Richard Reiter MIA ’85 Looks Back on 2012-13 Davis Fellowship
Richard Reiter MIA’85, the recipient of the 2012-2013 Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Foreign Service Fellowship at SIPA, has recently been appointed to Vice President Joe Biden's national security team. Much of his focus will be on U.S. policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan as the drawdown of U.S. forces in 2014 approaches.
Reiter, who speaks Croatian, Portuguese, and Spanish, joined the State Department in 1992 and has served in Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Afghanistan, Portugal, and Belgium. Most recently, he did a second tour in Afghanistan as chief of staff to the U.S. senior civilian representative in the eastern part of the country. Before joining the State Department, Reiter was a school teacher in Honduras and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Jamaica. He spoke with SIPA News about his experience as Davis Foreign Service Fellow and what he gained from SIPA.
What drew you to the Davis Fellowship?
Two things. The first was the desire to return to Columbia, where I had done my undergraduate and graduate work years ago. I happened to talk to someone at the State Department who had done this fellowship at SIPA and I thought it would be a good opportunity to reconnect with the Columbia community. The second was that the fellowship seemed like a good way to follow up my time in Afghanistan. It was an opportunity to reflect on our efforts there and do some academic work on the war and the way forward. I couldn’t have done this if I had jumped right back into work in Washington, D.C.
What was your experience with this fellowship?
On both personal and professional levels, it was great. Personally, I loved coming back to New York and enjoying Columbia and the city for a full year; it's been fantastic. Professionally, I had the pleasure of working with Professor Stephen Sestanovich in the International Fellows Program. I also interacted closely with Columbia professors who work on Afghanistan, and I led a Capstone workshop that was built around my experiences in Afghanistan. The students’ work was roundly praised by professionals in D.C. and by the client — they did a great job. I also helped to organize a couple of symposia on Brazil issues for the Institute for Latin American Studies and the Center for Brazilian Studies. These were excellent opportunities to explore some important and timely topics.
Did you find your time at SIPA useful?
Absolutely. One of the things that happens when you are in a field position, whether in an embassy or at a military base, is that you tend to focus very narrowly. Sometimes it’s hard to disengage from that perspective and take a bird’s-eye view. At SIPA, I could talk with the experts, read their books, and think more strategically — rather than just day-to-day — about where we are going with the war. I will certainly be bringing some of that thinking with me to my new job.
What does your current assignment at the White House entail?
I'm the special advisor for South and Central Asia to the vice president, who has his own national security team. We work alongside the larger National Security [Council] staff and focus on the issues of interest to the vice president, helping inform and prepare him for national security decisions.
What are your impressions of SIPA students?
My observation is that SIPA is now even better organized and more focused than it was when I was a student. The students are incredibly sharp. If I were at school right now, I'd be intimidated by the quality of students. I have nothing but praise for them, and I look forward to working with them as they enter the profession.
-- Neha Tara Mehta MIA’13