Linda Keuntje

Linda Keuntje entered the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution Master's program in fall of 2010. She comes to us with a Bachelor's degree in Linguistics and two years of field experience through Peace Corps. As part of her undergraduate work, Linda conducted research on a previously unstudied endangered language from Cameroon, laying the groundwork for future researchers. As a Peace Corps Volunteer, Linda worked in education reform working with local teachers to test and implement new methods in English language education. Linda gained additional experience through developing training for incoming volunteers on the topics of conflict styles, inter-cultural awareness, and principles of pedagogy. In between these efforts Linda also studied abroad for one year at Karl-Franzes Universitaet in Graz, Austria and lived and worked in Tokyo, Japan for three years giving her a range of international experience that has both depth and breadth.

At George Mason University, Linda has pursued her international interests with the intention of applying her experience domestically. She has taken courses in Conflict and Development, Grand Strategy, Conflict and Religion and Conflict and Identity with an eye to developing more effective programming and training for international organizations.

As chair of the Central Asia Working Group, Linda is collaborating to bring students and scholars from around the world together for a conference on corruption, danger and ethics in field work. Additionally, the Group is working to bring Central Asian topics into more classrooms in and around George Mason through the development of experiential learning modules.

Linda's contribution to the Undergraduate Experiential Learning Project includes program design and development of the conceptual models that underpin that design, training development recruitment, and program evaluation. Linda's experience as a participant of the 2011 Liberia Service Learning Intensive provides valuable insight into the development and enrichment of the service learning program.