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There's still time to apply! Accepting applications for Fall 2026 with scholarship support available. Apply now!
Rhiannan Price (MA International Human Rights, 2012) has built a career at the intersection of humanitarian action, science, and technology, driven by the conviction that access to information is inseparable from justice, dignity, and human security. As the architect and Principal Investigator of NASA Lifelines, she transformed how satellite data is understood and used in humanitarian contexts, building a global community of over 1,000 practitioners across 140 countries who now use Earth observation to respond to disasters, displacement, food insecurity, and conflict. Her work has never been about technical novelty for its own sake; from the start, she centered ethics, equity, and real-world outcomes, making questions of harm, consent, and responsible use foundational rather than afterthoughts.
That same clarity of purpose led her to co-found Common Space, an ambitious nonprofit working to launch the world's first independently governed humanitarian satellite. In a landscape where most Earth imagery serves defense or commercial interests, Rhiannan is building something different: a community-governed resource designed for accountability, protection, and the people who need it most. Recognized with the 2025 Kluz PeaceTech Prize, Rhiannan brings to all of her work a rare combination of technical fluency, ethical courage, and genuine care for people, whether she is advising NASA, mentoring early-career humanitarians, or volunteering on a domestic violence crisis hotline.
What drew you to the Master of Arts in International Human Rights at Korbel?
When I was a Peace Corps volunteer considering graduate school, I was looking for a program that was practical and hands-on rather than focusing on theory and the abstract. For someone who wants to go into human rights, there's a lot of that out there. Korbel stood out to me as different because of the types of classes it offered and the different focus areas you could engage with. I pursued not only human rights, but also a certificate in humanitarian assistance. For me, that felt like moving toward a program that would give me tangible skills I could apply in a job where I could make a difference and help people realize their rights. It was a great choice, I'm glad I did it!
Was there a class, professor, or experience at Korbel that shifted how you think about the relationship between technology and human rights?
There are a few that stand out. I was lucky enough to be at Korbel when Chiara Lepora was there, who had worked and still works for Doctors Without Borders. Global health wasn't really in my background, but I sought out her class because of how amazing she was and what I'd heard about it. She did such an amazing job of conveying how easy it is to sit in an academic setting and talk about interventions while people are suffering, and to distance ourselves from it. When you're in human rights or grad school, it's easy to treat things as textbooks, things you're reading and learning about, instead of thinking about whose life is actually affected. She did a fantastic job of almost calling us out for trying to be that distant and pushing us to put ourselves in the shoes of people in those communities experiencing the crisis.
One other professor I should give a shout-out to is Luis Esparza. At the time, I was really excited about social movements, especially in conflict-affected or post-conflict societies, and he was glad to take me on as a research assistant. It evolved into research on protest movements around the Vancouver Olympics, examining the different constituencies that were mobilized, the coalitions that formed, and what made those movements significant. For me, it was another incredible opportunity to work alongside experts with deep experience while also feeling encouraged to innovate and explore areas my professors hadn't fully mapped yet, with their support.
Can you walk me through your first role after graduating from Korbel?
I'll call it a bit of a stutter step. I took a Boren Fellowship before I graduated, living in Tanzania and then Uganda to learn Swahili, then landed a part-time job at a Denver startup called aWhere just before I finished. They did agricultural weather intelligence for smallholder farmers globally, and that role introduced me to food security and to data and technology in a very applied sense. It turned full-time after graduation and through our work with the Gates Foundation, I got a behind-the-scenes look at some of the best organizations in the field, getting my hands dirty with their data even as someone fresh out of grad school. I learned a ton, and it very much set me on the trajectory I've been on ever since.
You went on to lead NASA Lifelines. Can you explain what that is and how you came into that role?
NASA Lifelines was a program I helped design and propose to NASA in 2020. The whole idea was community building, bridging the gap between humanitarians on one hand and the science, research, and technology community on the other, to accelerate the use of satellite data for humanitarian action. NASA saw a real disconnect between where their science was and where practitioners actually needed it to go, and they wanted to close that gap.
