Q & A

Hear from our graduate students about what being a part of the Jackson community means to them.

Tiff Jiang

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Tiff Jiang is a second-year M.P.P. student at the Jackson School of Global Affairs focused on global health policy. To her, the field is an exciting opportunity to understand a society’s history, culture, and economics to influence health outcomes–understanding health as inextricable from financial stability, education, safety, and equity. Before coming to Yale, Tiff worked at Palladium International, an implementer for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), for three years. There, she developed a health and workforce program for women in the Philippines, supported a Kenyan team to provide technical health financing assistance to the government, and wrote for several critical business proposals. Separately, Tiff also created the business plan for a medical device startup and published a paper on the key business elements for launching a device in low-and-middle income countries. Her strengths lie in creative thinking and building relationships across cultures to develop customized solutions for each context, developed over time working in Uganda, Vietnam, South Africa, Argentina, and the Philippines.

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What did you do before you came to Jackson? 
I was in DC working at Palladium, where I implemented large USAID global health projects. One specific activity was designing a workforce development and reproductive health program for women in the Philippines.
What do you like most about the MPP program and the Jackson community?
I like how everyone knows everyone, we all have our niches carved out and because of it, are able to share opportunities with one another as well as not feel a sense of competition among each other.
How have you customized your curriculum to match your area of focus?
Given my experience in global heath, I knew what skills I was missing and therefore wanted to pinpoint during my first year, such as French, coding, and business. While each one of these is from a school outside of Jackson, I had a vision of how they fit into my vision of being a global health professional.

With the summer stipend, I also had so much freedom to really target where I wanted to work for the summer. I could prioritize my interests and negotiate what kind of work I wanted to do in a way that was far easier than searching for applications and hoping that one would pan out.
Any particular experiences that have really stood out?
Definitely traveling to Algeria and Senegal with Amb. Bisa Williams’ "Challenges in the Sahel" class. We got access to fascinating stakeholders in a way that truly is only possible with someone of her stature, such as political science professors and students, Chambers of Congress, and renowned activists.
What do you want to do once you’ve finished the program?
I hope to improve financial sustainability in the global health field by creating or supporting platforms that support small and medium health enterprises in low and middle income countries. This could be through policy advocacy, joining an accelerator to provide business know-how, or a foundation facilitates funding.

Didace Irafasha

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Didace Bienvenu Irafasha is an M.P.P. candidate from Rwanda at the Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs. Prior to joining Yale, Didace worked as a trainee in the United Nations system, namely the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the Permanent Mission of Rwanda to the United Nations. He worked on a range of international development topics, including analyzing sustainable procurement policies at UNDP, researching the financing of youth employment and green-skills development in developing countries while at IFAD, as well as reporting on Rwanda’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and blended finance policies for climate change adaptation and mitigation.

In addition to his interest in international development, Didace also led the education and partnerships departments at an ed-tech startup in Tunisia to help students from the MENA region access world-class higher education opportunities.

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What did you do before you came to Jackson?
I only had one year between college and Jackson. I spent it working at the UN's International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Rome and at an Edtech startup in Tunis. At IFAD, my work entailed policy research on youth-sensitive issues such as employment, education, and Covid-19 recovery so that they can be mainstreamed in IFAD's climate mitigation and adaptation projects. In Tunis, I was working as the Head of Partnerships and Education. The company was developing an online college application platform to help students from the MENA region access higher education opportunities. My job was to bring on board global universities to use the platform and select among our students.
What do you like most about the M.P.P. program and the Jackson School community?
At Jackson, we pride ourselves on having a close-knit community, and that is true in various ways. We organize lots of social events to bond beyond the classroom, but I think it goes beyond the student community. Through our weekly coffee mornings or other social programs, I enjoyed the easy access to faculty and Senior Fellows to discuss academics, career opportunities, or life in general. I always feel the same bond when I talk to Jackson alumni as well. It is truly a tight community, even beyond New Haven.
How have you customized your curriculum to match your area of focus?
I came to Jackson with a broad interest in economic development, and I have been trying to balance diving deeper into the field and exploring new areas by dividing my courses accordingly. However, after my first semester, I realized that I had developed a genuine interest in research and policy evaluation. I took courses from the economics department, which allowed me to also meet faculty working on exciting research projects. In fact, my summer internship came from my development economics class, where my professor invited me to join her on a research project about the export sectors in Rwanda. 
Any particular experiences that have really stood out?
One of my favorite experiences so far is definitely our class trip to Algeria and Senegal over spring break as part of the “Policy Challenges in the Sahel” course. On the substantive side, it was edifying to explore the interlinkages of foreign policy, climate action, conflict resolution, economic integration, and religion in the complex context of the Sahel. On the experiential side, I enjoyed visiting West Africa for the first time and witnessing the dynamics of urbanization, youth activism and artistic expression, as well as the enduring legacy of pan-Africanism in Senegal.
What do you want to do once you’ve finished the program?
At the end of my time at Jackson, I see myself venturing into economic research with a geographic focus on sub-Saharan Africa. This could be in the form of multilateral organizations, international or regional research organizations, or even further studies. 

