Developing Leaders and Improving Lives in the World's Developing Countries
John Armstrong
John joined Cornell's MPS-IARD program after completing his service as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco. In Morocco he assisted women in creating The Tikniouine Cooperative, a project focused on value addition for local livestock and forestry products. John is primarily interested in studying the innovation systems approach to livestock development for resource-poor farmers. He is originally from Arkansas and has worked as a livestock assistant for Heifer International Learning Center.
Jessica Cañas
Prior to coming to Cornell, Jessica worked for a grassroots environmental organization on the southeast side of Chicago as the Director of Education. Her interests are in looking at the effects of agricultural systems and rural development on human migration in Latin America and in extension work. Jessica is enrolled in the Master's International program and will be going into the Peace Corps in 2010. She has a Bachelor's degree in Anthropology and Environmental studies from Loyola University Chicago.
Emily Getty
After a year of gaining experience in the working world, Emily has journeyed back to Cornell as a graduate student in the Master's International program. Currently, she is researching the use of information and communication technologies by micro-financial institutions in the developing world. Emily will be leaving her home state of New York and joining the Peace Corps in 2010 to gain experience in the field and continue her research interests. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication from Cornell University.
Zakki Hakim
Zakki came to Cornell from his native Indonesia, having spent seven years working as a journalist. In his work he covered regional issues such as disasters, conflicts, poverty, and Indonesia's recovery from the Asian financial crisis, as well as environmental and health issues. His current interest at Cornell in particular is in exploring sustainable intensification strategies for Indonesia's ever-expanding oil palm plantations, so the industry's growth can actually improve the lives of farm workers and small holders, be environmentally friendly, yet be profitable and be able to gain from opportunities in the global market.
Christian Pulver
Christian joined Cornell's MPS-IARD program after serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Bolivia. Currently, he is researching issues related to sustainable agriculture, including improved water harvesting techniques and soil improvement through biochar application. Christian is originally from Colombia but has lived in seven Latin American countries; he received his BA in International Studies - International Security and Arms Control from the University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana.
Amrit Singh
After a successful career in the IT industry that saw Amrit selling and delivering information technology solutions to top-50 financial services companies, Amrit decided to switch gears and join Cornell's MPS-IARD program to develop his understanding of agribusiness in the developing world. Amrit has an undergraduate degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Pune (India), and during the course of his 13 years in the IT industry lived in six different countries.