Katie Conn, a 1997 graduate of GPS, returned to her alma mater January 10 to speak about her career in international development and particularly her work with the MIT Poverty Action Lab in Kenya. At a morning assembly and later in a crowded Lunchtime Learning seminar, she described the work she has done in numerous African countries, starting with teaching math and science in Cameroon as a Peace Corps volunteer. After receiving her master’s in Public Administration and International Development from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, Conn joined the MIT lab as an evaluation coordinator and manages research programs in public health (mosquito nets among pregnant women); education (strategy to identify students for secondary school scholarships); and micro-savings (bank accounts for use by taxi drivers and market women), often traveling to the nearby countries of Rwanda and Uganda.
With pictures and through her words, Conn helped the students to understand the how’s and why’s of poverty and to understand the current political unrest in Kenya. She spoke of young Cameroon students who daily climbed cliffs and walked four hours by moonlight to attend school; mothers who count mosquito nets among their prize possessions; and her own experiences living as close to the African experience as possible.
Although her return to Kenya may be delayed because of the present turmoil in the country, she is anxious to continue with her work there, counting her colleagues at the lab among her closest friends. She answered many questions about the coursework and college preparation necessary for a career in international development or a stint in the Peace Corps, and she encouraged the students to travel, live in other countries, and be aware of the factors that lead to poverty and a disenfranchised population in many parts of in the world.