My name is Susan Laurie and I am from West Lafayette, Indiana. In 2012 I earned a bachelor degree in Communication & Culture from Indiana University, and have since been traveling and utilizing opportunities to observe social representation and exchange within cities. My interests in people, places and their influence on one another likely stem from my experience working in development at the municipality level. There I gained invaluable insight into policy processes, agenda setting, communication complexities and ascribed identities. I have similarly been inspired in Hanoi, Vietnam during my studies of the environmental impacts and social consequences of globalization, and working with a non-profit organization seeking fair treatment and employment opportunities for the physically impaired. Before beginning my path to higher education I also spent five months in Chengdu, China as an English instructor. After completing the first year of my masters, International Cooperation in Urban Development, in Darmstadt, Germany, I spent my summer in New Delhi. There I worked as a researcher studying sanitation in India, more specifically the tools developed to assist in decision-making processes associated with sanitation improvement efforts, and assessing their sustainability and applicability to local contexts. Now I look forward to obtaining my second master in Development Economics so I may better understand economic development, international relations and the social issues thriving in our increasingly complex and interconnected world. With this knowledge I hope to better contribute to humanitarian efforts in my future endeavors.