Winter 2025 Commencement Speakers

Headshot of Megan McKenna wearing a backpack and dark colored collared shirt with an ocean vista in the background
Dr. Megan McKenna, marine scientist, educator, and policy expert; Assistant Professor, Environmental Policy & Management master’s degree program at the Middlebury Institute; Director, Study Abroad for undergraduates from Middlebury Vermont studying at the Middlebury Institute, joining graduate students during the semester. 

The Winter Commencement speaker is the faculty member selected to receive the Faculty Excellence Award at MIIS. Dr. Megan McKenna, Academic Director of Study Away at Middlebury and an instructor in Environmental Policy & Management and the Online Master of Public Administration in Sustainability. 

Megan McKenna is a marine scientist, educator, and policy expert with extensive experience working at the intersection of ocean science, conservation, and public policy. Megan earned her Ph.D. from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and began her policy career in Washington, D.C. with the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission. She later served as a lead scientist with the U.S. National Park Service, where she worked to integrate remote sensing into natural resource management. Returning to California, she continued her research supporting ocean conservation and sustainability through big data analytics and by leading and contributing to cross-sector collaborations that drive sustainable ocean solutions from local to global levels.

At the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, Megan teaches across several interdisciplinary programs, including the graduate Environmental Policy and Management program, online Master of Public Administration in Sustainability, and undergraduate California Coast and Climate Semester and the Middlebury School of the Environment. Her teaching emphasizes applied science, systems thinking, and the connection between local action and global change. 

Habiba Mickdad wearing white and black outfit with white head covering and glasses
Habiba Mickdad, 2025 Winter Commencement Student Speaker

The Commencement Student Speaker is Habiba Mickdad, MANPTS ‘25. 

Habiba Mickdad will with a Master of Arts in Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies, with a certification in Financial Crime Management. Born and raised in Tanzania and having spent ten years studying in Uganda, her commitment to peacebuilding, dialogue, and youth empowerment has shaped her academic and professional journey.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from the University of Dar es Salaam, where she earned multiple leadership honors, including the Presidential Honorary Medal for excellence and service. She later completed her first Master’s degree in International Peacebuilding at Hartford International University, where she was awarded the Terry J. Prize a distinction reserved for the student demonstrating exceptional academic excellence and transformative community engagement along with the Peace and Leadership Award.

At the Middlebury Institute, Habiba continued to lead with purpose. She served as a Graduate Assistant for Student Services Office and Cyber Collaborative, a Student Advocate, and both a Kathryn Wasserman Davis Conflict Transformation Fellow and a Conflict Transformation Pedagogy Fellow. Her MIIS policy work includes two DoD-affiliated projects on domestic drone threat mitigation and proliferation-financing risks.

Beyond campus, Habiba founded USAIC, a youth-led platform connecting students across more than 20 universities in East Africa. She collaborates with youth representatives across African regional blocs including the East African Community (EAC), Southern African Development Community (SADC), and others to strengthen African engagement in global nonproliferation dialogues, including the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review process.

She carries forward a belief that peace must be both structural and personal, grounded in dignity, cooperation, and shared responsibility.