and generously accepted many other invitations to speak to a classes and organizations across campus. Her talks, meetings, and
class visits were all met with raving reviews, and her scheduled student-mentoring meetings at the Blum Center repeatedly filled
throughout the semester. “Dr. Desai gave us practical advice about entering and working in the development field. Her honesty
and candidness was refreshing and appreciated,” said MDP student Tara Roach.
Dr. Desai hopes that the USAID Fellows program will continue to help students to not only “identify problems, but also real-world
demands and pathways to reach these demands.” She challenges students to explore and expand upon their ideas, and examine
how the complexity of reality may influence their implementation
plans. Dr. Desai leaves the campus with new relationships and ideas
to improve development efforts for USAID and beyond. Impressed
with the Berkeley campus, she has challenged students to “examine
the system as well as the problem. I encourage students to explore
not only their own solutions, but to investigate how we can improve
the entire system.”
During their time on campus, Fellows can expand their networks,
while also promoting, informing and strengthening USAID mission
and bureau initiatives. Exposure to cutting-edge research and the
At the 1st Annual USAID Higher Education Solution’s Network (HESN)
not-yet-graduated next generation of practitioners, gives USAID
TechCon, held at the College of William and Mary, Dr. Desai shared her wisdom with
professionals a head start in identifying emerging trends and possibilities
7 development labs.
at the intersection of technology and international development. By
sending one of their own, USAID furthers their connection with the Berkeley innovation community, and catalyzes a variety of
new relationships with future development professionals.
Indeed, Dr. Desai was inspired and excited by the passion of current and future development workers on campus. She was
happily overwhelmed by the “energy and people involved in development on the Berkeley campus.” “You have over 300
students minoring in Global Poverty Practice and over 700 students enrolled in a class about it. The Blum Center and DIL
have really created a movement and mainstreamed development issues on campus,” she said. By bringing lessons from the field
to campus, USAID Fellows expose academic innovators to new perspectives from the field, and further expand the crucial
collaboration that will continue to allow USAID and UC Berkeley to jointly catalyze further acceleration through the pipeline
of successful technology solutions that improve the lives of the global poor.
Dr. Desai’s insights were appreciated throughout the UC Campus. Blum Center Staff, students, and the
wider development innovation community in the Bay Area and Washington.