Brin Datema has over seven years of experience in the global health and development policy space. Earlier this month, Brin graduated from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service with a master’s degree in global human development. As part of her graduate studies, Brin explored her interests at the intersection of development policy, health, and impact evaluation while also gaining quantitative skills in development finance, economics, and statistical analysis. She ultimately specialized in program design and evaluation, earning a certificate in social innovation and global development.

Between the first and second years of her graduate program, Brin spent a summer in Mauritius interning with Instiglio, a nonprofit focused on improving the effectiveness of international development spending through results-based financing mechanisms. At Instiglio, her work involved establishing a central impact team and creating impact measurement and management strategies to capture the organization’s work with governments, advocacy, and field-building. 

Before earning her master’s degree, Brin spent five years at the Center for Global Development (CGD), a leading international development think tank focused on improving the policy and practice of the world’s top decision-makers, based in Washington, D.C. While at CGD, Brin led work to strengthen strategic planning, learning, and institutional impact assessment efforts, conducted research on global health policy and financing topics, executed public and private events to convene key policy stakeholders around innovative research and policy recommendations, managed grants, and developed reports and presentations for the Board of Directors and funders. 

Previously, Brin was a legislative affairs intern in the Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), where she supported liaison efforts between the agency and Congress. Before joining USAID, Brin worked as an intern on the Action Network at Save the Children, advancing the Maternal, Newborn, and Child Survival and Early Childhood Education advocacy campaigns. 

Brin holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and educational studies from Colgate University. Throughout her career, Brin aims to enhance the effectiveness, impact, and inclusivity of development organizations — both in their internal operations and through their external research, policies, and programs. 

Brin’s time at Burroughs instilled a deep love of learning that she has carried with her throughout her career, motivating her pursuit of a master’s degree. History classes with Mark Smith, Christopher Hinshaw and Jon Bang were some of many that emphasized the ability to think critically and question established systems and ideologies; Philip Barnes (Classics) paired academic rigor with humor to show how engaging learning could be; and Suzy Hamon’s (Mathematics) support in and out of the classroom demonstrated the importance of having a mentor and champion in both academic and professional pursuits. Furthermore, as a leader of the KUTO club, under the guidance of Prue Gershman (Counseling & Wellness), Brin realized her passion for social causes, which laid the foundation for her later work with social impact organizations.