November 27, 2007
WHO WE ARE
SIS’s Cowles wears a tricorne: faculty, staff, alumna
Over the last 50 years, graduates of the School of International Service (SIS) have taken their thirst for knowledge and their passion for service to all corners of the globe. For Maria Green Cowles, however, that call to service brought her right back to where she started.
Cowles, who holds a master’s in European integration and a PhD in international service from SIS, now serves as her alma mater’s associate dean for academic affairs. And while much has changed since Cowles’s grad school days—“some of my old professors are starting to retire,” she said with a warm laugh—SIS still feels like home.
“The faculty are even better and the students are even brighter, but that feeling of community within SIS never changes,” she said.
In fact—much like the SIS student body, which has gone from an inaugural class of 80 to several thousand—that sense of community only continues to grow.
“It’s exciting to be a part of SIS at this particular point in history,” said Cowles. “The groundbreaking is thrilling, as is knowing that we’re going to have all faculty under the one roof. It’s going to bring the school, and the university, to a whole new level.”
Cowles came to SIS 18 months ago from the University Honors Program, where she served as associate director. In her current position, Cowles is responsible for all academic affairs, academic services, and faculty-related matters.
“And other duties as needed,” she laughed. “I wear a lot of hats.”
Though she works primarily with faculty and staff, Cowles never passes up a chance to return to the classroom.
“The students keep me focused; they remind me why we’re here,” she said.
This semester, she’s teaching the Leadership Gateway class, which familiarizes freshmen with course offerings and career options, and introduces them to faculty and outstanding alumni.
“We also introduce them to some of the SIS traditions—trick-or-treating at the embassies and our annual international dinner—so that they feel part of our community,” said Cowles. “It can be a challenge with so many undergraduates, but it’s also tremendously exciting.”
And just as the students keep Cowles on her toes, so does her research, which focuses on the European Union.
“I ensure that I make time to publish,” said Cowles, who presented a paper at a conference in New York earlier this month. “We go into academia to teach, but we also go into academia to engage in this wonderful world of ideas.” —AF
