From the Classroom to the Embassy: How Emory’s MDP Program Shaped U.S. Diplomat Esther Joe

When Esther Joe 13G arrived at Emory University to begin the Master’s in Development Practice program (MDP) at the Laney Graduate School, she already knew she wanted to make a global impact. What she didn’t yet know was how deeply her graduate experience would prepare her for a career in diplomacy.

Today, Joe serves as a foreign service officer with the U.S. Department of State, where she represents the United States abroad. She credits the MDP program’s integrated, hands-on approach to international development for helping her build the skills and perspective necessary for her role.

“I was drawn to the MDP program at Emory because of its well-rounded approach to international development, the opportunity to do two summer field practicums overseas, and the small cohort size,” Joe recalled.

Before coming to Emory, Joe earned her bachelor's degree in international development studies from UCLA, where she first developed a passion for cross-cultural collaboration and sustainable change. At Emory, that passion deepened. Through fieldwork, coursework, and collaboration across disciplines, she learned to analyze development challenges through political, economic, and social lenses.

“My Emory education equipped me with useful skills in monitoring and evaluation, organizational management, project design, and gender analysis,” she said.

While pursuing her degree, Joe interned at Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture and joined the Global Health Case Competition where she built a team that united students from Laney, Candler School of Theology, the Rollins School of Public Health, and the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing—an experience that mirrored the interdisciplinary collaboration at the heart of the MDP program.

Those experiences continue to shape her life and career. Among the lessons she carries forward: focus on what you can control; your thoughts, emotions, attitude, and reactions; take small, steady steps toward progress; and never stop learning.

Now, Joe is applying those lessons in a new way. She’s currently serving as Deputy Spokesperson at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand.

Grateful for the mentors and professors at Emory who believed in her and encouraged her to “run toward challenges rather than away from them,” Joe says being named a 40 Under Forty honoree feels like a full-circle moment. It’s a recognition not just of her professional accomplishments, but of the foundation that began at Emory, and continues to guide her diplomatic journey around the world.