We built some really creative programs. One was what we called scientist speed dating, pairing humanitarian organizations with the exact expertise they needed, then helping them break down barriers: finding the right data, unlocking funding, and learning to make the business case to funders. We also ran a first-of-its-kind virtual global humanitarian simulation, inspired in large part by my time at Korbel and Peter Van Arsdale's class. And through a pitch accelerator program, we helped humanitarian teams make the case for collaboration to a panel of funders, which ultimately unlocked millions of dollars for that work.
I left NASA Lifelines in January, which was bittersweet, but I left it in great hands. By that point, the program had reached participants in over 140 countries. Given everything the world has been through these past couple of years, the fact that our community not only held together but really rose to the occasion made it that much more meaningful to be a part of.
After building NASA Lifelines into a globally respected program, what moved you to co-found Common Space and take on the challenge of building the world's first independent humanitarian satellite?
This idea had been brewing for years. Before NASA, I worked for a satellite imagery company leading our humanitarian and sustainable development portfolio. I got to interface with NGOs, research institutes, civil governments, social entrepreneurs, and private sector organizations all using satellite imagery for public good. But for those companies, those use cases and stakeholders are largely an afterthought. Their customers are defense and intelligence, and anybody else is a lower priority.
The data has incredible value for humanitarian purposes, whether that's disaster response or monitoring nuclear sites for disarmament. A lot of times there simply is no other option. But we couldn't get it into the hands of the people who needed it most because everything had been designed for defense: the licensing, the pricing, the business models. It was really painful. We fought and fought, and even our biggest initiatives, which were groundbreaking at the time, like digitizing all of Africa off satellite imagery with the Gates Foundation, still fell short of where we could be.
Then in spring 2024, at an event I co-host called SatSummit, I threw out the concept of debating a humanitarian satellite. It felt like exactly the right forum: industry in the room, humanitarian leaders in the room. Let's put the idea out there and see what happens. I got a former colleague of mine, now my co-founder Bill Greer, to debate on my team. We polled the room before and after, and Bill and I actually convinced people this was worth pursuing.
Then January 2025 arrived, and the world looked very different. USAID was dissolved, humanitarian and science funding was gutted, and a lot of organizations that had relied on US government-sponsored access to satellite imagery suddenly found themselves cut off. At that point, nobody was pushing back anymore. Everyone said yes, I'm 100% behind you.
Bill went full-time, and I started part-time while we got it off the ground. We surveyed 250 practitioners across humanitarian, human rights, climate and environmental justice, journalism, and research communities, and kept hearing the same pain point: we cannot get access to high-resolution satellite imagery to do our jobs, and we know how valuable it is. What emerged was a clear mandate. It made sense to step back from NASA Lifelines and go all in.
Where do you see this work going in the years ahead, and what role do you hope to play in shaping its future at Common Space?
I see us building and launching a humanitarian satellite constellation, and if all goes well, it will be up and operational in around two years. For me, the real measure of success won't be the launch itself. It will be when we start hearing the stories back from users across this really diverse set of applications. When we can actually measure the difference satellite data makes in expediting disaster response, evacuations, and search and rescue. When UN partners can better understand what populations are in need and how to reach people with life-saving services.
If we're successful, I think we will completely shift the power paradigm around this kind of data. For so long it has been controlled by very few actors, most of whom are not thinking about humanitarian action, human rights, or sustainability. An open, trusted, community-governed source of this data is something that has never existed before. And I do fear that if something like Common Space doesn't happen, we'll see this data continue to be co-opted as a tool for misinformation and narrative control. We're already seeing that with holdbacks over the Middle East and the geopolitics between the US and China playing out in real time.
I'm cautiously optimistic that when we succeed, it will not only unlock direct applications but also show people that this technology is really a reflection of us. If we want it to serve defense and intelligence, it will. But if we're willing to do something disruptive, the impact can be enormous. Right now I'm deep in governance work with our task force, figuring out who gets to task the satellite, who gets access, and what a real do-no-harm framework looks like. These are not small questions. But we have an incredible community behind us, and I know it'll happen.
What would you say to Korbel students today who want to build careers at the intersection of technology and human rights?
I know it is a really tough time to be graduating and entering the job market, and I feel that even as someone who is mid-career. A few things come to mind.
The strength of your network is so important, and you often don't know who is going to come through for you or when. My advice is to be a genuine, curious person who makes thoughtful connections with peers, professors, and even the folks you meet through a practicum or work experience, even if it doesn't feel directly related to where you want to go. It's a small world, and people look out for each other when they feel a meaningful connection. That's what gets you past the filters and the screening, but more importantly, it exposes you to worlds you hadn't considered for yourself.
