Meet Bret McSpadden, MS–Social Impact track, 2019

Publications and knowledge manager at IRC WASH,ÌýAfar Regional State, Ethiopia

Bret McSpadden
With a backgroundÌýin 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 practicumÌýin the Afar Regional State of Ethiopia as a research assistant with CU Boulder'sÌýMortenson 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.Ìý

"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 andÌýworking with local people to implement the technology," Bret says. "ThisÌýis what I always wanted to do." ​

Backstory

After completing a bachelor's degree in international development, Bret volunteer taught forÌýtwo yearsÌýfor the WorldTeach program in Namibia, whichÌýled to a position asÌýthe program's country director, working closely with NamibiaÌývolunteers and the Ministry of Education.ÌýBret 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 graduateÌýdegree focused onÌýInformation and Communication Technologies and Development.Ìý

Coursework

Ìý°ä´Ç°ù±ð:Ìý

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

Electives:Ìý

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

Projects

RuralÌýWater Supply in the Afar Region of Ethiopia: ICTD Practicum project

Career Goals

To adopt human-centered design into development.Ìý