Meet Bret McSpadden, MS–Social Impact track, 2019

Publications and knowledge manager at IRC WASH, Afar Regional State, Ethiopia

Bret McSpadden
With a background in international development and experience volunteer teaching for two years for the WorldTeach program in Namibia with subsequent management positions in the organization, Brett joined the Social Impact track of the MS CTD program to advance his career, with an interest in project management and a desire to adopt human-centered design into development. During the program, he completed his practicum in the Afar Regional State of Ethiopia as a research assistant with ²ÊÃñ±¦µä's Mortenson Center in Global Engineering in collaboration with USAID's Sustainable WASH Systems Learning Partnership (SWS). Afterward, he landed his dream job as the publications and knowledge manager at IRC WASH in the Arar Regional State, Ethiopia. 

"I am in the middle of nowhere in Ethiopia working on a project I never imagined myself doing, working with amazing colleagues from all over the world and working with local people to implement the technology," Bret says. "This is what I always wanted to do." ​

Backstory

After completing a bachelor's degree in international development, Bret volunteer taught for two years for the WorldTeach program in Namibia, which led to a position as the program's country director, working closely with Namibia volunteers and the Ministry of Education. Bret continued with WorldTeach in Boston as a program manager, overseeing yearlong and summer programs in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific while also working to standardize health and safety procedures and manage technology throughout the organization. After researching positions that he aspired to, Bret realized he would need a master's degree, and the Social Impact track of the MS CTD program was one of the only programs nationwide that offered a graduate degree focused on Information and Communication Technologies and Development. 

Coursework

 Core: 

  • Case Studies
  • Global Development
  • Fieldwork Methods
  • ICTD Laboratory

Electives: 

  • Information Visualization
  • Engineering Management: Leading Oneself
  • Creative Technologies
  • Code
  • Fundamentals of Project Management

Projects

Rural Water Supply in the Afar Region of Ethiopia: ICTD Practicum project

Career Goals

To adopt human-centered design into development.