I would also say that I could never have envisioned, sitting at Korbel, being on this journey or doing the work I do today. Satellites were not on my radar. That was a learning curve that came after grad school. So my advice is to create your own world to some degree. Otherwise, you end up with the sad statistics: there's not a lot of funding in human rights, you won't get paid well, you'll have to go to big tech or law school or something more traditional. I want to push back on that. Even if you don't see the thing out there that you want to walk toward, you can be the person who creates it. There's probably a reason you feel drawn to it, because maybe you're the one who can solve that problem or be the mind behind the next great idea. Connect with other humans and believe in yourself.
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."
What’s next for global climate change scenarios through the end of this century and beyond?
At the Pardee Institute’s third Lunch and Learn seminar, Director Jonathan Moyer traced the evolution of integrated assessment modeling, from early world models of the 1970s to today’s Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), and explained why researchers are now revisiting the assumptions that shape long-term climate futures through an initiative dubbed the Scenario Evolution Process (SEP).
SEP, Moyer explained, is a multi-year, community-led effort to revise and extend the SSPs used across climate research. It aims to be an important knowledge-sharing mechanism for climate change modeling. The International Committee On New Integrated Climate Change Assessment Scenarios (ICONICS) is the main coordinating body. The Pardee Institute, Moyer shared, is actively involved in the effort on several fronts.
The Pardee Institute is hosting the main SEP website and conducting the first global survey to inform the SEP’s strategic direction and planning for 2026, as well as help shape the broader multi-year process through 2030. This survey is open to members of the general public, and to researchers and practitioners familiar with the SSPs.
Pardee’s role in SEP builds on the Institute’s long history in global modeling. Moyer traced that history to the 1970s through the 1980s, when Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) began linking population, industrialization, natural resources, and other forces within a unified systems framework. That shift, he noted, challenged the idea of a fixed future by showing how policy choices, structural forces, and feedback loops could produce a range of plausible pathways. Pardee’s leading global modeling tool, International Futures (IFs), emerged from this early wave of world modeling and was among the first to broaden this novel systems approach to encompass a wider set of interconnected human, social, and natural system dynamics.
More innovations in climate research followed this shift to a systems approach, Moyer expounded. From the 1990s to the late 2000s, climate scenario development largely followed a “Sequential Modeling” process, with socioeconomic storylines and emissions pathways developed in stages. The SSP framework gave researchers a shared set of five socioeconomic narratives, while Representative Concentration Pathways described different levels of climate forcing. Around 2010, the research community moved to a “Parallel Process,” which decoupled physical climate targets from the SSPs, enabling researchers to conduct multi-dimensional risk assessments.
Moyer noted that researchers have recently recognized the need for a revised set of scenarios as they consider how to expand the SSPs framework to incorporate biodiversity and well-being into climate scenarios, inspiring the SEP effort currently underway.
Following the Lunch and Learn presentation, Moyer fielded questions from the audience regarding the IFs model’s data sources, its forecasting capabilities across 188 countries, and the emergence of the SEP in light of technological advancements like artificial intelligence.
Interested in staying engaged in the evolution process? Explore the SEP website for the latest updates and opportunities to participate, including the global survey.
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.
At the annual Korbel Honors celebration, the philanthropist and businesswoman spoke about her organization, Pivotal, and how unlocking women’s power is key to lifting up the rest of the world.
“When a woman can step into her full power, it’s better for her, her children, her household, her community, and her country,” Melinda French Gates told a crowd of more than 400 attendees gathered at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts on April 22.
French Gates was the honored guest of the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs at the school’s annual Korbel Honors celebration. The event recognizes the efforts of so many—from students and alumni to global leaders like French Gates—who are striving to make the world more just, equitable, and prosperous.
French Gates has been leading philanthropic efforts worldwide for more than 25 years—first with the Gates Foundation, which she founded and co-chaired, and then with Pivotal, which she launched in 2015 to focus on the advancement of women and young people. She took the stage in a conversation with Frederick “Fritz” Mayer, dean of the Korbel School, just after accepting the Josef Korbel Award as part of the evening’s program.