Allison Holland

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Allison Holland is an M.P.P. student at the Jackson School of Global Affairs focusing on the relationship between food insecurity and water scarcity, and its impact on global conflict, the environment, and women’s development. Before coming to Yale, Allison spent three years working in the federal marketplace at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). At CMS, she helped operationalize health care provisions of major legislation and served as her team’s lead specialist in the federal-private “Direct Enrollment” program that has expanded coverage to millions of historically underrepresented and hard to reach populations. Previously, Allison served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Benin, West Africa, where she initiated a food security and sustainable agriculture program in her village. During her service, she worked closely with women-run businesses and provided financial literacy, community gardening, and nutrition trainings. Prior to Peace Corps, she spent time on a Wisconsin farm studying hydroponics and aquaculture as sustainable agriculture practices and assisting in the restoration of retired agriculture fields.

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What did you do before you came to Jackson?
My first role out of college was with the Peace Corps as a sustainable agriculture volunteer. I spent 18 months in Benin implementing a food security program in my village and providing agri-business trainings to women’s groups. When the pandemic ended my service early, I pivoted to working in domestic health policy at the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). There, I helped operationalize federal marketplace policies and collaborated with private entities to expand federal health coverage for millions of underrepresented populations.
What do you like most about the M.P.P. program and the Jackson School community?
Definitely the small class size and the intimacy this creates. I know my whole cohort and am on a first-name basis with each of my professors. Not only is this great for forging friendships and gaining mentorship, but it makes it so easy to share networks and opportunities with each other because we’re all aware of what each person is interested in.
How have you customized your curriculum to match your area of focus?
My primary goals in grad school are to strengthen my quantitative skills and develop a foundational knowledge of global food systems. At Jackson, I’ve done this by taking numerous statistics and economic courses. Outside of Jackson, I took Unequal Food Systems at the School of Environment last semester and attended Yale’s Kuznets Mini-Conference on Agriculture and Development. I’m also planning on doing a directed reading to investigate the relationship between food security & gender equality and to practice applying my new quantitative skills.
Any particular experiences that have really stood out?
I really enjoy our Jackson Salons. Every other week, we gather for dinner at Horchow while one of our peers leads a discussion about essentially anything they want. Topics have ranged from neoliberalism to Mesopotamian scribes to theories about the MH370 disappearance. It’s always fascinating to discover the varying passions and expertise of my peers, and often our conversations go into the night because people are so engaged.
What do you want to do once you’ve finished the program?
I know I want to work in global food security and have become increasingly interested in the connection between food systems and gender development. I’m open to returning to the federal government, but I’m also exploring what career paths in other sectors might look like.

Mushfequr Rahman

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Hailing from McKinney, Texas, Mushfequr Rahman is an MPP candidate at the Jackson School of Global Affairs. Before Jackson, Mushfequr was the recruitment & engagement specialist for CitySquare AmeriCorps, one of the largest programs in North Texas, and an English teaching assistant at a primary school in Madrid, Spain. He graduated magna cum laude from Southern Methodist University in Dallas as a President’s Scholar with majors in international studies and health & society and minors in Spanish and biological science. At SMU, he led multiple organizations alongside faculty, staff, and peers, researched cultural competence in public health programming, and received the M Award, the highest student honor at SMU. His interests in community building led him to intern at the State Department (first at the Foreign Service Institute and later with the Diplomat in Residence of Texas), serve as a CitySquare AmeriCorps member with the Vickery Meadow Youth Development Foundation, and learn Urdu in Lucknow, India on a Critical Language Scholarship. He speaks Spanish, Arabic, Bangla, Urdu, and French. As a U.S. State Department Rangel Fellow, Mushfequr aspires to expand diversity and inclusion in U.S. foreign affairs through cultural and community programming. 

