Director of Business and International Development
email: mawalker[at]msu[dot]edu
Mary Anne is the Director of Business and International Development at MSUglobal. She is responsible for domestic/international research and program development, working with faculty and partner networks to create innovative solutions to business challenges. Mary Anne’s focus on higher education and development brings opportunities to MSU’s campus through expanding relationships with federal, international and foundation funding agencies who share our vision for creative problem solving and advancing knowledge.
Education
Mary Anne has degrees in Liberal Arts (AA), International Politics (BS Northeastern University) and International Law (MA American University) and is certified as an ESL Instructor. She teaches and consults on community and economic development, offering training programs on generating revenue through building public/private alliances, building and funding research agendas, and supporting brand enhancement through building extensive networks.
Experience
In 2000, she started up and directed the MSU Office of International Development, supporting multidisciplinary international research and project initiatives with partners around the world. She studied as an undergraduate at Northeastern University and did graduate work at Tufts Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (U.S. Foreign Policy) and American University (International Law and Organizations). She served as a Fellow to the United Nations University. Mary Anne studied overseas in the UK through London School of Economics and Kings College and in Madrid, Spain on language pedagogy. After working 5 years with Sherin & Lodgen, a law firm in Boston, she joined US Agency for International Development’s Europe & New Independent States Bureau. She specialized in education and training programs, economic development, rule of law initiatives and finished her tenure with USAID serving as a Senior Democracy officer in Zagreb, Croatia managing projects that aided civil society development.
Mary Anne currently serves on the Executive Committee for the Commission of International Programs of the Association of Public & Land Grant Universities. She serves on the Advisory Board of MSU’s Institute for International Health and on the Board of Directors advising MSU International Development Student Association SCOUT BANANA.
