Brendan Johnson
Brendan is a second-year student in the Global Politics and Security concentration in the Master of Science in Foreign Service (MSFS) program. The Rochester, Michigan native holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Michigan State University. Though he has a particularly strong interest in the European Union and the transatlantic relationship, he is also dedicated to his home state of Michigan and Metro Detroit policy. His research interests include ethnic nationalism and secession movements, both of which he witnessed and reported on first-hand as a Political Section Intern at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid.
Brendan is a proud child of the auto industry and U.S. infrastructure nerd, so he pays avid attention to U.S. transportation policy, and the integration of technology into the democratic process.
Before MSFS, Brendan worked as the Public Events Coordinator at the Detroit Zoological Society where he was also the Administrative and Financial Chair of the Michigan Alliance for Cultural Accessibility. After MSFS, he intends to return to the Metro Detroit public sector to dedicate himself to the advancement of equitable progress for Michiganders.
I was very happily surprised to have been accepted to MSFS, and from the moment I accepted, MSFS earnestly tried to forge a family among our cohort. Unlike other schools, MSFS immediately threw us into a Facebook group so we could begin talking to another. One of us then made a WhatsApp group so we could talk even more, and all before the prospective student visit day! By the time that day drew near, I was already fairly sure I wanted to enroll in the MSFS program, but the exhibited excellence of the faculty, inspiring dedication of Ambassador McEldowney, and obvious proximity to real-world practitioners through its location in Washington, D.C. solidified my decision. I am so happy I chose MSFS; I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Publications
Johnson, B. (2016). What Doesn’t Kill EU Makes EU Stronger, Case in Pointe – Medium