BERKELEY Inspire

Answering the explosion in student interest to address global poverty, Berkeley launched the Global Poverty & Practice (GPP) minor in 2007— and it remains one of the campus’s most popular minors.

Run by the Blum Center for Developing Economies, GPP combines classroom studies with fieldwork and has sent students to communities in more than 50 countries. To date, over 13,500 students have participated in GPP programs, including 600 who completed the minor. We recently surveyed GPP alumni to find out where they are now. Below are snapshots of four alumni who have gone on to help improve the world.

Sofie Fredlund-Blomst ’09

Where she is today: An information officer with USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance, where she ensures that communities affected by conflict, complex emergencies, and natural disasters receive humanitarian assistance. Among her recent assignments, Sofie served on the U.S. government’s response team for the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

In her words: “The GPP minor challenged me to think critically and innovatively about some of the world’s most pressing issues. Its practical component provided a rare opportunity to apply academic theories and concepts to a real-world situation … It encouraged me to be curious about systems and structures, and to seek answers to the questions that no one is asking.”

Yutika Vora ’08

Where she is today: The World Bank’s SocialProtection Unit in New Delhi, India, where she focuses on the impact of government poverty reduction policies in urban communities. She also consults for the Economic Research Institute on ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and East Asia.

In her words: “I try to take on projects that seek to improve opportunities for access to services for the most vulnerable communities. The limitation of options that poor people face is a gross violation of social justice.”

Greg Rulifson ’09

Where he is today: A doctoral student in civil engineering at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Devoted to the intersection of social responsibility and engineering, he will teach engineering and sustainable community development at the Colorado School of Mines.

In his words: “Taking GPP 115 first exposed me to injustices that had not previously been a part of my life experience. That exposure ultimately changed the trajectory of how I would live my life.”

Jacquelyn Amour Jampolsky ’08

Where she is today: Public Interest Indian Law Fellow at Berkey Williams LLP, a law firm that exclusively represents Native American interests in the United States.

In her words: “GPP showed me the possibility of pushing radical ideas through conventional practice. That orientation inspires me to be a better lawyer, and find creative ways to use the law to more effectively advocate for Native American interests.”