Before USAID was dismantled, one small office was trying to bring the full breadth of America into public service. Eric Smith grew up in Massachusetts with Catholic values, conservative media, and a fascination with the Founding Fathers. That mix eventually led him to USAID, where he worked to expand who gets to serve and why it mattered.

Eric explains how his team partnered with universities across the Midwest and South, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges, and rural schools, creating new pathways for students who rarely saw themselves in global development. These partnerships were not only about representation. They also strengthened programs that connected U.S. students to real global challenges.

He reflects on what diversity and inclusion looked like overseas, how colonial histories shaped equity conversations with mission staff, and how initiatives like Feed the Future gave American agricultural students hands-on research experience abroad and brought valuable knowledge back to farms and universities at home.

Then came the forty-eight-hour notice that shut it all down.

🎧 Listen to Global Development Interrupted on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

In 2014, Ebola reached U.S. shores—a wake-up call that pandemics anywhere can threaten communities everywhere. In response, the United States with other countries and international organizations launched the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), a global partnership to prevent, detect, and respond to emerging diseases before they spread.

In this episode, former USAID Senior Public Health Advisor Ashna Kibria reflects on how the U.S. strengthened outbreak preparedness systems around the world and what’s at stake now that USAID is gone. From building early warning networks to partnering with governments, researchers, and the private sector, Ashna helped design programs that connected public health, agriculture, and environmental systems to stop outbreaks before they started. She also led efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR), one of the world’s most urgent and overlooked health threats.

Today, those global partnerships continue but with reduced U.S. coordination and support. As new outbreaks emerge, the world is reminded that health security depends on shared responsibility, not isolation.

Listen to learn how USAID’s partnerships once formed a quiet frontline against pandemics—and what it means now that those defenses have shifted to others.

Subscribe to Global Development Interrupted for more stories about global health, diplomacy, and what happens when development is disrupted.

Dr. George Siberry, former Chief Medical Officer in USAID’s Office of HIV/AIDS, has spent his career at the heart of the global fight against HIV. A pediatrician by training, George began his journey translating for children with HIV in Baltimore and went on to help shape the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) approach to prevention, treatment, and care around the world. In this conversation, he reflects on the evolution of HIV and the programs created to fight it—from stigma and isolation to people-centered health—and what it takes to build systems that strengthen communities and improve health outcomes rather than treating diseases in isolation.

As USAID’s dismantling leaves critical partnerships fractured and PEPFAR’s future uncertain, George speaks candidly about grief, loss, and the work of rebuilding trust. He makes a powerful case for why America’s investments in global health were never just acts of charity—they were expressions of diplomacy, innovation, and shared humanity.

If this conversation resonated with you, take a moment to like, share, or comment. It helps more people find Global Development Interrupted and keeps these stories alive.

Migration begins long before someone reaches a border — in the loss of stability, opportunity, and trust that makes it impossible to stay.

For decades, USAID helped address those root causes by strengthening democratic institutions, supporting communities, and building stability before crises took hold. It was one of the few agencies designed to prevent displacement rather than respond to it.

In this clip, Jeremy Williammee, former USAID Director of Democracy and Governance for El Salvador and Central America, reflects on what happens when that work disappears.

Watch the full episode to hear our conversation.

What does it mean to lead with service, not fear?

In this episode, former USAID Democracy and Governance Director Jeremy Williamee shares how investing in local governments and community stability helped address the root causes of migration—long before people reached the border. From small-town New York to Central America, his story is a quiet reminder that lasting security comes not from walls or fear, but from opportunity, dignity, and trust in the places people call home.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and subscribe on Substack for more stories from Global Development Interrupted.

When USAID was dismantled, Ashley Vij was mid-call planning the rollout of one of the most promising HIV prevention tools in decades — Lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injection that could revolutionize access for women and hard-to-reach communities. In this episode, Ashley reflects on her path from Tucson to USAID, the power of unsexy investments like policy reform, and how she’s channeling loss into action through Root to Rise. A story of science, resilience, and the fight to keep lifesaving innovations within reach.

If you would like to learn more about the organization Root to Rise that Ashley co-founded with her former USAID colleagues check out her website HERE.

Annē Linn, a sixth-generation Montanan, shares how her faith and early exposure to child mortality statistics led her into global health. From Peace Corps Senegal to serving as a USAID Community Health Advisor with the President’s Malaria Initiative, she reflects on the simple, proven tools—bed nets, indoor residual spraying (IRS), medicine—that cut malaria deaths in half across 30 countries. For Annē, that achievement is the very definition of American greatness: saving lives.

Thanks for listening! This post is public so feel free to share it.

At just under two years old, Cathy Nguyen left Vietnam with her mother. On the very day Saigon fell, they landed in Hawaii, where they reunited with her father, who was studying for a master’s in public health on a USAID scholarship. That moment of upheaval and new beginnings shaped her family’s life and her own lifelong commitment to service.

Cathy’s story weaves together family legacy, global challenges, and the quiet power of giving back. Drawing on over 20 years of experience advancing humanitarian and public service programs across Africa, Asia/Pacific, and the U.S., she has served as a USAID staffer, PEPFAR Coordinator, and Returned Peace Corps Volunteer. With deep roots in Honolulu and a family history shaped by displacement and opportunity, her commitment to service runs deep.

She shares personal stories about her family’s journey, the transformative role USAID scholarships played in their lives, and the core values of community, responsibility, and public service that have guided her path. Together, we explore USAID’s critical work in global health—from supporting HIV/AIDS programs and vulnerable families to pandemic preparedness—and the lasting impact these efforts have on communities worldwide and at home.

Cathy also reflects on the current challenges facing foreign aid, the consequences of funding cuts, and the small but meaningful ways individuals can contribute to positive change.

Tune in for an inspiring and heartfelt conversation about resilience, global interconnectedness, and the enduring spirit of giving back.