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What did you do before you came to Jackson? 
Right before Jackson, I recruited new AmeriCorps members and connected with alumni as the Recruitment and Engagement Specialist for CitySquare AmeriCorps in Dallas. My CitySquare experience followed my year teaching at a primary school in Madrid, Spain, where I taught English, social science, physical education, and natural science.
What do you like most about the M.P.P. program and the Jackson School community?
The camaraderie. In the classroom, our professors and peers encourage us to have honest and nuanced discussions about global affairs. These discussions help us push the boundaries of what we assume to be true about the world in a conducive and friendly environment. Out of the classroom, lifelong friendships, coffee chats, and impromptu gatherings underscore the compassionate nature of our community.
How have you customized your curriculum to match your area of focus?
I entered graduate school with a desire to expand my global affairs knowledge in every possible direction. Jackson’s flexible curriculum combined with varied course offerings has allowed me to pursue that goal successfully. With courses in narrative storytelling, U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, and policy challenges in the Sahel among others, I have been able to diversify my global affairs knowledge while cultivating an interest in human rights-based diplomacy.
Any particular experiences that have really stood out?
Traveling to Algeria and Senegal as a part of Ambassador Bisa Williams’ “Policy Challenges in the Sahel” course. The course and the trip provided unique and enlightening insights into how diplomacy, human development, and history intersect on the ground. I found myself learning from the perspectives of my peers as much as I was learning from Ambassador Williams’ expertise while engaging with important topics as they relate to the Sahel region.
What do you want to do once you’ve finished the program?
Many thanks to the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellowship, I will join the U.S. State Department’s Foreign Service upon graduation. I know for a fact that my Jackson experience will empower me to start off on the right foot as a conscientious public servant.

Öznur Öztürk

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Öznur Öztürk is an MPP student at Yale and a Fulbrighter interested in clean energy transition and sustainable development, particularly in developing countries. Prior to joining the Jackson School, Öznur gained valuable experience at UNICEF where she concentrated on humanitarian emergency response. She also served as an assistant policy advisor at the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s embassy in Turkey, focusing on diplomacy and trade policy with a special emphasis on sustainability. Throughout her studies, Öznur actively engaged in various roles, including interning at the Turkish Parliament, where she contributed to parliamentary committees on trade and energy. As a research assistant, she participated in diverse projects and conducted independent research at the Center of Energy and Sustainable Development. Her research explored the public perception of geothermal power plants, culminating in the creation of a geothermal risk index that assessed the feasibility of installing geothermal plants using environmental, social, economic, and political indicators. 

Originally from Turkey, she received her BA with summa cum laude honors from Bilkent University, where she studied international relations with a graduation project on sustainable development and governance.

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What did you do before you came to Jackson?  
I graduated from my undergraduate program in May 2022 and worked as a policy advisor in New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Embassy in Ankara, Turkey. After the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, I started to work at UNICEF Turkey, focusing on humanitarian emergency response.
What do you like most about the M.P.P. program and the Jackson School community?
I like the accessibility of people and opportunities at Jackson. I am always surrounded by my inspiring classmates and have the chance to learn from them in the classroom, professional and social gatherings. Other people involved with the program, including the professors and administrative staff at Jackson, are always willing to meet and help. The relationships are not hierarchical, but very horizontal, and you often chat with your professors over a bagel (provided every week by Jackson), or during lunch/dinner at college dining halls. Moreover, there are wide range of opportunities on many different topics, such as workshops, funding, and fellowships. The Career Development Office events have been very useful for me to learn more about the job market and career paths.
How have you customized your curriculum to match your area of focus?
I am interested in climate and energy policy, and I took courses ranging from climate legislation to energy transition in my first year. I was able to take courses from the School of Management, the Law School, and the School of the Environment. While developing certain skills such as environmental data analysis, project management and policy evaluation, I also built a network in the enviro-energy space by engaging with different graduate schools and their professors and alumni. Moreover, my summer internship is part of the Bekenstein Climate Leaders Fellowship under the School of the Environment, which perfectly matches my area of focus and helped me to further expand my network.
Any particular experiences that have really stood out?
Our first-year orientation retreat in the Berkshires, Massachusetts was a warm start to an intense graduate experience. Singing and eating marshmallows around the bonfire set the tone for the relationship of my cohort for the rest of the year as we are living in a small city and community is highly important. 
 
