Honorary Degree for Hessler-Radelet

Carrie Hessler-Radelet, the 19th director of the Peace Corps, will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws at Boston University’s 143rd Commencement on Sunday, May 15. She will also deliver the pre-Commencement Baccalaureate address Sunday morning at Marsh Chapel.

A former Peace Corps volunteer with service in her DNA, Hessler-Radelet (CAS’79) was sworn in on June 25, 2014, after serving as acting and deputy director since 2010. A member of a four-generation Peace Corps family, Hessler-Radelet began her career in international development as a Peace Corps volunteer in Western Samoa from 1981 to 1983, teaching secondary school with her husband, Steve Radelet. She went on to spend more than two decades working in public health, focusing on HIV/AIDS and maternal and child health.

Hessler-Radelet holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from BU and a master’s in health policy and management from the Harvard School of Public Health.

The Peace Corps, which now operates in 77 countries, was established on March 1, 1961, by President John F. Kennedy, who outlined three goals: to help people of interested countries meet their need for trained men and women, to promote a better understanding of Americans in the nations where they serve, and to promote a better understanding of other peoples and cultures on the part of Americans. Peace Corps volunteers are “grassroots innovators,” says Hessler-Radelet, and the organization grooms them to be “creative problem solvers.” After their years overseas, she says, they “return to the United States as global citizens, with leadership, cross-cultural understanding, language, and technical skills that position them well for professional opportunities.”

Hessler-Radelet has led reforms to modernize and strengthen the agency, spearheading efforts to revitalize the volunteer recruitment, application, and selection process, resulting in record-breaking application numbers in 2015. She has also led initiatives to improve volunteer support and risk reduction, and oversaw the implementation of the 2011 Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act, which broadened the agency’s authority in matters of volunteer health and safety. She previously served as vice president and director of the Washington, D.C., office of John Snow Inc., a global public health organization, and was involved in forging the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

BU Today asked Hessler-Radelet about the life-changing experience of being a Peace Corps volunteer, and about her efforts to improve the already thriving organization.

BU Today: What does receiving an honorary Doctor of Laws from your alma mater mean to you?

Hessler-Radelet: It’s an absolute honor to receive such a distinction from my alma mater, particularly because it brings everything full circle for me. With the education I received at Boston University, I managed to find my passion in international development and embark on a transformative journey as a Peace Corps volunteer, all of which continue to shape my life. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for my four years as a BU student.

Tell me about BU’s continuing special relationship with the Peace Corps.

Boston University has proven to be one of the Peace Corps’ top institutions for producing Peace Corps volunteers in the nation. As a proud Terrier, I’m honored to have personally contributed to BU’s esteemed legacy during my Peace Corps service in Samoa. While working as a Peace Corps volunteer, I discovered a strong passion for international service that eventually laid the foundation for my own career in international development. To this day, BU graduates represent some of the best and the brightest our country has to offer, while reflecting the rich diversity of the American people, to become global citizens with new perspectives that can inspire sustainable change both overseas and at home.

What message would you like to impart to graduates considering, or committed to, joining the Peace Corps?

Service in the Peace Corps is a life-defining hands-on leadership experience that offers volunteers the opportunity to travel to the farthest corners of the world and make a lasting difference in the lives of others. In this way, Peace Corps volunteers earn unlimited mileage—not only in their global travels, but in their career paths as well. In today’s interconnected world, the vital skills that Peace Corps volunteers hone while serving overseas have become even more desired among employers. Through intercultural exchange and public service at the grassroots level, Peace Corps volunteers become equipped with the critical thinking, leadership, and communication skills necessary to gain a competitive edge in the job market and even continue to serve in their local communities. For volunteers to truly make a difference globally, we encourage them to open doors and change lives both abroad and right here at home.

How has the role of the Peace Corps changed over the years and what are a few things young people may not know about its global role?

Over the last few years, the Peace Corps has preserved its mission to promote a better understanding of Americans overseas while modernizing its processes to keep up with a rapidly changing world. Our ultimate vision is to forge a 21st-century Peace Corps that bridges our founding ideals with the realities of modern times. Most notably, we streamlined our application and selection process in 2014 to be completed in under an hour and provide applicants with the option to choose where and how they would like to serve. As a result, in the last year alone, the Peace Corps received nearly 23,000 applications from Americans who want to make a difference overseas, breaking a 40-year record in our application numbers. What this really tells us is that more than half a century after its founding, the Peace Corps is as relevant, dynamic, and important as it has ever been, and that Americans from all walks of life are passionate about the opportunity to serve others.

Also receiving honorary degrees are advisor and former chair, CBS Entertainment, and BU trustee Nina Tassler (CFA’79), who will give the Commencement address, Doctor of Humane Letters; US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, who will deliver the College of Engineering Undergraduate Convocation address, Doctor of Laws; and Travis Roy (COM’00), motivational speaker and founder of the Travis Roy Foundation, Doctor of Humane Letters.

More information about Commencement can be found here.