as an International Trade Analyst for the U.S. Department of Commerce, and she plans to apply to be an ICAP fellow once she meets their mid-career benchmark. To learn more about ICAP, you can check out their website here.
For current graduate student Alejandro Chavez, connecting his career with a sense of community and belonging is one of his biggest priorities. “My identity has always led me to be passionate about issues of immigration, economic opportunity, and education for the Latino community,” he says. As the Korbel School celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re spotlighting Alejandro’s experiences as a graduate student, dance troupe member, and advocate for migrant communities.
After completing his undergraduate degree, Alejandro spent some time working for a non-profit in Denver. He would eventually return to the Korbel School to pursue his master’s in International Studies with a focus on Latin American Studies. He is also balancing a part-time job as an Employer Relation Assistant for the Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD) and coursework for his certificate in Public Diplomacy. Both give him experiences that cut across his major — whether with other faculty members or employers looking for International Studies and Policy students in the area.
“Coming to DU during my bachelor’s,” says Alejandro, “I had a narrow idea of how I wanted my career to pan out, which was very focused on the federal government. As I get older, I have this strong passion for my community and culture, and so cultural diplomacy feels like a very strong fit for how I want to see my career proceed.” Alejandro is one of many students at the Korbel School who take advantage of the flexible, diverse curriculum that helps graduate candidates discover new passions and reconnect with old ones. For Alejandro, working with Professor Rebecca Galemba and a non-profit called Centro de Los Trabajadores Colorado — the only day laborer center in Denver — was one of those pivotal turning points. Together, they helped create an integration program to benefit Venezuelan migrants who were newcomers to the state.
Beyond his advocacy through the Korbel School, Alejandro also partakes in local dance and theatre that celebrates the heart and soul of Mexican heritage. “Both my grandfathers are immigrants from Mexico, and both my grandmothers grew up in a small town in southwest Colorado,” he says. “Growing up here in Colorado myself, I was part of Folklórico groups as a child. I got reconnected to that community in 2021 through friends that were starting their dance company here in Colorado.” Alejandro is a dancer in ArtistiCO and has performed in the Ellie Caulkins Opera House — with future performances on the near horizon.
Even though Alejandro attributes many community connections to his time at DU, he acknowledges there is a long way to go. “I think there are definitely some moments when you feel that imposter syndrome seep in,” he says, “especially when you first arrive on DU's campus. Often, I see that I am the only person of Latino descent in the classroom. But in this specific graduate program, I was grateful to have a lot of international students and students of color in my cohort.”
Alejandro was recently selected to join the 2025 cohort for the Capitol Fellowship Program with the Colorado Latino Leadership Advocacy Research Organization, which provides public policy training to college students. His next ArtistiCO performances will be at the Gates Concert Hall on December 2nd & 3rd, titled Fiestas Navideñas. To reserve tickets, follow this link. To learn more about Alejandro’s journey and his relationship to Hispanic Heritage Month, follow this link for his full interview.
One of the Korbel School DEI committee’s biggest projects of the year was to combine two bodies of research that — despite often being siloed — have so much to offer each other. Current graduate student Alex Nelson led the project: a new database for the intersection of LGBTQ Studies and International Affairs, highlighting queer contributions in policy work, diplomacy, and research in International Studies. He sat down to share his experience as the project lead and to highlight the LGBTQ Zotero Database Project.
During his first quarter at the Korbel School, a friend recommended Alex to the DEI Committee; now a second-year M.A. student in International Human Rights, Alex contributed to the committee in a very tangible and significant way by helping to compile the work of LGBTQ researchers in international relations. "As an advocate, you have to understand other perspectives to be effective," he says. "If you are better equipped to know about international LGBTQ issues, you can be a better diplomat." The decision to be part of the committee led to project management of the new research database. Alex quickly found, "a lot of LGBTQ Studies already delved deep into topics like Public Health and International Relations, illuminating certain experiences that other disciplines can't." The next step was finding those connections in pre-existing citations and bringing them together in a central location for reference.
Alex uses Zotero, an open-source reference management software that compiles bibliographic data. From journals like Comparative Political Studies, Critical Africa Studies, and Review of Radical Political Economics, LGBTQ perspectives already exist in their studies, so bringing these articles into a Zotero database paves the way for future scholars to add to an LGBTQ and International Affairs canon. He is optimistic that the database will reach 300 articles and is already well on its way. Working closely with faculty at the Korbel School who have been involved from inception to launch, Alex regularly presents his findings, and faculty approve any new additions.
Alex also discusses how Queer Theory – a subset of LGBTQ Studies – is difficult to find outside of Secondary Education and International Security. Scholars often laud queer theory as a useful critical tool for examining institutions, their influences, and imagining new possibilities. Though largely born from LGBTQ advocacy, Queer Theory has immense capacity on its own as a theoretical framework. "In International Relations," Alex says, "[Queer Theory] is not as present, even though it could have a lot to offer." In many ways, the Korbel School presents a perfect opportunity for Queer Theory to find a home in International Studies as an institution that champions the intersection of theory and practice. "Theory and practice are not mutually exclusive," Alex explains. "They can be different, but you put them in dialogue so they intersect in a way that is meaningful for students."
Alex also thanked several contributors for their help with the project: Program Manager for the DEI Committee Kristen Noble, Professor Tamra d'Estrée, Teaching Professor Lynn Holland, and fellow graduate students Hasten, Prosper, and Koy. Whether it was a student sending him articles or faculty approval after a presentation, Alex cites the project as a collaborative effort. He plans to continue adding to the database next year and advocate for a "Men Engage" chapter on campus to promote healthy masculinity.
You can find the link to the Zotero database here.
Copyright ©2025 | All Rights Reserved | Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Institution
