Biography
The Morningside Post is the community blog for Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs. We aim to foster the debate you didn't have in class and to feature the most passionate and inquisitive voices in SIPA's community.
The views expressed on TMP are those of the individual bloggers and not the editors or the SIPA or Columbia University administration. We invite comments from the entire the political spectrum. If you do not agree with a post, we invite you to express your disagreement by using the "Comment" feature.
Who we are:
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EDITORS
Ben Colmery (co-managing editor) is pursuing a Master of International Affairs at SIPA, concentrating in Economic and Political Development, with a professional focus in Media and Development. Before coming to SIPA, he worked as a Youth Programs Coordinator at the National Coalition Against Censorship, a First Amendment advocacy organization in New York City. From 2004 to 2006, he was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine. The core of his work there involved starting a regional media development initiative, founding a student-run newspaper, consulting in the foundation of two other student-run newspapers, and conducting a series of trainings and seminars, all in the promotion of print media as a tool for social change. He was in Ukraine during the Orange Revolution, saw the birth of true democracy, and participated in the rise of free press, founding the first free and independent newspaper in his district. It was in Ukraine that he realized the power of media to bring people together to create change, and embarked on a mission to bring this experience to other parts of the world.
Courtney Doggart (co-managing editor) is a first-year MIA concentrating in Energy Policy with a focus on Russia, Turkey and the Caspian region. In 2006 she researched civil society development among university students in Turkey. Prior to that, she helped start Network 20/20, an independent educational organization that engages future leaders in the US in public security and US foreign policy matters. Courtney has kept two of her own blogs Edge of Asia and Everywhere in between and is currently working on a web-guide to the 2008 elections Knowyourvote.
Aaron Ernst (co-managing editor) is concentrating in International Media and Communications at SIPA. Originally from Alaska, he attended University in Middlebury, VT where he studied political science and Japanese. Before coming to Columbia, he owned and operated a Japanese-English translation company before developing an interest in media. He returned to graduate school in order to begin a career in international broadcast journalism. He is particularly interested in the changing landscape of international news and how new media such as blogs, online video, audio and interactive reporting is changing how Americans receive and process international news. He is also co-president of “Media in International Conflict”, another student group at SIPA. His goal as co-managing editor of The Morningside Post is to involve as many SIPA students, faculty, staff, and alumni as possible in highlighting the immense breadth and depth of expertise and opinion that exists within the SIPA community.
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OUTREACH
Patrick Kluivert Ddiba (Outreach Coordinator) is a first year MIA concentrating in International Security Policy. He aspires to estimate mid- and long-term national and international political-military issues, by employing scenario-based planning. His areas of interest include defense reform, intelligence, counter-terrorism, homeland security, and U.S. policies towards the former Soviet Union, Asia, and the Middle East. He also coordinates TMP events. Patrick Kluivert Ddiba is a graduate of the University Southern California (B.A. cum laude in International Relations and East Asian Languages and Cultures- Political Science). He is fluent in English & Luganda, working knowledge of Lunyankole & Lusoga, proficient in Korean & Swahili and some knowledge of French & Chinese. He maintains a security focus blog AfricaAmericaSecurity
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EDITORIAL BOARD
Dan McSweeney (co-managing editor 06-07) MIA 2007 concentrated in International Security Policy at SIPA. Dan served on Active Duty in the U.S. Marines from 1999 - 2005, deploying overseas several times and participating in operations in Iraq and Kosovo. He also served as a spokesman at Headquarters Marine Corps, the Pentagon. Prior to joining the Marines, Dan was a program director at Third Millennium, a leading "Generation X think tank." He is a graduate of Eugene Lang College at The New School and the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs. Dan is originally from Morningside Heights, New York. He has served on the boards of Eugene Lang College, the SS United States Conservancy, and the Marine Corps Gazette. At SIPA, he is a founder of the student group CityTrekkers, which works to transcend the boundaries between Columbia University and the neighborhoods of New York City. He's also a member of U.S. Military Veterans of Columbia University and the student organization Media and Communications in War and Peace.
Jeca Taudte (co-managing editor 2006-07, MIA 2007) is a Brooklyn-based writer. She is currently serving a contract at the United Nations covering the Sixty-Second General Assembly. She is also writing a book on teens and the environment for HarperCollins. Prior to SIPA, Jeca worked in television production at VH1. Before that, she worked at Talk magazine, Brill’s Content, Newsweek and Harper’s magazine. She is teaming up with Michael Roston to coordinate alumni outreach efforts for TMP.
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Tom Glaisyer (co-founder) MIA 2006 (International Security Policy.) Prior to SIPA, Tom worked as a management consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Western Europe, Russia and the US. Whilst at SIPA he focused on the role of social software as it could aid conflict prevention, conflict resolution and counter-terrorism strategies. He is now studying in the PhD Communications program in the Journalism School. He also consults part time on issues related to social media, advocacy and policy advocacy networks. He will be focusing his blog posts on the UN, peace and security questions, Central Asia and, a side interest of his, US domestic politics.
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Michael Roston (co-founder, MIA 2006) is a New York-based Politics Reporter for The Huffington Post. He previously served as political correspondent and associate editor of The Raw Story. He has also written for the Village Voice, the American Prospect, the Orlando Sentinel, and Globe Asia (Indonesia). Prior to his work as a journalist, Michael worked as an Analyst at the Russian-American Nuclear Security Advisory Council in Washington, DC. He has also worked with Human Rights Watch, the Department of Public Information at the United Nations, and the Conflict and Development Program in the Indonesian office of the World Bank. He is a native of Chicago and completed his B.A. at the University of Iowa. He is helping to manage TMP's alumni outreach efforts.
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Graphic Design by Yuko Uchikawa
