Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service

Like many SFS students, Eric Pohlman (F ’04) joined the Peace Corps when he graduated. He served for two years in Cameroon as an agro-forestry volunteer. But unlike most of his peers, he stayed in Africa, accepting a job in Rwanda with the Kenya-based One Acre Fund, a nonprofit that helps increase incomes among poor rural farmers. Eric’s path to Africa and passion for international development began in the fall semester of his junior year while studying abroad in Dakar, Senegal.

STIA's interdisciplinary studies provided my foundation for working in a world that does not know academic distinctions.

The Science, Technology, and International Affairs (STIA) major returned for the spring semester with a new academic focus. “SFS provided an environment where I could really explore international development,” said Eric.

STIA taught Eric to analyze complex situations with any number of interrelated variables. As a result, he was well prepared for rural development, a field that requires an understanding of agricultural and hydrological issues, market and health systems, cultural norms, as well as the political climate and infrastructure.

“All these fields impact each other,” said Eric. “STIA’s interdisciplinary studies provided my foundation for working in a world that does not know academic distinctions.”