Zoë Rose, ICAR Alum and Interim Office Manager
This month the ICAR community will be losing Zoë Rose, a staff member who has been a fixture at ICAR for over a year. Zoë began working while she was in the Master’s program as a graduate admissions assistant, where she helped Admissions Director Erin Ogilvie with student services and served as the face of ICAR as she represented the Institute at graduate fairs across the country. Most recently, Zoë has been the interim office manager while Amanda Martin is absent on maternity leave, managing operations on the Arlington Campus and at Point of View.
Academically, Zoë’s interest initially revolved around international security and nuclear weapons in space. Perhaps an unusual topic, she found the issues to be quite relevant as space-faring nations were progressing in their ability to develop weapons and enter space. However, in her second year, she began volunteering with the Red Cross Disaster Action Team, and discovered her concern for the state of individuals after disasters in post-conflict environments. Fueled by her belief that “individuals should never suffer alone,” Zoë “fed her desire to rebuild communities by helping individuals realize that the healing process is fundamental to their ability to regain hope and happiness.”
Upon leaving ICAR, Zoë will be teaching English for three months to Buddhist Monks and children in Laos. Having never been to a developing region before, Zoë admits, “I am nervous and excited at the same time.” Why Laos? “I happened to watch an episode with Anthony Bourdain on the travel network. In talking to a family, he exposed how the country is still riddled with thousands of undetonated mines and people who are deeply wounded.”
During her time in Laos, Zoë hopes to speak with the emotionally and physically wounded and see how they are coping with the aftermath of the war. Using this time to grow as an individual and get out of her comfort zone, she trusts that this experience will be the foundation upon which she can base her future work as a researcher on disaster relief procedures. Personally, she would like to live and travel overseas to compliment her research while learning about and experiencing a variety of different cultures.