Q & A

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

Caroline Finley Dill

Caroline Finley Dill is a first-year student at Yale’s Jackson School, pursuing an MPP in global affairs. She commissioned as a naval officer with the United States Naval Academy Class of 2022, graduating with a BS in Political Science with Honors and a minor in the German language. She was selected as one of 20 members of her class allowed to pursue immediate graduate education through the Officer Scholarship Program. Her research focuses on alliance theory and world order politics, specifically the future of the transatlantic partnership in the United States’ grand strategic shift to the Pacific. Much of her research is inspired by her work with the Secretary of the Navy’s International Affairs Division at the Pentagon.

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What did you do before you came to Jackson?

Prior to coming to Jackson, I graduated and was commissioned as a naval officer from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland as a member of the class of 2022. While a midshipman, I directed the Naval Academy Foreign Affairs Conference, served as president of Stockdale Center’s Ethics Debate Team and the ALLIES Civil-Military Relations Group, and completed my political science honors thesis on the topic of how the transatlantic partnership and similar alliance structures contributed invaluably to the stability of the postwar rules-based order. I was able to take advantage of a unique breadth of experiences, including time abroad in Japan and Italy, as well as having the chance to work within the Office of the Secretary of the Navy at the Pentagon and also with the International Institute for Humanitarian Law.

What do you like most about the M.P.P. program and the Jackson School community?

One of the many factors that drew me to Jackson was the program’s unique focus on customizability: approximately a quarter of all of the courses you take at Jackson are core requirements, and the remainder are yours to choose. Students are able to engage in classes across Yale College and the professional schools, including those from Yale Law School, the School of Management, and the School of the Environment, just to name a few; this, coupled with the small cohort size, means that you are truly equipped to pursue a path of individual focus and specialization unique within your year. It is a spectacular opportunity and one that is hard to find elsewhere!

How have you customized your curriculum to match your area of focus?

The Jackson School is home to International Security Studies, which houses several unique programs and well-known paradigms of the field in which I’ve found endless value. In addition to customizing my coursework by pursuing classes within the ISS purview, I am also fortunate to have been selected for participation in both the Kerry Initiative, founded by former Secretary of State John Kerry, and the Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy. Research and participation in both of these groups has given unparalleled depth to my study of world order politics, international security studies, and grand strategy.

Any particular experiences that have really stood out?

I cannot over-endorse the faculty in and around the Jackson School. Especially within ISS, Professor Arne Westad, Professor Paul Kennedy, and Michael Brenes have deeply impacted my course of study and almost daily remind me how lucky I am to be surrounded by such distinguished practitioners!

What do you want to do once you’ve finished the program?

After my time at Jackson concludes, I will continue my career in the U.S. Navy. I look forward to applying my degree to the unique military-diplomatic role of naval officership.

Walid Mohammad

Walid Mohammad is an MPP student at the Jackson School of Global Affairs. His interests include human rights and development issues, humanitarian diplomacy, and climate diplomacy. Before Yale, he worked in the Foreign Ministry of Bangladesh as a career diplomat in the country’s capital. He worked in the United Nations Wing and the Administration Wing of the Ministry, where he pioneered the first-ever human resources management system for the country’s foreign service. During his tenure at the United Nations Wing, he drafted policy papers related to Bangladesh’s engagement with all the UN bodies; prepared proposals concerning Bangladesh’s position on resolutions tabled in UN bodies, and political decisions on Bangladesh’s engagement in UN Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding as well as international Human Rights Issues. He was also extensively engaged in Bangladesh’s role in sheltering the Rohingya people of Myanmar and in cooperating with the international accountability mechanisms (ICJ, ICC, etc) that are currently functional.

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What did you do before you came to Jackson?

Before Jackson, I worked in the Foreign Ministry of Bangladesh. I wrote policy memos related to Bangladesh's engagement with all the UN bodies; Bangladesh's position on resolutions tabled in those bodies, and political decisions on Bangladesh's engagement in UN Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding as well as international Human Rights Issues. I was also extensively engaged in Bangladesh’s role in sheltering the Rohingya people of Myanmar and in cooperating with the international accountability mechanisms (ICJ, ICC, etc.) that are currently functional. My portfolio also included working as the election officer overseeing Bangladesh's engagement in elections held in different Intergovernmental Bodies. I was a member of Bangladesh delegations to the 76th UNGA High-Level week, 60th NAM Ministerial, and 2021 Seoul UN Peacekeeping Ministerial, and also represented Bangladesh in various meetings at different regional and international forums.

What do you like most about the MPP program and the Jackson community?

The thing I most like about the MPP program is the flexibility and customizability it offers. The good thing about Jackson is the school is very much connected with other schools at Yale as well as with the overall Yale community. This connectedness allows one to benefit from the greater Yale network. By contrast, the small cohort size of Jackson creates a warm, familial atmosphere that can help individuals from diverse backgrounds feel comfortable and at home.

How have you customized your curriculum to match your area of focus?

At Jackson, I am aiming to obtain both hard and soft skills. For example, last semester I took courses on Negotiation and Professional Writing which were mostly soft skill oriented. For the hard skill part, I took a core course which introduced me to crucial Stata skills. My primary academic interests lie in sustainable development/transition and human rights. This semester, I had the opportunity to travel to India as part of a Jackson course to gain a deeper understanding of low-carbon-resilience and sustainable transition ecosystems. Next semester I will be taking a course on Human Rights and Climate Change.

Any particular experiences that have really stood out?

What stood out for me at Jackson is the authentic compassion of the entire community. The faculty and staff members make a sincere effort to build personal connections with each student, enabling them to provide tailored support based on individual needs and interests. I was especially impressed with the dean getting to know each of the students by hosting regular small-group dinners at his residence. This level of care fosters a supportive and inclusive learning environment, which enhances the overall educational experience at Jackson.

