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HI, I'M DOUG
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This is a place to capture some of my writing about various things that interest me. Professionally, my passion is for advising incredibly talented young adults, helping connect them to international academic and service opportunities. I am lucky enough to have a job at NYU Abu Dhabi where I do exactly that as director of global awards. Previously, I worked at my alma mater, Grinnell College, for 15 years, building the college’s scholarship advising system, creating the Grinnell Corps, and--best of all--mentoring 10 of the best young people on the planet through the Posse Foundation. On a personal level, my daughters and I travel the world as much as we can, and I enjoy racing triathlons. I’m also a returned Peace Corps volunteer (Suriname, 1995-97), a living kidney donor, and the co-author of four editions of the book Volunteer Vacations. If you really want to make me happy, buy me a donut, take me to a UNC basketball game, watch Survivor with me, or put on some New Orleans jazz.
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October 25, 2016
I've been advising Rhodes Scholarship candidates since 1999, and have talked with scores of students about the process over the years. In spring 2016 I was invited to give a TEDx talk at New York University Abu Dhabi, where I currently work, on what...
October 15, 2016
There are basically two types of places men can get their hair cut in Abu Dhabi. The first are upscale, high-end salons, mostly in hotels, which cater to the “expat” population. They smell good, you need an appointment, they are well-designed and c...
October 2, 2016
I would guess that everyone, in childhood, spends some time thinking about what they would change their name to. Most people do this simply because they think it would be interesting to try out a different name.
But I’m a Doug. And I think Dougs als...
September 23, 2016
I live outside of my home country and travel frequently, so communicating with others often requires me to rely on a combination of hand gestures and facial expressions, the global ubiquitousness of English, or the meager few words that I have picked...
September 17, 2016
You’re sitting on a plane, or in an airport terminal between flights. You’ve come from one country and are going to another, and while there is anticipation and excitement in that journey, there is also the boring reality of the moment. Although cr...
September 16, 2016
I love following American politics. I spend time every day reading Politico, Slate, FiveThirtyEight, and other news sources. I talk about the issues with whomever will listen, and track the horse races closely.
I also love podcasts. I listen to hou...
September 15, 2016
In spring 2012, I was invited by the graduating seniors of Grinnell College, where I worked at the time, to be one of two faculty/staff speakers at the Baccalaureate ceremony during commencement weekend. Below are the text of my comments. For contex...
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