MIS Offers Professional Development Workshops

We offer several professional development opportunities for Master of International Studies students throughout the year. Here’s a list of several upcoming workshops and past events:

Upcoming Events

Insight into Project Management, Amanda Davis Consulting, LLC

12 noon, October 15, 2021, via Zoom

Amanda Davis is a skilled executive consultant with 25 years of professional leadership experience. As a hospitality veteran she held numerous positions within Hilton Worldwide, ultimately as the Director of Culture and Communications for the Embassy Suites by Hilton brand.

After her successes with Hilton, Amanda launched her own consulting firm, specializing in the development and implementation of strategies and programs that improve operational performance and efficiencies through leadership development, project management, service excellence and team training. Her expertise brings a unique blend of creativity and business savvy that challenges the status quo and helps people see themselves and their business more clearly.

Campus Resources

12:00 – 1:30 p.m., November 4, 2021, via Zoom

Featuring: Career Development Center – Sarah Wild, Graduate Writing Center – Wendy VanDellon, Counseling Center – Rose Jerome

Past Events

12 noon on April 30, 2021 – Registration and more information here. 

Careers in the U.S. Intelligence Community

12 noon on March 25, 2021 – Registration and more information here. 

How to be an Effective Editor

12 noon on March 19, 2021 – Registration and more information here. 

Managing Your Online Professional Profile

12 noon on February 19, 2021  –   Registration and more information here.

Careers with the U.S. Department of State

12 noon on February 5, 2021   –   Registration and more information here. 

Learn about Lobbying Careers

When: 5 p.m. on Oct. 21, 2020 

Registration: To receive a link to this Zoom meeting, email Tracy Appling. 

MPA and MIS students welcome Cassi Zumbiel (MPA ’16, BA ‘14) back to campus (virtually) to explore career options as a lobbyist as part of their professional development workshop series.

Zumbiel is the Director of Workforce Initiatives at The Manufacturing Institute, the non-profit affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).  As such, Zumbiel manages the development, launch and growth of creative workforce programs for the manufacturing industry in a variety of regions across the U.S and handles all advocacy efforts for The Manufacturing Institute.

Prior to joining The Manufacturing Institute, Zumbiel was the Policy Development Manager at the NC Chamber in Raleigh. She also created and managed the NC Chamber Foundation Apprenticeship Council. Zumbiel has a master’s degree in public administration and a bachelor’s degree in communication (public relations concentration) and a minor in nonprofit studies from NC State University.

Learn about Careers in the State Department

Gentry O. Smith is the founder of The Gentry Group LLC, Gentry advises global public and private organizations on security policy and management issues. He is a retired Senior Foreign Service Officer, having served as Director of the Office of Foreign Missions, U.S. Department of State, with the rank of Ambassador. Before his ambassadorial appointment, he served in multiple senior positions over 27 years as a Special Agent with the Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Department of State. Gentry began his professional law enforcement career as a member of the Raleigh Police Department.

How to Give an Effective Briefing

Dr. Judy Johnston is a learning technology specialist working in the field of national security/intelligence analysis. She is the President of Johnston Analytics, Inc., a small woman-owned business that provides research and consulting expertise to the Laboratory for Analytic Sciences – a collaborative activity of North Carolina State University and the National Security Agency. She has studied the development of analytic methods, analytic workflows, and the support and evaluation of analytic rigor. Before this, Dr. Johnston was a senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation focusing on human performance and problem-solving in a number of environments including the national security/intelligence community, and technology-mediated environments. She was a special advisor to the CIA’s Chief of Corporate Learning on strategic issues related to performance improvement. Dr. Johnston was a member of the RAND Social Science Board, advising the Marine Corps Intelligence Activity. Previous research focused on human-computer interface, team training, and effectiveness of training methods in virtual environments in support of NASA, the National Science Foundation, and the Office of Naval Research.

Dr. Rob Johnston is an applied anthropologist who specializes in national security. Dr. Johnston is the Chief Scientist at Johnston Analytics, Inc., a Data Science and national security consultancy. Prior to this Dr. Johnston was the Deputy Chief of Globalization and Modernization at the Central Intelligence Agency, he served as Program Manager for Business Modernization. He is a former Associate of the National Intelligence Council for both Warning and Transnational Threats. Dr. Johnston was a research analyst at the Institute for Defense Analyses where he conducted research for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Department of Defense, and the Intelligence Community. Dr. Johnston has conducted fieldwork in North and Central America, China, Europe, Eurasia, the Caucasus, East and South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. He has published over 50 articles, book chapters, and books, and has been a guest speaker and briefer at over 200 national and international conferences and events.

The Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF) Information Session

The PMF Program has matched outstanding graduate students with exciting Federal opportunities since 1977. The PMF Program is a great leadership training ground, whether prospective students want a career in public service or elsewhere. Logan Graham, MIS Alumni (2019) spoke about his recent selection as PMF Fellow. Following his graduation, Logan worked as a legal assistant with the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Service (RAICES) where he provided legal representation for detained, unaccompanied minors along the U.S. – Mexico Border. In 2020, Logan was selected as a Presidential Management Fellow. Currently, in the first year of the PMF program, Logan works as a Social Scientist with the U.S. Forest Service’s Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. There, Logan helps coordinate the Unit’s policy team working with state and federal officials to draft and implement effective policy safeguarding some of the most heavily visited public lands in the nation.

MIS Internship Information Workshop

Dr. Tracy Appling, MIS Internship Director, hosted a workshop to guide students in the process of obtaining internships that will have a positive impact on their career goals. Liz Dillion, MIS 2019, shared about her international experience in Zambrano, Honduras with The Leadership Center (TLC), an organization funded by the U.S. nonprofit organization, Leadership Mission International (LMI). TLC is an English immersion and faith-based college for young women with the goal to empower them to become leaders in their communities.