BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//events.la.psu.edu//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20201101T020000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=11;BYDAY=1SU END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20200308T020000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=3;BYDAY=2SU END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT UID:5205-069958819a000a37c8788b878b4fe026@events.la.psu.edu DTSTAMP:20260527T085112Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210225T153000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210225T163000 SUMMARY:Careers at USAID & International Development DESCRIPTION:\nUSAID leads international development and humanitarian eff orts to save lives\, reduce poverty\, strengthen democratic governance\, and help people progress beyond assistance. \;\n\nJoin alumni curre ntly working for USAID to learn more about the organization and potentia l career paths. \;\n\nPanelists:\n\nTiara Barnes\n\nTiara Barnes is a Communications Specialist supporting USAID&rsquo\;s Bureau for Policy\ , Planning and Learning as an Institutional Contractor. \;\n\nTiara supports USAID by producing \;internal and \;external communicat ion materials\, event planning\, and marketing campaigns to enhance awar eness of Agency objectives among the development community.\n\nTiara hol ds a B.A. in Journalism from Howard University and a Masters in Internat ional Affairs from Penn State University.\n\nGretchen Birkle\n\nGretchen Birkle joined the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mid dle East Bureau in January 2021 where she serves as deputy director for religious and ethnic minorities programs. From 2017-2020\, Gretchen was the deputy assistant administrator in the Europe and Eurasia Bureau. In this capacity\, she led U.S. development policy in the Western Balkans a nd a portfolio of bilateral and regional programs in democracy and gover nance\, energy security and economic growth. Ms. Birkle brings more than 25 years of leadership and management experience in both the public and private sectors to her work in international development.\n\nPrior to U SAID\, Ms. Birkle served 16 years overseas and at Washington\, DC headqu arters with the International Republican Institute (IRI)\, a non-partisa n\, non-profit organization dedicated to advancing democracy. At IRI\, G retchen advanced the Institute&rsquo\;s first global initiatives on wome n and youth\, served as chief of party in Kabul\, Afghanistan and was de puty director of the Eurasia and Middle East North Africa regional divis ions\, among other leadership positions.\n\nMs. Birkle&rsquo\;s governme nt service includes senior coordinator with the Department of State Bure au of Democracy\, Human Rights and Labor and as a board member represent ative to the Millennium Challenge Corporation. From 1997-1999\, Ms. Birk le was a legislative assistant to Senator Arlen Specter\, where she cove red foreign affairs\, defense and foreign operations appropriations subc ommittees\, and energy issues. Ms. Birkle graduated from the Johns Hopki ns School of Advanced International Studies with a MA in Soviet Studies and International Economics\, and from the Pennsylvania State University with a BA in International Politics and a minor in Russian Area Studies .\n\nBrianna Smith\n\nBrianna Smith joined the USAID Africa Bureau Healt h Team as the Africa Regional HIV/AIDS Advisor in 2016. Brianna supports the agency&rsquo\;s work with the U.S. President'\;s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program\, focused primarily in Southern Africa. Prior to joining USAID Brianna worked \; for the Department of Stat e for 5 years in various roles\; as the Acting PEPFAR Coordinator in Uga nda\, Deputy PEPFAR Coordinator in Botswana\, and as a Multilateral Dipl omacy Advisor in Washington\, DC with the Office of the Global AIDS Coor dinator. Before joining the State Department Brianna earned her Master o f International Affairs degree and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer wor king with the Early Childhood Care Development centers in Butha-Buthe\, Lesotho. Brianna received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology degree f rom the Pennsylvania State University\, and spent one semester studying on a ship while circumnavigating the globe. Brianna enjoys hiking\, biki ng\, camping\, dancing\, and reading.\n\nThis event is sponsored by the College of the Liberal Arts\, School of International Affairs\, and Schr eyer Honors College. If you have any questions\, please contact lanetwor k@psu.edu. \;\n\nZoom link available in Nittany Lion Careers.\n\nFor more details: https://events.la.psu.edu/event/careers_at_usaid_internat ional_development/ X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

USAID leads int ernational development and humanitarian efforts to save lives, reduce po verty, strengthen democratic governance, and help people progress beyond assistance. 

Join alumni currently working for USAID to lear n more about the organization and potential career paths. 

Panelists:

Tiara Barnes

Tiara Barnes is a Commun ications Specialist supporting USAID’s Bureau for Policy, Planning and Learning as an Institutional Contractor. 

Tiara supports USAID by producing internal and external communication materi als, event planning, and marketing campaigns to enhance awareness of Age ncy objectives among the development community.

Tiara holds a B.A. in Journalism from Howard University and a Masters in International Aff airs from Penn State University.

Gretchen Birkle

Gret chen Birkle joined the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Middle East Bureau in January 2021 where she serves as deputy director for religious and ethnic minorities programs. From 2017-2020, Gretchen w as the deputy assistant administrator in the Europe and Eurasia Bureau. In this capacity, she led U.S. development policy in the Western Balkans and a portfolio of bilateral and regional programs in democracy and gov ernance, energy security and economic growth. Ms. Birkle brings more tha n 25 years of leadership and management experience in both the public an d private sectors to her work in international development.

Prior to USAID, Ms. Birkle served 16 years overseas and at Washington, DC head quarters with the International Republican Institute (IRI), a non-partis an, non-profit organization dedicated to advancing democracy. At IRI, Gr etchen advanced the Institute’s first global initiatives on women and youth, served as chief of party in Kabul, Afghanistan and was deputy director of the Eurasia and Middle East North Africa regional divisions , among other leadership positions.

Ms. Birkle’s government service includes senior coordinator with the Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor and as a board member representativ e to the Millennium Challenge Corporation. From 1997-1999, Ms. Birkle wa s a legislative assistant to Senator Arlen Specter, where she covered fo reign affairs, defense and foreign operations appropriations subcommitte es, and energy issues. Ms. Birkle graduated from the Johns Hopkins Schoo l of Advanced International Studies with a MA in Soviet Studies and Inte rnational Economics, and from the Pennsylvania State University with a B A in International Politics and a minor in Russian Area Studies.

< b>Brianna Smith

Brianna Smith joined the USAID Africa Bureau H ealth Team as the Africa Regional HIV/AIDS Advisor in 2016. Brianna supp orts the agency’s work with the U.S. President's Emergency Pla n for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program, focused primarily in Southern Africa . Prior to joining USAID Brianna worked  for the Department of Stat e for 5 years in various roles; as the Acting PEPFAR Coordinator in Ugan da, Deputy PEPFAR Coordinator in Botswana, and as a Multilateral Diploma cy Advisor in Washington, DC with the Office of the Global AIDS Coordina tor. Before joining the State Department Brianna earned her Master of In ternational Affairs degree and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer working with the Early Childhood Care Development centers in Butha-Buthe, Lesot ho. Brianna received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology degree from t he Pennsylvania State University, and spent one semester studying on a s hip while circumnavigating the globe. Brianna enjoys hiking, biking, cam ping, dancing, and reading.

This event is sponsored by the Coll ege of the Liberal Arts, School of International Affairs, and Schreyer H onors College. If you have any questions, please contact lanetwork@psu.edu. 

Zoom link available in Nitta ny Lion Careers.

For more details: https://event s.la.psu.edu/event/careers_at_usaid_international_development/

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