World Minded A PUBLICATION OF THE REVES CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES AT WILLIAM & MarY Vol. 6, No. 2, spring 2014 The Reves Center Celebrates 25 Years of Globalization Also: La Plata’s legacy: Igniting passion and freedom White House taps William & Mary, U.Va., Presidential Homes to support new Africa initiative World Minded a Publication of the Reves Center for International Studies at William & Mary VOL. 6, NO. 2, spring 2014 Contents Letter from the Director 1 Around the World Alumnus Profile: Mike Holtzman ‘92 2 VIMS alumna strives to put Africa on climate-change map 3 World Minded Staff La Plata’s legacy: Igniting passion and freedom 4 Editor: Georganne Hassell, She’ll always have Paris: Kaitlin Noe ’14 Reves Center for International reflects on being a French-speaking foodie 6 Studies Features Graphic Designer: Rachel Around the world in 25 years: Reves celebrates Follis, Creative Services global connections 8 Contributors: Erin Kelly, 10 questions with Hua Ma 10 VIMS; Sarah Caspari ’15; Secretary John Kerry holds town hall meeting with Kaitlin Noe ’14; Georganne W&M Diplomacy Lab students 12 Hassell, Reves Center; TechCon: Reviewing the past, improving the future 13 Ellie Kaufman, AidData; White House taps William & Mary, U.Va., Presidential Jim Ducibella, University Homes to support new Africa initiative 14 Relations; Graham Bryant J.D. ’16 and Erin Zargusky, Announcements University Relations William & Mary leads nation in study abroad among public universities 15 Robert M. Gates to give papers and $1.5 million to William & Mary 16 Global Film Festival focuses on Journeys & Passages 17 2014 Reves Faculty Fellows Announced 18 A new record for Fulbright grants 20 WORLD MINDED Letter from the Director This year marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the Wendy and Emery Reves Center for International Studies at the College of William & Mary, designed to be the nexus of global teaching, learning, research and engagement across the university. And in many ways, internationalization at William & Mary has never been stronger. Of course, that’s saying a lot at a university that was founded as an overseas experiment by the British Crown over 320 years ago, and that is associated with such world-historical figures as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe and John Marshall. Still, as the stories in this issue of World Minded amply illustrate, William & Mary today is emerging as a leading force for international education along practically every dimension. The Reves Center’s list of accomplishments is truly remarkable. We are ranked once again this year as the leading public university for undergraduate participation in study abroad, with over 45% of our undergrads studying outside the U.S. before graduation. We support a growing and ever-more diverse international student and scholar population of over 650 people. With the Reves Center’s support, William & Mary has Stephen E. Hanson been selected as a leading university partner for several prestigious programs sponsored by the U.S. federal government, including the USAID’s Higher Education Solutions Network, the State Department’s Diplomacy Lab, and the Obama Administration’s Young African Leaders Initiative—all of which afford William & Mary students unique opportunities to be involved directly in the practice of diplomacy and global policy analysis. We work with leading institutions of higher learning around the world in innovative international partnerships such as the William & Mary Confucius Institute, a joint project with Beijing Normal University, and the William & Mary/University of St Andrews joint degree program, which will graduate its first senior class next year. And the Reves Center enjoys the support of wonderful alumni and members of the community, including Reves Advisory Council members such as Mike Holtzman and William & Mary’s beloved Chancellor Robert M. Gates—whose recent gift along with his wife Rebecca in support of study abroad scholarships is already transforming the lives of many of W&M’s most impressive internationally engaged students. In the immediate aftermath of World War II, Emery Reves presciently advised that the greatest mistake one can make as an analyst of world affairs is to see one’s own country as a sort of “Archimedean point” around which all other global societies revolve. After 25 years of globalization since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the need to take diverse global perspectives into account in research and teaching about world affairs is, if anything, even more pressing and important. The Reves Center for International Studies has made major contributions to this noble goal in its first quarter-century. We look forward to our next 25 years with optimism and excitement. Stephen E. Hanson Vice Provost for International Affairs