Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Water Cooler with Dr. London


The LGS program recently hosted an informal discussion with Professor Douglas London from the Anthropology Department. This conversation is part of LGS' on-going Water Cooler series. The "Water Cooler" series is an opportunity for students to get to know their professors outside of the classroom, and participate in meaningful discussion of various topics!

This particular discussion, with Professor Douglas London, focused on international aid, specifically how to get a job in the field of international development. Professor London has an extensive resume within the field and it was inspiring to hear his first-hand accounts of the good and the bad aspects of working in international development.

Professor London with his host family in Guatemala

Professor London spoke about how his time abroad, in high school and college, inspired him to do work abroad in the field of nutrition. He participated in the Peace Corps in Guatemala, and since then has been highly involved in international aid and development projects in Angola and Latin America. The keys to getting a job in this area, Professor London stated, is to participate in an internship, learn a language, form connections, and spend as much time abroad as you can. While abroad, London advises interacting with the local population as much as possible, advocating living with a host family in order to fully immerse yourself in the local culture.

In the fall, Professor London will be teaching a course in the LGS program entitled The Developing World: Culture, Conflict, and Changes. This summer he is going to take a group of ten students to Guatemala to do anthropology work on the field in what he calls "the heart of Mayan culture."

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