Alison graduated from Cornell University with a B.A. in government and economics and a focus on China and Asia-Pacific issues. After completing her studies, she received a Taiwan-U.S. Sister Alliance Scholarship to continue studying Chinese at Taiwan’s National Cheng Kung University. She then worked for two years in Mainland China, first as an analyst for a small environmental consulting firm in Shanghai, and then as a translator and teacher in Beijing. She has full professional proficiency in Mandarin Chinese and often had to conduct interviews in the language for her work in Shanghai. While attending Georgetown’s Master of Science in Foreign Service (MSFS) program, Alison has continued to focus on U.S.-China and Asia-Pacific issues, interning for the Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs at the Department of State, the Office of South and Southeast Asia at the Department of Treasury, and the Economics section at U.S. Embassy Rangoon (Myanmar).

"I chose MSFS because of its amazing faculty, many of whom have incredible experience working with Asia-Pacific issues.”

Publications

Morris, W., & Schonberg, A. (2017). Sustainability Insights: Shanghai’s Informal Waste Management (Publication).