The award recognizes individuals who embody the values of Josef Korbel, the school’s founder, who believed that knowledge—properly applied—can make the world more just and more peaceful. Past recipients include journalist Judy Woodruff and the late former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, the daughter of Josef Korbel. Mayer said he was honored to present the award to French Gates, adding that her “decades of work advancing global health, gender equity, and women’s economic power exemplifies Korbel’s commitment to a more just and equitable world.”
French Gates said her time at the Gates Foundation, which she left in 2024, underscored the importance of centering women in philanthropy. She pointed to examples that, on the surface, seem like clear solutions but fall short without that focus. A grant to develop drought-resistant seeds in Africa, for example, might seem like a transformative idea—but its impact is limited if women, who make up 50% of the continent’s farmers, can’t access the merchants who sell the seeds.
“[I learned that] if we didn’t focus on gender, we were basically missing half the equation,” said French Gates.
Philanthropists, regardless of the causes they support, need to be strategic about their investments to maximize the impact of their funds, she said. Her approach, therefore, is to provide grants that encourage governments and private businesses to pitch in. “You have to think about each dollar you spend as a way of leveraging others,” she explained.
Pivotal also invests in underrepresented entrepreneurs and advocates for social change, with a special focus on paid family leave and supporting women in public office. French Gates said she’s seen how women lawmakers come together, even across party lines, to work on issues like education. Amidst a widening political divide in the U.S., she wants to see a return to bipartisan, centrist politics.
“...The question is, ‘Are we creating the future we want for this country?’” she said. “I’m funding various organizations that are trying to help us find the center of our democracy again.”
The Korbel Honors ceremony also recognized a trio of outstanding members of the Korbel community. Distinguished Professor Ilene Grabel, who co-directs the MA program in Global Economic Affairs, was nominated by her students for the Outstanding Teaching Award. “I learn from and am inspired by the hard work, the values, the creativity, and the aspirations of my students,” Grabel said. “It’s a privilege to play a small role in helping them navigate the choices they’re making at a very important time in life.”
Debbie Gaylinn, director of Korbel’s Graduate Student Affairs, received the Staff Excellence Award for her continued dedication to serving students. “To be able to support bright, amazing students who will go out and make a positive impact on this world is such an honor,” said Gaylinn. “It allows me to feel like I have just a little bit of a part in putting that good out into the world.”
From left to right: Debbie Gaylinn, Maria Langan Riekhof, and Ilene Grabel
Finally, Maria Langan Riekhof (MA ’95) was the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award. Langan Riekhof spent more than 30 years as an analyst and manager, holding senior roles at the CIA and the National Intelligence Council. She is currently a distinguished research fellow at Stanford University.
“I find two things are really important for a meaningful career: A sense of mission, and being surrounded by people who challenge you,” said Langan Riekhof as she accepted the award. “One of the greatest privileges of my journey has been the opportunity to learn from and to collaborate with other members of this big Korbel family.”
French Gates closed the evening by urging students and attendees to get involved in the causes they care about. She said making a difference doesn’t always require donating money.
“There are many issues in your own community that can use your services, whether that’s your intellect, your time, the way you do finances, or marketing,” she said. “One person does make a difference in the life of someone else; it doesn’t always have to be big.”
Indeed, making a difference in the world—in ways both large and small—is at the heart of the experience at Korbel, where students learn how to work creatively and effectively on the issues that matter most to them.
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.”
By: Wara Irfan
“We are living in a period of two crises,” said Jonathan Moyer, Director of the Frederick S. Pardee Institute for International Futures. While the climate crisis receives widespread attention, he noted, a second crisis often gets “less coverage”. That is the human development crisis. “There are 700 million people in the world living in abject poverty.”
Moyer made these remarks while introducing the new report, Charged for Change: The Case for Renewable Energy in Climate Action, published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Pardee Institute and Octopus Energy. He was joined by former Colorado Governor Bill Ritter (2007–2011), whose distinctive record of building a “New Energy Economy” framework, which links climate, jobs, utility policy, public health, and economic development, sets him apart from both his predecessors and many of his contemporaries. The report’s lead author, Chibulu Luo, Ph.D., joined Dr. Moyer and the Hon. Bill Ritter for a discussion on how renewable energy can simultaneously advance climate action and human development. “What this report does is help chart a path forward for achieving both,” Moyer emphasized.
