UWO international studies alumna Caitlin Hopper to be honored with 2024 Outstanding Young Alumni Award

After graduating from UW Oshkosh in 2015, Caitlin Hopper, of Washington, D.C., leveraged her passion for international development to work with organizations that advance food security and economic growth, especially in developing countries. Hopper will be presented with a 2024 University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Outstanding Young Alumni Award on Homecoming weekend this fall.

Hopper, '15, who majored in international studies with European emphasis, initially attended UW Oshkosh as a nursing major. Her family lived in Waukesha, and she was drawn to the College of Nursing's stellar reputation.

"When I was a teenager, I got the idea in my head that I was going to be a nurse, but after years of studying and real-life practice as a CNA, I found that it wasn't a good fit for me," Hopper said. "It caused a bit of an identity crisis. Still, that failure ended up putting me on the best path possible toward a life I had never imagined for myself."

She switched to Human Services Leadership before making her final major change to international studies. She had discovered the University's award-winning Model United Nations program and was immediately hooked. Under the mentorship of the late UWO international studies professor Kenneth Grieb, who was then the team's faculty adviser, Hopper and the team won numerous awards in international competitions. Hopper secured individual awards in 2014 and 2015 for Outstanding Delegation in Committee and Outstanding Position Paper Award in 2015.

Hopper moved to Washington, D.C., after graduation without much of a plan other than that she wanted to work in international development. She was soon hired at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) as an administrative and events coordinator.

Stacy Roberts, who hired Hopper for that role in 2016, said the UWO alumna quickly became an integral part of the team.

"Caitlin brought together a mix of incredible organization skills with diplomatic skills, the latter involved engaging with individuals such as the Minister of Agriculture from India and the Managing Director of Development Policy and Partnerships of the World Bank," Roberts said. "She was a creative problem solver."

At the institute, Hopper worked in many capacities including donor relations, facilitating engagements with large entities such as USAID, the Gates Foundation, World Bank and UN agencies.

"She had a knack for building teams from support staff to senior managers to facilitate implementation of governance endeavors and events," Roberts said.

Since March 2023, Hopper has been the Global Board Affairs Manager for the World Resources Institute, a global research nonprofit that studies and promotes sustainable practices for business, economics, finance and governance.

Despite her heavy workload that includes international travel and engaging with high-level officials, Hopper volunteered extensively with Midwest Model United Nations and National Model United Nations

and served in multiple leadership roles. She served as the Secretary-General for the first session of the 2024 National Model UN-NY conference, the largest collegiate model UN in the world, where she supervised a staff of 80+ volunteers to simulate committees for thousands of students.

UW Oshkosh alumnus Chase Mitchell '15, who graduated with a BBA in economics, is well aware of Hopper's volunteer work and commitment to the mission of Model UN. They were teammates at UWO MUN and continued their volunteer work with the national and regional MUNs after graduation.

"Her work since graduation with these organizations has helped to raise the next generation of global citizens, challenging students to engage in difficult conversations and find common ground, even from disparate positions," Mitchell said.

Michael Eaton, executive director of the NMUN, said Hopper, who attended the NMUN conference in New York as a UWO student, has contributed significantly to the success of the experiential learning program that provides more than 5,000 college students from more than 40 countries a better understanding of the inner workings of the United Nations.

"From the beginning, Caitlin has excelled in working with diverse groups of people in helping create the same learning opportunity for others she received as a student," Eaton said.

Hopper thrives on teaching and mentoring young people about diplomacy and the art of compromise. "The fact that I have been able to help so many people better understand the world around them is something I'm extremely proud of," she said.

She looks back at her time at UWO with great pride and credits Grieb, who died in 2018, and her MUN team for her successes after graduation.

"It was a lot of hard work, but Titans can always rise to the occasion," she said. "I say with absolute gratitude and sincerity that I owe the life I currently lead to UWO Model UN."

Learn more:

UW Oshkosh Model UN

Model of success: UWO's tradition of Model UN excellence remains unbeatable

UW Oshkosh Model United Nations team earns Outstanding Delegation award for 40th straight year

International Studies

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