M.S. in Global Affairs
Alumna, Class of 2011
Mary Tran’s passion for global affairs was sparked by a childhood trip to her parents’ native Vietnam. "I was exposed to the developing world’s perspective at a very impressionable stage in my life," she recalls. "I realized then how fortunate I was and how different life could have been for me personally." Tran earned her B.A. in English at the University of Michigan. After three years as an analyst and consultant for Sg2 Health Care Intelligence, she decided to turn her passion for international culture into a career by pursuing an M.S. in Global Affairs through the Center for Global Affairs (CGA).
Among the many transformative influences Tran cites are the CGA Scenarios Initiative and the International Political Economy course taught by Professor Michael Oppenheimer; her work as a research assistant for Professor Everett Myers, analyzing country-specific political, social, and economic developments; and coordinating a graduate research intensive in Vietnam; as well as her internship with the United Nations Development Programme.
Tran founded and served as president of the Society of International Business and Development, a CGA-affiliated student organization, and was honored with the CGA Divisional Dean’s Circle Award for academic excellence. Upon graduation, Tran will return to Vietnam as the program administrator for the CGA Vietnam-ASEAN Field Intensive. She is looking forward to exploring career opportunities at the intersection of international law and the private sector.