Student Spotlight: Accelerated M.S. in Humanitarian Studies Student Natalie Ward
October 7, New York — “Collaboration” is key in the world of Natalie Ward, an exceptional student in the GSAS Accelerated Master’s Program in Humanitarian Studies at Fordham University’s Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs. Collaboration lies at the heart of all her work in mathematical modeling as well as humanitarian action. Combining the two independent studies has become her focus, but what does collaboration have to do with learning mathematics?
You can’t just open a textbook and learn the field alone, Natalie explains. First, you have to do a problem, teach it and put it into words. “It’s so helpful to speak my math.”
“My time as an undergraduate at Fordham was extremely collaborative in this way; I was always picking my teacher’s brains or having a study group. I couldn’t have succeeded without others, and I find the same is true in my accelerated master’s program for humanitarian studies. I truly love hearing other people’s opinions and working collaboratively within the Institute to understand the complexities of the humanitarian sector, and how many different actors can come together.”
Natalie is taking her talents into the field of monitoring and evaluation. Studying the outcomes of humanitarian interventions draws her in with the same statistical tools and team analyses. “In our monitoring and evaluation course, I learned how to design a survey effectively, look at the results, aggregate the data, and draw conclusions.” Underpinning all this work is a motto she carries with her, called ubuntu.
Humanitarian affairs first hit Natalie’s radar in 2017 during her study abroad in Pretoria, South Africa. As she presented a case study with a multicultural team of faculty and students, the Nguni Bantu term for “humanity” caught her attention. Natalie notes, “To paraphrase, ubuntu means I am who I am because of my community.” Hence, when the Oregon native returned home to Fordham, she decided to live those values.
Natalie conducted a landmark study linking air quality in the Bronx to pediatric asthma rates. She spoke at the Undergraduate Research Symposium and began working for Dr. Beer, Dean of STEM Initiatives. It wasn’t long before her motto of humanity, her love of collaboration, and Fordham’s vast array of international, resources brought her to the Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs.
“Fordham is a very motivated place, and I wanted to continue my studies here. I never thought I’d be a fifth-year master’s student studying humanitarian aid, but I applied to the program and got in.”
At the institute’s annual Design for Humanity Summit, Natalie met a group of professionals from the UN Global Pulse, an initiative doing real-time monitoring and predicting for development and aid programs. Steering her Fordham career in this new director of like-minded work, Natalie holds true to her collaborative principles, finding a positive experience in every class.
“Go Rams!”
Written By: Jeffrey Paddock, Marketing & Communications Graduate Assistant, Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs
About the IIHA
The Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) prepares current and future aid workers with the knowledge and skills needed to respond effectively in times of humanitarian crisis and disaster. Our courses are borne of an interdisciplinary curriculum that combines academic theory with the practical experience of seasoned humanitarian professionals. The IIHA also publishes on a wide range of humanitarian topics and regularly hosts a number of events in the New York area, including the annual Humanitarian Blockchain Summit and Design for Humanity Summit.
For more information or media inquiries, please contact: Camille Giacovas, Communications & Research Officer, cgiacovas@fordham.edu