Deva Sahadevan, Senior Research Associate at the Pardee Institute, presented the report’s key findings, followed by a panel discussion moderated by Moyer and an audience Q&A. Using the Pardee Institute’s International Futures (IFs) model, researchers examined three scenarios: (1) a Base Case in which the world remains on a warming trajectory under current trends of development, (2) a Renewable Acceleration (RA) scenario where there is accelerated global investment in renewables, and (3) an RA+SDG scenario where these renewable investments are paired with targeted investments in health, education, governance, and infrastructure. 
Deva Sahadevan presents an overview of the report. Photograph taken by Megan Livengood.
The study found that RA+ SDG can significantly advance human development while also improving climate outcomes in the long run. Compared to the Base Case, this pathway could lift an additional 193 million people out of extreme poverty, reduce malnutrition for 142 million people, and expand access to clean water and sanitation to 550 million more people by 2060 - all within a 1.5°C-aligned future. In contrast, the RA scenario showed only modest improvements to human development, suggesting that climate action alone is insufficient to balance the dual imperatives of addressing climate change and improving human well-being.
Although the RA + SDG pathway requires substantial upfront investment, the long-term payoff is considerable. By 2060, cumulative savings could reach approximately $20.4 trillion by 2060, driven by energy efficiency gains, declining renewable costs, and a shift in capital from fossil fuels to clean energy, while keeping global warming closer to internationally agreed targets.
Speakers grounded these modeling results in real-world practice. Dr. Luo described how UNDP uses country-level evidence to show how energy policy decisions intersect with priorities in finance, health , and gender, helping government ministries see climate action as integral to development planning. She highlighted examples such as electrified irrigation and solar-powered health facilities in Zambia, alongside a strong policy focus on clean cooking. “It is a smart economic choice for countries to invest in renewables,” she said, noting that the report provides governments with “real numbers” demonstrating the development benefits of a renewable energy transition as they shape climate and development strategies.
Dr. Chibulu Luo addresses the audience. Photograph taken by Megan Livengood.
Former Governor Ritter shared lessons from Colorado on scaling renewable energy, supporting workforce transitions, and building financing mechanisms that make clean energy both feasible and equitable. Reflecting on his time in office, he remarked, “Colorado is a fascinating little Petri dish” where “development and climate action are not mutually exclusive,” according to him. He stressed that these goals are not opposing values but can be pursued together. The former governor also warned that if the United States retreats from global engagement on climate, human development, and sustainable energy, it risks missing a critical opportunity to lead and make a meaningful impact.
Former Colorado governor Bill Ritter shares his insights. Photograph taken by Megan Livengood.
Dr. Luo added that what gives her hope is the evidence showing that a renewable energy transition can deliver substantial benefits for both people and the planet, benefits that are often even greater in developing countries.
Furthermore, the event drew practitioners, entrepreneurs, researchers, policymakers, and students. The audience's Q&A ranged widely, from clean-cooking and carbon markets to bio and nuclear energy, land use, and the big question of growth versus sustainability. A former off-grid entrepreneur raised the recent KOKO Network cass in which a bioethanol cookstove provider lost access to carbon-credit approval in Kenya, leaving millions of customers at risk; in response, Dr. Luo described how national carbon-market regulations, multilateral guarantees, and blended or concessional finance all matter for managing investor risk and protecting access to clean-cooking solutions, noting Kenya is also exploring electric-cooking options.
Another audience member inquired about bioenergy’s role in future energy mixes and lessons from past biofuel investments. The former Governor answered that bioenergy, carbon capture, and related technologies deserve further development, and that policy tools (tax credits, public investment) and learning about real costs will shape their viability. Sahadevan also addressed broader concerns about growth and equity, noting the report’s framing: modeled pathways highlight a tension between urgently reducing emissions and enabling the growth many low-income countries still need, so solutions will require careful mixes of investment, redistribution, and locally appropriate policies.
The discussion concluded with a reminder that climate action and human development need not compete. “The choices we make today will have long-term implications,” Moyer said. The session underscored the importance of a data-driven foresight in shaping country-level dialogue, financing strategies, social investments, and governance reforms, key elements for achieving a just and sustainable energy transition.
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.
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