January 23, 2007

Christine Martin entered Tulane University in 1991 with the intent to pursue a major in political science and international relations. She graduated in 1995 with a B.A. Magna Cum Laude in Political Science, concentration in international relations. Because she was already ahead in coursework because of AP science and math courses from high school she decided to pursue chemistry as her second major and also received a B.S. Cum Laude in Chemistry. Mrs. Martin double majored because she knew she would enjoy having technical coursework to balance the humanities.

How did you go from receiving a political science degree to working for the State Department?

In my last year of college I applied for and was offered a job at the Department of Energy under their Technical Leadership Development Program. They were looking for people with technical backgrounds to train in management of technical subjects in the Department. (I had already worked for DOE’s Sandia National Laboratories as an intern one summer in a chemistry program and gained a security clearance, and my double major helped me get the position in the program.) After leaving that program, I took a position in the Bureau of Nonproliferation and National Security (now part of the new National Nuclear Security Administration). As a DOE employee, I worked closely with the Departments of State, Commerce and Defense from 1995 through 2000. In January 2000, I applied for and was offered a position in the Bureau of Nonproliferation at the Department of State (now known as the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation). I have been in that Bureau since that time.

How can you credit your political science degree and Tulane education for helping you today?

Even though I was eligible for the job at the Department of Energy due to my chemistry degree, I credit my political science degree and interest in national security issues for the windows of opportunity that were opened once I joined the Department. Because of my political science degree I had knowledge of domestic and multilateral policies, laws and agreements and experience with non-governmental institutions that were key to the development of my career.

Is there any class in particular that you can give credit to for your development as a student and an employee for the State Department?

There are three particular highlights

First, in a class on National Security taught by a new professor from MIT, we had a section on arms control and nonproliferation in which discussed briefly the U.S. nuclear stockpile, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and export controls, including the multilateral organizations such as the Nuclear Suppliers Group. This caught my interest, and I did a paper on multilateral export controls. When I was asked during my interview with the Department of Energy what type of work I would be interested in, I mentioned this area and was then introduced to the director of the office cognizant for those activities. I was very happy to have some background knowledge of her responsibilities, and she was so impressed that as an undergraduate I had studied these issues that she took me into her office as a staff member. For the past ten years, I have worked export control-related issues and regularly attended IAEA and NSG meetings.

Second, Dr. Langston had a class on Science, Technology and Public Policy. It emphasized how many other areas of science and technology are keenly influenced by public policy. It also gave me some good insights on how things work in Washington.

Finally, I did a summer abroad in London working for the Verification Technologies Information Centre (VERTIC), an arms control-related NGO, through the Tulane Summer Abroad program. That and the Sandia National Laboratories summer internship were key resume builders that helped me establish credibility among my managers and peers in Washington.

Is there any advice that you would like to give to the political science undergraduates?

Any background or experience you can get to support your involvement in the issue, particularly if you can gain experience in one particular aspect of that issue or field that gives you in-depth or specialized knowledge, will stand out on your resume. There is nothing like experience, and no substitute for it.

Also, for those studying international relations with the intent to pursue an international career: remember that today in most issues and fields of study there is an international component, and in many issues and fields there is a scientific or technical component, and consider pursuing some experience in these aspects of your field of interest to gain experience that you can draw from when pursuing your international career. By studying political science you are giving yourself tools to draw from when your area of responsibility expands to involve the government, other countries or an international organization, but it is helpful to have a focused area of interest, and some experience in that area, when job-shopping in Washington.