February 28, 2015

Graduate students from Tufts University escaped the giant snow mounds of greater Boston to gain first-hand insight into what it means to work in applied economics and consulting.

The international group from the university’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, on a two-day trip to the Washington area, visited Nathan home offices on February 27 for presentations from key staff on how they forged careers in such areas as international development, litigation support, and trade facilitation. Most of the group plan to receive their Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy in May 2016.

Nathan Chairman John Beyer, Managing Director Rachid Benjelloun, Principal Associate Lynn Salinger, and principal economist Chi Leng briefed the group on Nathan’s geographic reach and the ever-evolving areas of emphasis in the firm’s technical work. The visitors received pointers on how to break into international development, The visitors also heard descriptions of entry-level work as well as the daily and monthly routines (if anything is routine) of mature practitioners. Nathan staff discussed their own career paths and how they developed technical expertise over time.

Remarkably Diverse Group

Nathan for its part gained immensely from the event: Introduction to a remarkably diverse group of young people who have already made their mark. The Fletcher class includes students from Chile, Colombia, India, and Taiwan, in addition to various parts of the United States. Members have been active in analytics, conflict resolution, finance, government service, human rights, legal services, and military service.

“By listening to Chi and Rachid we were afforded an opportunity to learn about the breadth and depth of Nathan’s diverse projects”, said one of those students, Warren H. Sakey, who served as a logistics specialist with the U.S. Army and is studying for a master’s in international business at Fletcher. “In terms of relating Nathan to our immediate lives as Fletcher students, John and Lynn did an excellent job describing the translation of skills acquired at Fletcher to the sort of real-world applications in which Nathan is engaged.”

Nathan has a special bond with Fletcher. Dr. Beyer holds his master’s and doctorate from the school. Ms. Salinger received her bachelor’s from Tufts and her master’s from Fletcher.