Reflection of Cathedral of Learning in a Pitt campus building

Leadership Program in International Affairs

The Hesselbein Forum Leadership Program in International Affairs (LPIA) is an extracurricular program designed to empower GSPIA students with the skills they need to be effective leaders throughout their careers in international affairs. Hesselbein Forum and Johnson Institute Director, Professor Julia Santucci, shares her knowledge, gained from work in the State Department and the CIA, on how to profile international leaders in terms of their strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies. The program deepens students’ understanding of international leadership and develops their own leadership skills through research, group-based discussions, and learning exercises.

Hesselbein Forum Leadership Program in International Affairs Spring 2023 Cohort:

 

 

John Danvers is a first-year graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh pursuing a joint Master of Public and International Affairs Master of Science in Information Science degree. His GSPIA concentration is in Security and Intelligence, with a minor in International Political Economy and foreign language instruction in Turkish. In addition to his studies, he is a member of the FBI-Ridgway working group and an editor of the Pitt Policy Journal. Currently, he serves on the University’s provost search committee.

Before GSPIA, he served under former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and in the administration of current Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. Upon graduation, he aims to re-enter public service with the federal government. He is a proud native of Western Pennsylvania and received an undergraduate degree from Clarion University. John enjoys reading about Turkish politics and history, exercising, and listening to Pittsburgh sports talk radio in his spare time.
 

 

 

Urshita Dass is a Master of Public and International Affairs candidate at GSPIA. She is pursuing a major in Human Security and a minor in Governance and International Public Management. She has an undergraduate degree in History with a minor in Journalism.

Urshita is passionate about working in international organizations that focus on human rights issues in the field of migration. Throughout her time at GSPIA, she took up research projects related to refugee crisis and gender rights issues in different regions of Asia, as well as pursued courses in international development and non-profit management. She arrived here with a myriad of experiences working in non-profits and NGOs dedicated to early childhood education, women empowerment, and financial independence of underserved communities in India.

At Pitt, she is actively involved in different student groups such as in the Pitt Policy Journal as an
Editor and General Secretary of the Indian Graduate Student Association.

As an avid reader, Urshita enjoys conversations with people about their latest reads. She can often be found humming vintage Bollywood songs, and on a different tangent, exploring good food spots around town.
 

 

 

Matthew Miloszar (he/him) is a second-year MID student studying Social Policy and Human Security at GSPIA as well as pursuing a graduate certificate in a Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Studies certificate. Matt completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Pittsburgh where he graduated summa cum laude with a B.A in History and German Language and Cultural Studies as well as a minor in Turkish. 

During his time at GSPIA, Matt interned with the Government Accountability Office where he worked on a team analyzing federal spending data to minority-owned businesses. Matt is also the Vice-President of the University Center for International Studies’ Graduate Organization for the Study of Eastern Europe and Central Asia in which he is working to organize a graduate student research conference to occur at the end of February. Matt’s primary interests at GSPIA are humanitarian aid and assistance in the Middle East and Central Asia and he hopes to one day work for a multinational organization focused on related projects. 
 

 

 

Taylor Ridilla is a second-year MID student majoring in Human Security at GSPIA. Taylor received a BA in political science with a minor in philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh in her undergraduate career. 

In addition to her role with the Hesselbein Leadership Forum, Taylor is working for the Collaboratory Against Hate, an organization studying political violence and extremism in the United States. During her undergraduate studies, Taylor worked for The Borgen Project, a nonprofit focused on addressing global poverty by expanding the United States Foreign Affairs budget. She also worked as a teaching assistant for International Relations and Constitutional Law at the University of Pittsburgh Greensburg.

After graduating from GSPIA, Taylor hopes to pursue a law degree focusing on constitutional and human rights law and eventually move to a career in education.
 

 

Maria Salazar, originally from Venezuela, has been calling Pittsburgh home since 2014. Her journey in education led to a dual degree in international development and public health rooted in a desire to tackle health challenges faced by marginalized communities.

She graduated in 2020 with a degree in neuroscience and a minor in global health and pre-med studies. This diverse background fuels her passion for understanding and improving health systems, especially for those often left behind.

Her time as an AmeriCorps VISTA alumna opened her eyes to the importance of inclusive cities. It sparked a commitment to bettering the lives of refugees and immigrants and advocating for mental and maternal health solutions.

Now, Maria wears multiple hats – as a Health Justice Scholar, a board member for LAGOS, and a researcher at the SOLVER Lab. Their research, led by Dr. Tormos-Aponte, dives into the impacts of disasters on marginalized communities in Puerto Rico. This research is working towards environmental justice and greater equity in disaster preparedness and outcomes.

