MASTER OF ARTS IN
GLOBAL & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
Alumni Profiles
Mellani Lubuag
Born and raised in Micronesia, Mellani's research interests are greatly informed by her experiences living and working in the Asia-Pacific region. Her primary research interests include the Pacific Islands region, sustainable development, regional cooperation, and global political economy.
Mellani began her undergraduate work at Iowa State University before moving to California in search of warmer climes. In 2006 Mellani earned her B.A. in journalism from California State University, Long Beach. Her senior thesis examined the media systems in China and South Korea.
This past summer and fall Mellani interned with Conservation International's Indo-Pacific Regional Division in Queensland, Australia. As a communications intern, Mellani liaised with program managers and regional partners to support communication projects in the Pacific region. She also helped to create and design a suite of media materials used for local communities, regional conferences, and online distribution. While with CI Indo-Pacific, Mellani attended and participated in the 8th Conference in Nature Conservation and Protected Areas in Papua New Guinea, the the largest cross-sectoral coalition of donors, NGOs, regional organizations and national governments working in nature conservation in the Pacific.
Mellani hopes to use this experience to inform her thesis research concerning the role of regionalism in Pacific Island development, security, and governance.