Director, Reves Center for International Studies WORLD MINDED WWW.WM.EDU/REVES 1 ALUMNUS PROFILE Name: Mike Holtzman ’92 W&M Major: Government Current Employment: President, BLJ Worldwide Hometown: Stony Brook, NY Why did you decide to attend William & Mary? DNA and is unique for an institution of higher learning. To talk about the environment, poverty, security, health, trade and commerce is Like so many others I was attracted to the beauty and the history of to talk about the world. That simple insight prepared me better than William & Mary. But William & Mary isn’t some relic; it seamlessly any other for my career and my life as an engaged citizen. blends past, present and future. Even to the founding fathers who went here, the College was an instrument of destiny. It was and How and why did you become involved with the Reves remains a place where ideas can change our country and the world. Center? What is your favorite memory of your time at W&M? The founding Reves Center director, Jim Bill, who was a great mentor to me at the College and beyond, asked me to join the I have many fond memories of my years as a student; however Advisory Board just after I graduated and joined the staff of the there is no single event I can characterize as a “favorite.” That’s Council on Foreign Relations. Reves was a new and dynamic because I never took the College for granted. My memory of presence on campus and was increasingly at the core of the William & Mary is a living thing—a continuum that expands each university. I was the youngest member of the Advisory Board at time I come back to campus, for advisory board meetings or the time and I was so eager to be a part of this dialogue. Nothing homecoming or just because. better connects us to the spirit of the founders to change the What was your career path after leaving W&M? world through ideas and engagement. Like many of my peers, I knew my life would have service at its What is the most fulfilling aspect of working with core. By steeping all of its classes with a sense of global purpose, international clients? William & Mary challenges expectations of what service can I enjoy watching blocs, borders, and cultural and geographic look like. It doesn’t simply mean “government” service, or even differences disappear through dialogue and engagement. “I’m never going to make any money” service. It means that any profession or interest can have a service dimension. That’s why What was your favorite international experience at social entrepreneurialism is taking off here: the business school is W&M? encouraging students to create business enterprises to help solve William & Mary is one big international experience. It began global health, poverty and social justice issues. I left William & as a global experiment by King William and Queen Mary who Mary with a similarly open idea of service. I touched the bases inadvertently unleashed the Enlightenment on themselves. We of government and diplomacy then built a new business model haven’t turned back since. that promotes non-traditional diplomacy, ways for countries and peoples to engage in the spheres of everyday life. What advice would you give to current students How did your education at W&M prepare you for interested in an international career? your current career? Get out there. Put boots on the ground. There are incredible resources available through the university and even through What William & Mary—and the Reves Center in particular—does social media that allow you to engage directly, inexpensively, so well is to understand that all disciplines are, in a contemporary and meaningfully with the world. Start an NGO. Be a social context, global. This embrace of globalization is in William & Mary’s entrepreneur. Volunteer. n d t h u e o r w a o r l WORLD MINDED 2 d ALUMNUS PROFILE VIMS alumna strives to put Africa on climate-change map by Erin Kelly, VIMS For years, scientists have been using computer models to simulate climate change and its effects, but not all areas of the world have the scientific infrastructure needed to gather or monitor the environmental data that inform climate projections and record ecosystem impacts. 1. William & Mary alumna Katherine Potter, who Potter is an atmospheric scientist and did her honors thesis with Professor Rob Hale engineer with an expertise in hardware of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in engineering and use of scientific 2004, is now working to help fill one of the instrumentation in both the lab and the most glaring holes in the global climate-data field. As the station’s lead scientist, framework—the continent of Africa. Potter’s role is to build the observatory from the ground up and to train local Potter, a researcher with the Massachusetts staff in the science and long-term Institute of Technology’s Center for Global maintenance of the station.