Traveling in Algeria and Senegal with [Jackson Senior Fellow] Ambassador Bisa Williams and seeing an esteemed diplomat in action was a great learning experience. It was an outstanding combination of a diplomatic visit and enjoyable travel with my classmates who had the smartest questions and comments for every meeting with the local experts during the trip. While I was exploring renewable energy use in the Sahel region, I also learned a lot about the history and current politics of the region.
What do you want to do once you’ve finished the program?
I am planning to work in environmental and energy policy after I finish my M.P.P. program. I am open to exploring a career in nongovernmental organizations or the private sector depending on where I find the best use of my skills and knowledge to work for climate change. 

Santiago Falasca

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Santiago Falasca is an M.P.P. student focused on logistics, energy and sustainable development. Santiago’s passion for public service and strategic development is evident in his previous role as advisor to the Minister of Production of Buenos Aires. In this capacity, he was instrumental in shaping policies to boost the local economy during and after the pandemic, introducing tax cuts and subsidies to threatened industries and promoting tourism by leading a program that secured 300,000 graduation trips for Buenos Aires’ students. 

With a BA in economics from the University of Buenos Aires, Santiago has extended his leadership to the academic realm, where he has excelled as a graduate teaching assistant of public finance. Santiago’s commitment to personal and professional growth is exemplified by his numerous scholarships and awards, including a Fulbright fellowship. 

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What did you do before you came to Jackson?  
Since I was young and during my studies in economics, I dedicated myself to training and competing as a member of the Argentine Sailing Team. This led me to live for two years at a High-Performance Training Center in Valencia, Spain, where I trained alongside athletes and Olympic medalists from various countries. After completing my university degree, I continued my involvement in sports but as a coach in clubs in Argentina and the United States, as well as occasionally with federations like the Chilean and Argentine ones. In 2019, I started working with the minister of production of the Province of Buenos Aires. In that role, I coordinated the implementation of some of the provincial government's most relevant policies to mitigate the economic effects of the pandemic and revive activity afterward. For example, I designed and coordinated the Graduation Trip Program, through which 300,000 high school students had a free graduation trip to promote the tourism sector, which was significantly affected, while also fostering the reconnection of youth deeply impacted by the isolation of the pandemic. Similarly, I coordinated the implementation of tax exemptions and subsidies for productive sectors affected by the pandemic, managed the minister's agenda, and maintained continuous oversight of various management areas.
What do you like most about the M.P.P. program and the Jackson School community?
One of the things I enjoy most about the M.P.P. program at Jackson, aside from its excellent faculty and the quality of the academic offerings, is the flexibility to customize the curriculum to suit our preferences and needs. I also love that we are a small cohort, yet so diverse. This allows us to get to know each other, have time to listen and learn from each other. And of course, with such a high student-to-faculty/staff ratio, our lives are always much easier because there is always someone available to advise or guide us.
How have you customized your curriculum to match your area of focus?
I have tailored my curriculum perfectly to my needs. With only four required courses and no need to obtain a dual degree, I can take all the courses that a student specializing in "Energy and the Environment" would take. Additionally, I intend to alternate my learning in energy sector topics with courses related to public policy management in cities, as I have found several very interesting courses in this area.
Any particular experiences that have really stood out?
Undoubtedly, having the opportunity to attend top-tier events and meetings that Jackson provides, such as trips to DC or New York, is an unparalleled experience. Practically every day at Jackson, we have the chance to hear firsthand or even ask questions directly to world leaders, from presidents and ministers of various countries to CEOs of major companies or directors of multilateral organizations like the IMF or the UN. After watching so many movies, I never imagined I would be face-to-face with the director of the CIA or the FBI, as happened at Jackson.
What do you want to do once you’ve finished the program?
After completing my graduate degree, I want to return to Argentina to continue working in politics and public administration. My true passion is seeing how concrete and impactful actions can positively transform the lives of many people. I had the opportunity to witness this during my time in government, and it is an unmatched feeling that I want to continue working towards.