Lovesun Parent

I am a senior program director, specializing in gender/social inclusion, with close to 12 years of quality experience designing & implementing programs, providing strategic guidance & technical support across sectors, coordinating & delivering specialized services to women, girls, youth, and persons with disabilities. Additionally, I have over seven years of international fieldwork experience, with more than half a decade of experience working in a humanitarian context (crisis/post-conflict). I have worked in Egypt, Liberia, Haiti, Afghanistan, and Canada for various donors, including USAID, UN, EU, and GIZ.

I hold a distinguished graduate degree in International Affairs from The New School in New York City. The program was recently named one of the country's top international affairs programs by the Foreign Policy Association. The school is renowned for its teachings & housing the international think tank, World Policy Institute.

I'm currently enrolled at the top-ranked USC Rossier School of Education, pursuing a Doctor of Education (EdD) in Organizational Change and Leadership. The program, designed for emerging leaders, seeks to develop effective strategies for facilitating organizational learning and creating systems that produce more effective, adaptable, and competitive organizations. I am also an inductee of Kappa Delta Pi (KDP), an International Honor Society in Education, founded in 1911 to foster excellence in education.

I also serve as a member of the Black Women in International Affairs' (BWINTAF) Senior Advisory Committee. BWINTAF aims to have under-represented populations gain access to knowledge about International Affairs, are aware of the effects that foreign policy has on their lives, and serve as active innovators and stakeholders in solving global issues. The Senior Advisory Council is a collective of highly-skilled experts with invaluable experience within international affairs. I that capacity, I provide advice, counsel, networking, and recommendations to BWINTAF’s Board of Directors in determining the direction of the organization and its success.