Johnson headshot

Leland Fellow

Hakeem Johnson

1st Class, 2001-2003

Field Placement: International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Rome, Italy

Hakeem examined the linkage between food security and desertification as an assistant at the Global Mechanism of the Convention to Combat Desertification (GMCCD), where he learn about IFAD’s anti-hunger work in West Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Policy Placement: International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Washington, DC

Hakeem disseminated information on the role of the GMCCD to NGOs, the private sector, academic institutions, policymakers and foundations in the US and helped to mobilize these new partners to cope with desertification.

Pre-Fellowship Education/Experience:

Hakeem worked with the American Red Cross, the World Bank Group, and the International Finance Corporation. He served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in South Africa and as a Fulbright Fellow in Qatar. Hakeem holds a Master’s degree from the American University’s Graduate School of International Service and is fluent in Arabic and French.