Publications and knowledge manager at IRC WASH,听Afar Regional State, Ethiopia

Bret McSpaddenWith a background听in international development and experience volunteer teaching for two years for the WorldTeach program in Namibia with subsequent management positions in the organization, Brett joined the Social Impact track of the MS CTD program to advance his career, with an interest in project management and a desire to adopt human-centered design into development. During the program, he completed his practicum听in the Afar Regional State of Ethiopia as a research assistant with CU Boulder's听Mortenson Center in Global Engineering in collaboration with USAID's Sustainable WASH Systems Learning Partnership (SWS). Afterward, he landed his dream job as the publications and knowledge manager at IRC WASH in the Arar Regional State, Ethiopia.听

"I am in the middle of nowhere in Ethiopia working on a project I never imagined myself doing, working with amazing colleagues from all over the world and听working with local people to implement the technology," Bret says. "This听is what I always wanted to do." 鈥�

Backstory

After completing a bachelor's degree in international development, Bret volunteer taught for听two years听for the WorldTeach program in Namibia, which听led to a position as听the program's country director, working closely with Namibia听volunteers and the Ministry of Education.听Bret continued with WorldTeach in Boston as a program manager, overseeing yearlong and summer programs in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific while also working to standardize health and safety procedures and manage technology throughout the organization. After researching positions that he aspired to, Bret realized he would need a master's degree, and the Social Impact track of the MS CTD program was one of the only programs nationwide that offered a graduate听degree focused on听Information and Communication Technologies and Development.听

Coursework

听颁辞谤别:听

  • Case Studies
  • Global Development
  • Fieldwork Methods
  • ICTD Laboratory

Electives:听

  • Information Visualization
  • Engineering Management: Leading Oneself
  • Creative Technologies
  • Code
  • Fundamentals of Project Management

Projects

Rural听Water Supply in the Afar Region of Ethiopia: ICTD Practicum project

Career Goals

To adopt human-centered design into development.听