The best of both worlds

When I take the train from Palo Alto to San Francisco, I like to sit on the east side on the way up, and on the west side on the way back, to make sure I get to enjoy the complete view. When I’m at a restaurant, torn between two entrees, I usually try to convince my dining partner to order one so that I can sample both. You get the point. I generally like the best of both worlds, which sometimes leaves me wondering if I’ll ever be willing to really zone in on one area of expertise at the expense of all the other options on the menu.

I’m someone who’s always enjoyed taking an interdisciplinary approach, partly because I like keeping my options open and partly because I like to think of myself as a Renaissance woman. I majored in International Relations as an undergrad at Stanford, which allowed me to take courses in political science, history, economics, Italian, and anthropology, to name a few. Here at Duke, I’m pursuing dual degrees – Masters of Business Administration and Environmental Management. I’ve been able to take classes at the Nicholas School, the business school, the law school, and the public policy school, all of which count toward my degree programs.

In recent weeks, I think I’ve discovered the key to academic convergence. I’ve been assigned the same Policy Forum journal article on “economic growth, carrying capacity, and the environment” in multiple classes. I think that’s it – when your syllabi finally overlap, you’ve done it! Eureka!