Student Spotlight: M.S. in Humanitarian Studies Student Emma Whelan
November 4, New York — Emma Whelan is sure the days of uninformed humanitarian responses are in the past, which means someone will have to be there to cultivate the data for the future. By completing her Master’s of Science in Humanitarian Studies (MSHS) through the Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs, as part of Fordham University’s Graduate School of Arts & Science, her ambition is to become that person who will shape the next generation of aid.
After graduating from Fordham University as an undergraduate, and jumping into the professional arena of New York City, her road led back to the University. This time, as a full-time graduate student and full-time employee at a marketing research company that has primed her for a career in humanitarian affairs. “The common thread, I would say, is data.”
“Having Excel knowledge from our information management classes last year was crucial. Now, in our monitoring and evaluation course, we’re doing survey design and data analysis. This [type of work] is exactly what I do as a project manager at my company, and I get to apply it to a topic I’m really passionate about.”
The topic of passion for Emma is migration and refugees. Population size, geopolitical factors, and all kinds of data points arise when tracking migrants and displaced peoples. Although the bulk of Emma’s research and experience came from Latin America, her studies at the IIHA provided her with other experiential learning opportunities.
The most significant of these opportunities was deciding to study abroad as a Network on Humanitarian Action (NOHA) exchange student in Malta. Emma chose this location, in the heart of the Mediterranean sea, which receives thousands of refugees and migrants leaving Africa for Europe.
She began studying Migration and Human Security at the University of Malta in the spring of 2019. Using the MSHS program, she steered her career into field-research and learned valuable skills to prepare her for the humanitarian sector.
“Going to Malta, I feel like I got a different perspective. There are distinct causes and distinct reasons when comparing that region with Latin America, but people’s goals are similar.”
State actors who use a “hotspot approach,” by forcing refugees to remain in border countries, have become Emma’s new focus. Studying abroad exposed her to Greek and Italian perspectives on refugees as well as Libyan contextualization. No matter where she goes after graduating, she wants to take what she’s learned into the field.
“I’m passionate about the Latin American region and what’s going on right now in Venezuela, but I am open to the possibilities.” Ultimately, she really wants to “get in there and learn,” knowing that the more she does, the more she will learn as things perpetually change in the field of humanitarian action once one is in that environment.
Graduating in the Spring of 2020, Emma will leave to do precisely that.
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