What do you want to do once you’ve finished the program?

After Jackson, I plan to go back to the Foreign Service of Bangladesh. I want to work in areas concerning climate change and human rights.

Lakshmi Venkataraman

Lakshmi Venkataraman is a lawyer from India, and an MPP student focusing on the role of food and agricultural policy in reforming industrialized animal agriculture. While at Humane Society International (HSI), she helped some of the world’s largest food companies, including Accor, Marriott, and IKEA, increase their consumption of cage-free, free-range, and alternative protein foods in India. She has also supported the growth of India’s cage-free and alternative protein start-up ecosystem. Her experience lies in bringing public and private sector stakeholders from the fields of environment and climate protection, farmer welfare, public health, and animal welfare together — in creating a sustainable and equitable food system.

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What did you do before you came to Jackson?

I studied law in India, and after that I worked for six years at animal welfare nonprofits, with a focus on factory farming reform. I worked with both governments and businesses to change the way animal protein is produced in India, and to help food businesses transition away from conventional, factory-farmed animal protein towards cage-free and plant-based protein. I also helped to build the Indian animal rights activist movement, specifically focused on factory farming.

What do you like most about the M.P.P. program and the Jackson School community?

As a joint-degree student with the School of Management, this is my first of three years. Since my work is interdisciplinary, I really enjoy the flexibility of the Jackson program, which allows me to take courses in different schools. Jackson’s required economics and statistics courses have been really good foundational quantitative tools for me, as I wanted to develop my quantitative aptitude while at Yale.

The Jackson community itself has been so enriching because it is so diverse. We have people from so many different countries doing such different work from a variety of perspectives. The community is also extremely helpful and collaborative.

How have you customized your curriculum to match your area of focus?

Well, I'm still experimenting. I'm definitely very interested in opportunities at the School of Environment. For example, I attended the Food Systems Summit hosted by the school earlier this semester and within that there was a plant-based protein segment. So, that was very much aligned with my interests. I’ve also taken a statistics course from Yale college. In the fall, I will be at the School of Management as part of my joint-degree program.

Any particular experiences that have really stood out?

I participated in an investment analysis competition called the MBA Impact Investing Network and Training Program (MIINT). The point of the competition is to get students interested in impact investing through an experiential learning process. You’re a part of a team that chooses a real-world startup with an innovative product or concept and pitch it to a panel of investors for a potential $50,000 investment in the startup. Our team chose a molecular farming alternative-protein. We won the Yale rounds, and went on to participate in the semifinals at Wharton.

What do you want to do once you’ve finished the program?

I would like to be in a role at the intersection of business and policy in agriculture. Having worked all my life at non-profits, I’d now like to explore working at agribusiness companies interested in animal and plant proteins. This summer, I’m interning at Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), a Chicago-based food company, in the division that invests in alternative protein startups.

I would like to develop the framework knowledge and savviness to be able to navigate both the policy and the business worlds and in the medium- to long-term, be in a position where I can draw from business expertise to create a more favorable policy ecosystem.

Marcus Senninger

Marcus Senninger is an MPP student at the Jackson School of Global Affairs, focused on China-Africa relations, international development, and international markets. Previously, he worked for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security’s (CISA) Mis, Dis, and Malinformation team where he contributed to the development of a multitude of both analytical and public resilience products. Prior to his time at DHS, Marcus served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Zambia and as an advisory consultant at Deloitte. As a Peace Corps volunteer, Marcus utilized his background in business and farming to develop rural aquaculture and teach essential business skills in his village. During his time at Deloitte, Marcus specialized in optimizing efficiency in the internal strategy and processes for major banks, technology companies, and retailers. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Carolina with majors in international business and finance and a minor in Chinese studies. Marcus is intending to pursue a career in the US government, or NGOs in the field of US-China-Africa relations, development, and business and is interested in understanding competition and collaboration between the US and China in Africa.

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What did you do before you came to Jackson?

I was lucky enough to try a few different careers. After graduating from the University of South Carolina, I was a consultant at Deloitte based in San Francisco. Then, I decided to change my career path and I joined the US Peace Corps as a volunteer in rural Zambia promoting fish farming, integrated agriculture, and small business development. When the pandemic ended my Peace Corps service, I joined the Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Mis, Dis, and Malinformation team as an analyst. In this role, I worked to counter foreign influence and build societal resilience to disinformation.

What do you like most about the M.P.P. program and the Jackson School community?

My favorite part of the M.P.P. program is the small cohort size. With only 35 people in my cohort, I am able to know all of my classmates on an individual level. The Jackson community is incredibly diverse and the small class size has encouraged conversations that have allowed me to learn just as much from my classmates as I have from my classes.

How have you customized your curriculum to match your area of focus?

My focus at Jackson is on China’s relationship with Africa. Thus far, I have been able to take Chinese language classes, an African investment class, and a development class. Additionally, I have been able to tailor my projects and essays during my core classes to focus on China’s relationship with Africa. At Jackson, I have the flexibility to take a directed reading class where I work with a faculty advisor and create a curriculum and tailored reading list focusing on China’s role in Africa.

Any particular experiences that have really stood out?

The experience that has stood out to me most thus far is the Development in Action course that I took during spring break. For this class, seven other Jackson students and I spent two weeks in Jordan working for the NGO Turquoise Mountain. During this time, we were able to see how an NGO actually operates and to think deeply about whether working for an NGO is the right career path for us. Beyond the class itself, the opportunity to explore Jordan with my Jackson classmates is a memory I will not soon forget.

What do you want to do once you’ve finished the program?

I am hoping to work in the field of China-Africa relations after graduating from Jackson in 2024. I am currently still deciding whether that will be with the US government, an NGO, or a thinktank.