Maria’s journey is about making a positive impact through education, community involvement, and research. She believes in a future where health disparities are addressed, and everyone gets a fair shot at a healthy life. 
 

 

Siddhesh Shimpukade is a joint degree graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh. He is pursuing a Master of Public and International Affairs degree, with a major in Security and Intelligence Studies at GSPIA, and a Master of Science degree in Information Science at SCI. Siddhesh also holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electronics and Telecommunication from the Savitribai Phule Pune University, India.

Prior to joining graduate school, Siddhesh worked in the field of threat intelligence at a Belgium-based intelligence firm and in policy research at an Indian think tank. During his undergraduate studies, he was a member of a college-affiliated NGO, Prayas Youth Forum, which focuses on empowering rural students with digital literacy, Vedic mathematics, women empowerment, and career guidance. Siddhesh was also a member of the international nonprofit organization, Rotaract, where he served as the Vice President and International Service Director of the Rotaract Club of Pune Warje. He currently holds the position of Vice President at ANKUR-Indian Graduate Student Association at the University of Pittsburgh.

After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh, Siddhesh wishes to build a career in the security and intelligence domain, and eventually work for the Government of India. In his free time, Siddhesh likes to work out in the gym and go on hikes. He has a weakness for strong coffee.
 

 

Tanner Simko is a second-year Master of Public and International Affairs candidate majoring in Security and Intelligence Studies with a minor in Cyber Security, Policy, and Law. Tanner received a BS in Cultural Area Studies: Middle East with a minor in Arabic Language from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.

Tanner’s graduate studies focus on the Middle East and North Africa, with an emphasis on current conflicts, terrorism, foreign intervention, and social/domestic issues in the region. He completed a graduate internship with the City of Pittsburgh Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, where he researched and drafted intelligence reports on domestic threats in the United States.

After graduating from GSPIA, Tanner plans to seek employment in the United States Intelligence Community as an intelligence analyst focused on regional issues in the Middle East and North Africa or cyber threats.
 

 

Grant Van Robays (he/him) is pursuing a Master of Public and International Affairs degree at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) at the University of Pittsburgh, expecting to graduate in April 2024. Though he has research and internship experience in subjects like national security, terrorism, intelligence analysis, and nuclear deterrence, Grant is concentrating his GSPIA studies on human security, particularly on matters of peacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction. Grant has completed research internships at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism and the National Strategic Research Institute. In these and other roles, Grant has gained proficiency in qualitative and open-source research, data analysis, and written and oral communication. He has published academic articles on terrorism and nuclear weapons and is a recipient of the General Larry D. Welch Deterrence Writing Award from U.S. Strategic Command. He has presented his research to students, academics, and government personnel, including leadership at U.S. Strategic Command. Grant has a B.S. in Political Science from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He has working proficiency in Spanish and French. Grant aims to leverage his skills and experience in international affairs and security studies in a career in research, policy analysis, or program evaluation in preventing violent extremism and peacebuilding.

 

 

Simiao Wang (she/her) is currently a second-year student at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. Her professional background includes a role as a Medical Affairs Operator at a leading digital medicine company in Shanghai, where she was responsible for streamlining digital operations and developing strategies for new platforms.

In the summer of 2023, May expanded her international experience with an NGO in Tokyo named Peace Boat, where she worked in multilingual client communication and event management. Presently, she is focusing her skills on a program management internship at the American Red Cross, focusing on the distribution of essential resources to those in crisis.

Holding a BA in Nutrition Science, May is proficient in Chinese and Japanese, and conversant in Korean and Spanish. She is driven by a passion for healthcare, with a particular interest in the intersection of public administration and nutritional health.
 

 

Erin Zehr (she/her) is a second-year student completing a Master of International Development degree with a concentration in Governance and International Public Management and a minor in Human Security at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. Erin received a BA in Global Health Studies and a minor in Spanish from Allegheny College. Following graduation from Allegheny, she worked at Global Links, first as an Engagement and Development fellow through the Pittsburgh Urban Leadership Service Experience (PULSE) fellowship, which is a year-long service year. Subsequently, she worked as the program associate for the Medical Aid Programs. She worked for both the domestic and international programs, working on partnership coordination and program and distribution logistics for medical equipment donations both in Southwest Pennsylvania and countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. 

Most recently, she interned as a Digital Fundraising intern with Anera, working to raise support for the organization which provides emergency humanitarian aid and long-term development support for refugees and vulnerable populations in Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan. Her international experience includes internships with community and sustainable development organizations in Ibarra, Ecuador and Mysuru, India and research on the factors which impact the long-term viability of community- managed water borehole systems in Kisumu, Kenya.