Will Talbot’s passion for maps led to his job as an assistant planner at the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission (CMRPC), with Clark playing an instrumental role. After completing a bachelor’s degree in geography from Clark, Talbot returned to earn his fifth-year master’s in Community Development and Planning. His advanced degree studies included an internship…

Finding personal fulfillment via the Peace Corps and Clark Looking for a respite after nearly a decade of corporate employment in the United States, Feyzal Ebrahim returned to his native Somaliland, where he worked as an education planning consultant. While there, he heard “an inner voice persuading me to give back to a society that…

Recognized for advancing understanding of environmental sustainability Three graduate students from the International Development, Community, and Environment (IDCE) department at Clark University are among the 2023 recipients of the Albert, Norma, and Howard Geller ’77 Endowed Research Awards. The fellowships support student-initiated research projects that advance our understanding of natural resource and environmental sustainability and…

The odds were daunting. Of the 3,790 applicants vying for fellowships from Catholic Relief Services in November 2022, only 12 would realize their dream. When she applied, Marissa Kelly ’23 was unaware of how coveted the fellowships were. What she did know is she wanted to do humanitarian work abroad, which has been the mission…

Anna Bebbington conducted research on small-scale agriculture in Peru during her undergraduate studies, an experience that fueled her desire to go to graduate school. “To work in the field of international development more broadly, I needed quantitative skills to complement my qualitative research abilities,” she says. “I had gone into farming communities in the Andes…

Celeste Arista Glover ’13 is helping to drive a paradigm shift in philanthropic practices.   “In old-school philanthropy, the premise was ‘How can we come in and save you?’” Glover says. “That’s not how my team operates. We listen to the voices of community members to lift up their experiences and amplify their vision for…

Melissa Walsh ’09 has connected early childhood educators with library resources, helped create professional development opportunities for home daycare providers, and run youth programs and summer camps. And that was all before entering the Community Development and Planning master’s program at Clark. “I worked in the community for a few years and felt like I…

  Even before she finished her Clark degree, Laura Betts, M.A. ’21, was putting her learning to work. As a graduate student in International Development, Laura Betts welcomed Clark’s Worcester location. “The city has such an interesting and diverse mix of cultures and socioeconomics, which had huge benefits for me in my field of study,”…

Amalia Mendes, M.S., Geographic Information Science ’19, is a GIS Analyst at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Currently, she is employing geospatial technologies to advance polio eradication efforts in Somalia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Amalia Mendes, M.S. Geographic Information Science ’19 “Clark played an indispensable role in shaping my career trajectory,” Mendes says. “The…