New Scholar

Miss Evelyn Boettcher (2013)

Citizen: USA

Hometown & State: Tulsa, OK

Universities attended: Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, Wellesley College

Degree & Subject at Cambridge: PhD Politics and International Studies

New scholar profile:

OriginalIy from Tulsa, Oklahoma, I will arrive at Cambridge in the fall after studying in Inner Mongolia, China, as a recipient of the 2012 David L. Boren Fellowship. In Hohhot, I am studying advanced Mandarin, supplemented with beginner Mongolian, at Inner Mongolia University. My Harvard master’s degree studies (A.M., Regional Studies-East Asia 2013) examined the contemporary history of the concept of “Military Operations Other Than War,” focusing on the evolution of the concept in the U.S. security field, China’s own interpretation of such operations, and the relationship between humanitarian aid and support operations, non-traditional security issues, and security cooperation in the Asia-Pacific. I will build on these studies in my PhD program in Cambridge’s Department of Politics and International Studies, focusing on security cooperation and engagement platforms and programs in the Euro-American experience and in the Asia-Pacific region. My Honors paper from the University of Pennsylvania (B.A., East Asian Area Studies, 2010) examined the challenge of balancing diplomatic embassy security requirements with local outreach efforts that form a vital component of public diplomacy programs. At UPenn, I also earned a varsity letter on the Women's Rowing team. I have served in summer internships at the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C., U.S. Embassy in Beijing, and U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM), the latter of which was supported by a Harvard Presidential Public Service Fellowship. My summer work has also included volunteer efforts focusing on education. I have worked at an orphanage in Accra, Ghana, and taught English in Guangzhou, China. In Inner Mongolia, I volunteer weekly at a small school on the outskirts of Hohhot. I am deeply honored to be a recipient of the Gates Cambridge Scholarship. I am committed to applying my studies to a career in public service in the U.S. State or Defense Departments.