DeFreese headshot

Alum Council

Michelle DeFreese

Senior Officer, Global Green Growth Institute

Michelle DeFreese is a Senior Officer at the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) based in Kigali, Rwanda. GGGI is a treaty-based international, inter-governmental organization headquartered in Seoul, South Korea dedicated to supporting and promoting strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies. Previously, Michelle served as a Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellow in Morogoro, Tanzania as part of a USAID-funded project on climate change adaptation, food security, and climate resilience. Prior to serving as a Leland Fellow, Michelle worked for the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Texcoco, Mexico and as an intern for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Rome, Italy. Michelle completed an MA in International Studies at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID) in Geneva, Switzerland and a BSc in Anthropology from Rutgers University in New Jersey, USA.