International Trade Advisor, Senate Finance Committee, Washington, DC

"Some of the courses I dreaded as an incoming graduate student are the ones that gave me my most valued skills. WWS 501, the introduction to politics, policy, and practice helped me analyze and communicate policy options more effectively. All of that practice crafting policy memos on a short deadline has come in handy! Three other courses have also been particularly helpful in my professional life. Environmental Economics has been crucial, as my job requires me to think carefully about changes in agricultural practices and policies and changing demographics will impact U.S. farmers; Methods in STEP taught me the fundamentals of risk assessment, which is the basis for U.S. regulatory decisionmaking; and Professor Burt Singer's course on environment and health--and his genuine excitement about students ideas--helped me think about environmental and agricultural issues in new ways.