Career Info

Despite my reaquisition of my old D.C. apartment, I have in almost no way taken back my old D.C. life, but rather have taken on many new roles in the old district. Despite the rigors of coursework, I never seem to run out of adventures that warrent updating this shamefully lazy forum.

Admittedly, I have been reminded of the need for a little update given all the job changes I have made over the past few months (and all the questions I've fielded). I honestly have to sit down sometimes because thinking about it makes me a little dizzy, yet incredibly excited. So, without further ado, here is a little rundown of my jobs/internships for my second year of grad school. Hope this clears up any confusion, and thanks for putting up with my nuttiness.

Fall Semester- I worked for Department of State, INR-OTR, aka (for those who don't speak acronymics) Intelligence and Research Office of Outreach. I finished there in late January. Excellent opportunity, and I got to see Secretary Clinton.

Spring Semester- I am currently working at CRDF- http://www.crdf.org/ . It is a nonprofit, NGO that began 15 years ago and has offices in Russia, former USSR countries, and increasingly in central Asia, the Caucusas and the Middle East. Their goal is to promote international scientific and technical cooperation. It began with wanting to find a way to provide nuclear physicists from the USSR with gainful opportunities to use their talents to keep them from having to resort to selling their expertise to a country or non-state actor who would use it for some diabolical means. Now they try to promote and fund r&d around the world and promote nonproliferation. Here is a recent article by my boss about a bill we're pretty excited about on our 3rd floor of 1530 Wilson Blvd.

After graduation, I have accepted an offer to participate in the Nonproliferation Graduate Fellowship Program. As a contractor with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington state, I will work here in D.C. for the Department of Energy for one year. After a week in Washington State getting oriented, I'll be headquartered in L'Enfant Plaza, which is only 5 metro stops from me. I'm working in the Office of Weapons Material Protection, and hopefully some projects will see me on a plane, answering to the name Kheezer, and filling up my passport. They do a lot with Russia and to say I'm excited does a disservice to the racing heart that fills me with with a faraway look in my eyes, an exhuberant smile, and a slight twinge of accomplishment when I think about the year to come.

I owe more posts about my trip to Eastern Europe, about my new status as a father to my best friends child, etc etc. Life's crazy, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

Cheers!