Alumni

Kyle Nelstead had originally intended to work in the field of international studies after completing his undergraduate degree in 2012 but found himself working in the Information Technology (IT) field instead.  After graduating from the MAIS program in 2019, Kyle was able to pivot his career back toward his passion of working in the International Studies/Relations field.  

During his studies at SFU, he focused most of his work – including both extended essays – on international refugee issues.  He also volunteered as a section editor for the ISSA journal and its first publication.

After graduating, he worked for an NGO helping to sponsor refugees to come to Canada through Canada’s Private Refugee Sponsorship program.  Today, he works for the federal government with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) managing grant and contribution agreements for settlement organizations across the province that provide support to newcomers to Canada.  

Born and raised in Nigeria, Benedicta Bawo has developed a keen interest in law, mental health, and international development. In 2019, she moved to Canada and enrolled in the Master of Arts in International Studies (MAIS) where she served as a research assistant to Dr. Elizabeth Cooper.  From the onset, Benedicta was driven by a deep passion for African feminism, mental health and issues of social justice. During her time in the MAIS program, she enjoyed all courses especially those focused on the African region like ‘Social Movement in a Changing Africa', which honed her research skills and policy brief writing abilities. 

During her program, Benedicta was committed to community service and volunteered with Coast Mental Health and WAVAW (now SALAL Sexual Violence Support Centre). Here, she gained valuable insights into the challenges faced by marginalized individuals, especially those living in low-income conditions. 

After obtaining her MAIS degree in 2021, Benedicta began working at the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre (DEWC), channeling her passion into action. She currently works as a Policy Analyst at the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society (VAFCS) where she utilizes an intersectional and trauma-informed approach to address gender-based violence in the Urban Indigenous community. Her work includes creating and facilitating training on safety planning, financial literacy and abuse, all while emphasizing Indigenous ways of supporting survivors of gender-based violence. 

Benedicta cherishes the bonds forged with her course mates and mentors during her MAIS journey. She remains grateful for the program's transformative impact, the guidance of her mentors, and the lifelong friendships she has cultivated.

In addition to her MAIS degree, Benedicta holds a B.Sc. degree in International Law and Diplomacy from Babcock University (2017). Today, she resides in Vancouver with her partner, cherishing moments with family and friends. 

Hayley Jones completed her BA and MA at the SIS in 2008 and 2011, respectively. Her thesis for the MAIS program focused on patterns of labour market insertion amongst families enrolled in Brazil’s Bolsa Família program, based on fieldwork in several favela communities in Rio de Janeiro.

With the encouragement of her thesis supervisors and the MAIS director, she decided to expand this research through doctoral studies at the University of Oxford. Her doctoral research focused on young people’s schooling and labour market experiences and life trajectories in the context of the Bolsa Família program and the potential for the program to facilitate intergenerational poverty reduction.

Upon completing the DPhil, Hayley took up a post as a Fellow in the Social Policy department at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She is now Lecturer (Assistant Professor) at the Social Research Institute at the Institute of Education at University College London, where she teaches Master’s students on the MSc in Social Policy and Social Research and supervises students on the MA in the Sociology of Childhood and Children’s Rights.

Alexis Carr graduated from the MAIS program in 2014 and currently works in Research, Monitoring and Evaluation for the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), an intergovernmental organisation focusing on learning for sustainable development. With an undergraduate background in English, history and liberal arts Alexis enrolled in the MAIS program after working for three years in rural Mexico as an English instructor and programme developer. A recipient of a Graduate Fellowship, Alexis was also awarded Graduate Research Travel funding to undertake original research in Mexico for her major project, and was subsequently nominated for the SFU Convocation Medal. Currently, Alexis supports the design and implementation M&E systems and action research projects at COL. Significant accomplishments include: the development of an empowerment framework, which has been used in more than five countries; authorship of a ‘Measuring Empowerment Toolkit’ launched by COL and UN Women at the 8^th Pan-Commonwealth Forum in 2016, and co-authorship of numerous papers and presentations which have been presented at major global events and conferences. A lifelong learner, Alexis has gone on to do additional coursework in data analysis, research methods and survey design. She credits the MAIS program with providing a solid grounding in international development theory as well as practical research skills, both of which are essential to her current work.

Kirsten Pontalti graduated from the MAIS in 2010 with a final project that focused on children and youth in conflict-affected ‘fragile’ states. With three young children of her own, she planned to graduate and work for a development organisation. But mid-way through the program, the MAIS director encouraged her to pursue her doctoral studies (DPhil) at the University of Oxford. The DPhil was the beginning of a life-changing experience for her and her family, who accompanied her for a term at Oxford and ten months of fieldwork in Rwanda. In 2017, Kirsten successfully defended her dissertation “Coming of Age and Changing Institutional Pathways Across Generations in Rwanda”.

