by LJ Evans

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Erin Kelly, the first UAF student to finish the program, received her master's degree in natural resources management last spring. (See Erin's Story) Three other UAF students are completing their Peace Corps service: Jessica Mayer in Macedonia and Löki Tobin in Azerbaijan, both CRCD; and Matthew Helt in Paraguay, SNRAS. Gasbarro expects five students to enter the program this fall.

A unique aspect of the CRCD program is that all the courses are available online, so Fairbanks residency isn't required.

"At first some of the Peace Corps staff told me ‘That just can't work!'" Gasbarro said. "But with the support of Eric Goldman in fact it has worked, and Jessica Mayer has proved that it can." Mayer came to Fairbanks to complete the courses, but she could have completed the degree from anywhere, Gasbarro said.

The master's international program adds a lot of value, both for the student and the university, Gasbarro said.

"When we proposed this program there was some resistance because people said we are Alaska, an arctic university -- why would we want to expend time, energy and funds on the rest of the world? But we owe it to our students to give them the opportunity to gain a global perspective," Gasbarro says.
His view is shared by UAF's administration.

"The ability to see and be involved in the global community is important for our students," said Larry Duffy, dean of the Graduate School. "Even more important, the experience shows them how their Alaska and arctic research skills can have relevance to the rest of the world."

UAF is also working toward offering graduate fellowships through the Fellows/USA Peace Corps program, Duffy said. The fellowships offer financial assistance to returned Peace Corps volunteers who want to pursue graduate studies. In return, students serve an internship in a community in need of help.

"When I heard Erin report on her experiences I knew it was all worth it," Long said. "She saw the real-life impact her knowledge could have on people's lives."

Gasbarro sees an even more profound transformation.

"Erin is a changed person," Gasbarro said. "She has an empathy for people in the Third World that's very hard to get any other way."

The experience will also have a profound effect on her professional life, he said.

"A high-level official in a state resource management agency recently told me, ‘All other things being equal, I would hire a returned Peace Corps volunteer at the drop of a hat, because I know that person knows how to cope with adversity, how to deal with different cultures and won't get discouraged,'" Gasbarro said.

Kelly herself knows she has only begun to understand the transformation she's undergone the last few years. "Tony said he didn't identify his real passion in life until his second Peace Corps service, after he'd retired. I feel really grateful that I've done it so young. My life will definitely take a different direction than it would have otherwise."

LJ Evans is a writer and editor for UAF Marketing and Communications.

She served in the Peace Corps in the Philippines from 2001 – 2003.

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