March is International Women's Month, so designated to inspire and celebrate the achievements and contributions of women around the world. The Josef Korbel School has several women in its midst whose contributions to their fields are worth recognition. Professors Rachel Epstein and Sally Hamilton are two such women who each have significant experience and success in male-dominated fields. Read their interviews below.

 

Rachel Epstein, Associate Professor and Director, MA in International Security

Can you tell me about your path to the Josef Korbel School?

After graduating from college and spending six months working in Germany, I moved to DC to find work in the field of international affairs. I ended up getting a couple of research assistance jobs—first at Brookings and then at Carnegie. In both institutions the people around with PhDs had great careers. So I decided to pursue that as well, and ended up getting my degree in Government at Cornell. My last year there I was lucky enough to get both a postdoc and a job—at that time it was called the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver. So I did my postdoc at the European University Institute in Florence before moving to Denver in the fall of 2002.

Do you have any anecdotes about being a woman in a more male dominated field?

Interestingly, when I was an RA at Brookings, both of my bosses were women—Catherine Kelleher and Janne Nolan. And then at Carnegie, I worked for still another high-powered woman, Jane Holl. All three had a big influence on me. It is difficult to overstate the psychological benefit of seeing people—from groups that had historically been marginalized—in positions of power and responsibility. They were all great at their jobs and very good mentors. It was unusual that I should have ended up working for three very accomplished women in DC in the early 1990s, because all were in security studies—a typically male-dominated field.

What motivates you to teach?

When I’m in the classroom, I hope to make subjects or fields that seemed inaccessible to people as clear as possible. This is one reason I really enjoy teaching international political economy. Students come into the class, often without background in the subject, and feel intimidated. But before very long, they can see that some trends or concepts they didn’t understand before are not only understandable, but possible to explain to others. Seeing students really take charge of the material and learn how to make use of it for their own ends is really satisfying for me.

What are you researching?

My current research concerns the political and economic effects of foreign bank ownership in transition economies. Central and East European states sold the bulk of their finance to multinational banking groups in the West in the context of the 1990s post-communist transition. They are now in a very vulnerable place—both politically and economically because those West European banking groups are under so much pressure from the European debt and eurozone crisis. That potentially means that East European economies will suffer a credit crunch—through no fault of their own. So I’m trying to figure out whether controlling one’s own banking sector is important for ensuring economic prosperity and also for avoiding political vulnerability.

 

Sally Hamilton, Associate Professor and Director, MA in International Development
 

Can you tell me about your path to the Josef Korbel School?

My career goal was to contribute to poverty alleviation and human development in the Global South and developing areas in the North. Following completion of a doctorate in anthropology, I served as Program Director for Women in International Development with the Office of International Research, Education, and Development at Virginia Tech from 1997 to 2000. I have been at Korbel since 2000.

Do you have any anecdotes about being a woman in a more male dominated field?

My field is agricultural development, and I am often the only woman in a roomful of agricultural scientists. Further, I am often the “gender expert” on various projects in Latin America. Fortunately for me, and for the people in populations I work with on these projects, my male counterparts are persons of good will who share my development goals and want to make sure all of our projects serve farmers and farm family members of all genders. Gender inclusivity has been an explicit goal on all of these projects, both in terms of beneficiary populations and in terms of scientists involved on the delivery side, and our projects have met these goals. My male counterparts understand that we cannot merely “add women and stir” to meet these goals. With their help, projects have been designed to work with women and men in ways that are practical and culturally appropriate for both. I have been very lucky to have worked with colleagues at Virginia Tech and Purdue who are committed to gender equity as well as agricultural development and poverty reduction.

What motivates you to teach?

The intellectual creativity, stalwart commitment and positive energy of Korbel’s students. I always feel that my students and I are reaching together for the great new ideas and understandings that will improve development thinking and practice.


What are you researching?
Agricultural and rural economies, livelihood security and natural resource management by family farmers, and value chains that link farmers in Central America and the U.S. This spring, I will be researching Kentucky farmers’ decision-making in light of their participation in global grain, horticultural and tobacco markets and changes to U.S. agricultural policy in these markets. I’ve been studying farmers in Honduras who participate in these markets and previously studied farmers in Guatemala and Ecuador.