Following completion, Kirsten returned to Rwanda to share her findings. She is excited to now be working as an Associate at Proteknôn Consulting, a group of senior researchers and practitioners internationally focused on child and youth well-being. She is also pursuing further academic research related to children and youth, social change and conflict.

Kirsten is grateful for the camaraderie and support she enjoyed with her MAIS colleagues and professors as well as Ellen’s perpetually warm welcome! She also really appreciates that the MAIS gave her the practical skills and theoretical grounding she needed to succeed in her DPhil.

Born and raised in Malawi, the "Warm Heart of Africa," Pamela developed a passion for international development and bridging the global North-South divide. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Economics with First Class Honours from the University of Nebraska and completed her Master of Arts in International Studies at Simon Fraser University in 2015.

Pamela is the Operations Manager at the Supply Chain Sustainability School in Dublin. She oversees partner engagement, event management, marketing, and resource management to promote sustainable practices in supply chains. Previously, she held key roles within the British Columbia Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development, and Innovation, where she facilitated business engagement and supported small and medium-sized enterprises in expanding to international markets.

Pamela credits the MAIS program for enhancing her analytical and writing skills, which have been crucial in her fast-paced professional roles. The program's focus on international development and the opportunity to delve into specific issues through extended essays were particularly beneficial for her career.

During the last year of her MAIS, Leanne worked in a co-op position that was later extended into ongoing employment as a Gender Equality Policy Analyst with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA, now Global Affairs Canada) in Ottawa. In 2013, she went on to work for the Ministry of Education of Ethiopia as a Gender Advisor and later as an independent consultant with the German development agency Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in Ethiopia. She has also worked as a Gender Equality Advisor for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

Leanne has also worked on issues of women’s political and economic empowerment in Burma (Myanmar) with non-governmental organizations such as Educational Initiatives, Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR) and Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA). She was lead researcher on a report entitled “Violence Against Women Prevention and Response Services and Access in Myanmar”, which has been published in both English and Burmese.  

“I am grateful for the knowledge and skills base I developed as a student in the SIS program,” says Leanne. “In particular, my courses in Political Economy and my Independent Studies in Gender helped to shape my career path, giving me the critical perspective required to analyze persistent inequalities and injustices in development practice and to devise strategies to address them. Above all, the best part about my time in SIS was the bonds I formed with my brilliant and diverse classmates, many of whom remain close friends.”

Leanne currently lives in Rabat, Morocco where she works as a Senior Policy Analyst in Human Rights and Inclusion for Global Affairs Canada.

Daniel Mundeva graduated from the MAIS program in 2016. He is currently an Associate Program Manager at the Mastercard Foundation where he supports initiatives and programs that aim to address youth unemployment in sub-Saharan Africa (Daniel’s motherland). With this role, Daniel travels extensively to different African countries to support organizations that work with the Foundation to improve education and skills training for young, African leaders.   

Daniel credits a few opportunities he accessed during his MAIS studies to helping him get to where he is today. For instance, while he was writing his thesis, he undertook an internship with Vancouver’s Local Economic Development Lab (LEDlab). During this work, Daniel supported grassroots initiatives that promote income-generating activities for marginalized communities in the Downtown Eastside. Within this role, he learned a lot about project management and gained stakeholder engagement knowledge, which are crucial skills that he uses in his current work.

Daniel found the MAIS program to be a great program and stepping stone for individuals who are interested in international work. He also enjoyed the flexibility that the program provided to students. In his case, the program allowed him to develop research skills he needed to explore issues affecting the natural resource sector in his home country of Tanzania. Daniel also has a BA in Environment and Sustainability from the University of British Columbia.

Tanner Boisjolie graduated from the MAIS program in 2016 with a concentration in International Development. He considers the program to have been an invaluable experience that allowed him to strengthen his research and analytical skills, develop new interests, and make strong connections with advisors and classmates.

During his time at SFU, Tanner virtually interned with the United States Agency for International Development’s office in Jakarta, Indonesia, where he provided research assistance to the agency’s South-South and Triangular Cooperation program. With the support of a Graduate International Research Travel Award, Tanner was able to complete a thesis on the institutional arrangements supporting Indonesian and South African South-South Cooperation programs.

Following graduation, Tanner worked at the U.S. Consulate in Vancouver’s management section, where he was responsible for project management and logistics.

