Education

Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs, New York Master of International Affairs, International Media and Communications Specialization South Asia Regional Concentration, 1993 Graduate Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship, Bengali

University of California Santa Cruz Bachelor of Arts, American Studies, 1988; South Asian Studies Minor Cowell College Honors, Teaching Assistant Cowell Core Course

Delhi University, Delhi, India 1985-1986

Professional Experience

Writer, International Rescue Committee, New York, 2003 - 2004  Wrote, edited and formatted content for Web site, internal newsletters and publications. Reported on health, education, emergencies, refugee resettlement and anti-trafficking programs.

Regional Coordinator, Center for International Rehabilitation, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, 2000 - 2002 Implemented web-based distance learning course for Central American workers fitting amputees with prosthetics. Coordinated new prosthetic technology testing, workshops and conferences. Administrative duties included staffing, salaries, budgets, expenditures, banking, equipment purchases.

Reporter, Napa Valley Register Napa, California: 1999 - 2000 and Mountain Democrat Placerville, California: 1998 - 1999 Court and crime reporter, writing articles for daily newspaper. Also covered breaking news and wrote occasional features. Winner, 1999 Lincoln Steffens Award for Investigative Journalism (Northern California)

Consultant, Human Rights Watch, Croatia, Bosnia: September - November 1997 Conducted interviews and research throughout Croatia for human rights report on handover of the disputed ex-Yugoslavia territories Vukovar and Krajina from Serbian to Croatian control. Interviewed refugees, government officials, international humanitarian and political workers.

Civil Affairs Officer, UN Mission in Bosnia-Hercegovina, Doboj, Republika Srpska; Tuzla, Sarajevo, Bosnia: 1996 - 1997 Supported international police (UNIPTF) on political issues and Dayton peace agreement implementation. Met regularly with Bosnian Muslim, Serb, and Croat officials; liaised with IFOR and other international organizations; monitored and reported political, human rights, humanitarian and economic issues.

Head of Office, International Rescue Committee, Sarajevo, Bosnia, 1995 - 1996; Tuzla, Bosnia, 1994 - 1995
Developed and implemented emergency material assistance programs, including USAID natural gas project in Sarajevo; administered grants, budget and cash; supervised field, administrative, warehouse, and logistics staff; oversaw security protocol during war; negotiated contracts; liaised with government and international officials.

Outprocessing Coordinator and Caseworker, International Rescue Committee, West Africa: 1992, 1993
Coordinated U.S. resettlement for Liberian refugees from Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, and Nigeria. Arranged flights, HIV tests and medical exams, and departures. Interviewed refugees to compile INS case files for potential resettlement.

Outprocessing Coordinator, International Rescue Committee, Khartoum, Sudan: 1991
Coordinated U.S. resettlement for Ethiopian refugees from Khartoum and Gedaref refugee camp, Sudan.

Editor, Writers Union of Free Afghanistan, Peshawar, Pakistan: 1990 - 1991
Supervised quarterly Afghan affairs journal. Selected and edited articles, redesigned format, organized mailing and subscriptions, organized international seminar on Afghanistan.

Journalism Instructor, International Rescue Committee, Peshawar, Pakistan: 1990
Prepared lessons and taught newswriting, current events and geography to classes of male Afghan refugees.

Languages

Conversational Spanish; rudimentary Hindi, Urdu, Bengali.