Karli Epstein

Karli Epstein (MAIS 2009) came to SFU after earning her undergraduate degree in Political Science from Northern Arizona University and studying African Politics for one year at the University of Ghana in West Africa. After completing the MAIS at SFU, Karli moved to Lake Tahoe to do an AmeriCorps (domestic Peace Corps) term with a local hunger relief organization. She then went on to work with the National American Red Cross Disaster Services team as a Field Associate, and she served as a disaster preparedness and response expert to 12 states on the eastern seaboard. Karli also worked with Red Cross regional staff on disaster communications and marketing planning as well as on mass care preparations for post-disaster impact. Karli has responded to 10 national disasters, and spent over 4 weeks in New York and New Jersey as a Public Information Officer for the Red Cross after Hurricane Sandy. Currently, Karli is the Executive Director of the Incline Village Community Hospital Foundation, where she is working to ensure that all residents in her rural mountain home in Nevada have quality access to health care services. Karli is also an adjunct professor for the School of Community Health Sciences at the University of Nevada Reno, where she teaches courses on Global Health and International and National Disaster Response.

Karli’s MAIS year at SFU was transformative in many ways. Not only did it inspire her to pursue a career in non-profit work and disaster response, but it also encouraged her to teach at the university level. According to Karli, SFU’s School for International Studies has some of the most brilliant minds in the field and fosters an environment where all opinions are considered worthwhile and productive. She will always be incredibly grateful for her time at SFU, and most importantly the lifelong friendships that she created there.