After passing the 2018 United Nations Young Professionals Programme (YPP) exam in Social Affairs, Tanner was offered a position as an Associate Economic Affairs Officer at the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) in Beirut, Lebanon. Tanner currently serves in ESCWA’s coordinating cluster on the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals, which provides analytical support to the implementation and follow-up and review of the agenda in the Arab region.  

Tanner also holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of San Diego.

Karli Epstein came to SFU after earning her undergraduate degree in Political Science from Northern Arizona University and studying African Politics for one year at the University of Ghana in West Africa.

After completing the MAIS at SFU, Karli moved to Lake Tahoe to do an AmeriCorps (domestic Peace Corps) term with a local hunger relief organization. She then went on to work with the National American Red Cross Disaster Services team as a Field Associate, and she served as a disaster preparedness and response expert to 12 states on the eastern seaboard. Karli also worked with Red Cross regional staff on disaster communications and marketing planning as well as on mass care preparations for post-disaster impact. Karli has responded to 10 national disasters, and spent over 4 weeks in New York and New Jersey as a Public Information Officer for the Red Cross after Hurricane Sandy.

Currently, Karli is the Executive Director of the Incline Village Community Hospital Foundation, where she is working to ensure that all residents in her rural mountain home in Nevada have quality access to health care services. Karli is also an adjunct professor for the School of Community Health Sciences at the University of Nevada Reno, where she teaches courses on Global Health and International and National Disaster Response.

Karli’s MAIS year at SFU was transformative in many ways. Not only did it inspire her to pursue a career in non-profit work and disaster response, but it also encouraged her to teach at the university level. According to Karli, SFU’s School for International Studies has some of the most brilliant minds in the field and fosters an environment where all opinions are considered worthwhile and productive. She will always be incredibly grateful for her time at SFU, and most importantly the lifelong friendships that she created there.

Andrea Ringrose began her MA in International Studies, Complex Emergencies at SFU in 2008. After years of clinical research, travelling to a couple of the world’s sordid corners and beginning a doctorate in another field, Andrea returned to Vancouver to find the right interdisciplinary program and cohort of brilliant, adventurous minds - many of them close friends today. The accelerated program was intense and at times very challenging, but ultimately emboldening. The theoretical foundations, critical analysis training and learning opportunities from internationally recognized scholars helped to guide the next steps of her rewarding professional life.

Andrea's analysis of the ICC’s deterrence effect regarding sexualized violence resulted in her invitations to further train in behavioural threat/risk assessment, human security intelligence, and criminal investigate analysis. Currently, Andrea is Director of Security Intelligence at respected risk management firm LGRMG. In addition, she is a member of UBC Psychiatry’s Translational Psychiatric Genetics Group, a CMHA Certified Psychological Health & Safety Advisor, and a Certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor for the MCC. She has co-authored publications in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, Bipolar Disorders, and the Journal of Genetic Counseling, and presented posters at Jean Piaget Society’s Annual Meeting, the International Conference on Early Psychosis and the Canadian Association of Threat Assessment Professionals Conference. Andrea is privileged to work in interdisciplinary capacities across borders, cultures and sectors as a human security professional. She spends her free time making music, exploring with her young family and hilarious dog Dr. Radio, and running her charity warmemup.org.

After completing her MAIS in 2018 with a specialization in the Middle East, Tuba Balçıklı started her career as a humanitarian in Turkish Red Crescent, International Relations Department where she supported relations with the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement and assisted the former Vice President of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Socities (IFRC). Her role at Turkish Red Crescent also involved doing humanitarian diplomacy in international platforms to advocate for the vulnerable, mainly in the areas of migration, youth and volunteering, gender, and climate change.

She also supported the response to the devastating earthquake in Türkiye in early 2023, a disaster which killed thousands of people and left millions homeless. Her field experience during the response led her to switch from humanitarian diplomacy to project implementation. Currently Tuba works as Project Coordinator in an INGO running healthcare projects in Northwest Syria.

As a former journalist who worked for Haberturk News Agency, she continues to publish articles on humanitarian issues in various media outlets in her free time.

Tuba was interested in learning the narrative about the Middle Eastern politics outside of her home country. Her MAIS experience gave her the opportunity to study different perspectives through reading materials from a wide range of resources and its academic staff and guest speakers from various backgrounds. She finds the perspective and understanding she received during her studies at SFU very critical in understanding today's most sensitive issues, such as Ukraine and Palestine. In particular, the deep research she carried out on Syrian refugees in Türkiye helped her better comprehend the Syrian context and has been extremely useful for her work as a humanitarian implementing projects in Syria.