Two Tufts alumni who were prominent figures in the international sphere passed away in the last month.
Cristin Gadue (LA '00) passed away in a plane crash outside of Kabul, Afghanistan at the age of 26 on Feb. 3.
Gadue was working in Afghanistan as a Reporting and Communications officer for the NGO Rural Expansion of Afghanistan's Community-based Healthcare (REACH), which focuses on strengthening health systems in the country and improving access to health care for women and children.
REACH is part of Management Sciences for Health (MSH). Two of her colleagues at MSH, Amy Lynn Niebling and Carmen Urdaneta, also lost their lives. The plane crash is believed to have been weather-related.
Cristin Gadue was a native of Burlington, Vermont, where her parents, Michael and Nancy Gadue, still live.
"Nancy and I were aware of the risks but were supportive," said Cristin's father, Michael Gadue. "We realized that this was what she wanted to do, and she was happier than she had ever been before."
"Her death is a great loss for the community," said Jason Sachs, Gadue's former fencing coach at Tufts. "She was a leader and we are sorry for her family and all who knew her."
Cristin Gadue earned a BA in International Development from Tufts in 2000. She was soon hired by MSH as a member of its New Business Development office, which developed proposals that resulted in new MSH initiatives in less fortunate countries such as Afghanistan, Malawi and Senegal.
In 2003, she earned the prestigious Paul Alexander Fellowship, granting her the opportunity to gain valuable public health field experience for three months. She chose to work with the REACH Program in Afghanistan.
At the conclusion of her fellowship, she was offered a permanent position with REACH, as the Reporting and Communications Officer. She accepted it, and returned to Kabul in April 2004. In this position, she was responsible for disseminating key program information to USAID, and for managing the internal affairs of REACH.
"The Tufts atmosphere made her happy to be working with other cultures through MSH," Michael Gadue said.
Cristin Gadue's involvement in this type of initiative work did not surprise Sachs, after coaching her for three years in the epee style of fencing.
"She was captain of her team for one year and was a strong voice for change," he said. "She always tried to help others and improve things around her."
Michael Gadue agreed that his daughter had a strong personality.
"I heard that Cristi's fencing coach once referred to her as having little athletic ability, but enough persistence to become the captain. That's who she was," he said.
A memorial service was held for Cristin Gadue yesterday morning at the Ira Allen Chapel, located on the University of Vermont campus, the alma-mater of both of her parents.
"Cristi had lots of friends on all levels, from MSH workers to Afghanis," Michael Gadue said.
A memorial fund has also been established by MSH as a tribute to Gadue and her colleagues. The details of the fund are not yet finalized, but according to the official MSH website, "[The proceeds] will be used to further the work to which Amy, Carmen, and Cristi dedicated their lives."
"We ought to recognize and appreciate people who make this sort of sacrifice to help others as much as we recognize and appreciate the jobs that our soldiers do," Michael Gadue said.
Peter Whaley (LA '72) served as an American diplomat throughout his professional life, most notably in Haiti and Zaire but more recently in Democratic Republic of the Congo. He died at the age of 54 of pancreatic cancer at his sister's home in Pittsfield, Mass. on Jan. 29.
Whaley graduated magna cum laude from Tufts in 1972 as an English major. According to his family members, he accepted the English Department award with pride at his graduation ceremony. Soon after graduation, he began to write political essays, and 10 years later he joined the Foreign Service, beginning a long and illustrious career in foreign relations.
"His drive, his intellectual curiosity, his zeal for politics and writing - he credits Tufts for everything," said Susan Offner, Whaley's sister. "He was also fascinated by Jumbo and I think that made him interested in living and working in Africa."
In 1990, while Whaley was working in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, officials declared him a "persona non grata" and thus unwelcome in the country. This declaration prompted the United States government to extract him immediately.
"Basically, [the persona non grata declaration] meant that if you see that man, shoot him," Offner said. She laughed, "Still, he assured us he was in no real danger."
In 1997, Whaley won the William Rivkin Award for "intellectual courage and constructive dissent" after defying a multinational authority attempting to use force to expel almost half a million Rwandan refugees from Zaire.
"Peter believed that the people would just get up and leave peacefully. Bringing guns in would only create violence," Offner said. "The higher authorities didn't like that idea at all, but he was right."
The 500,000 refugees peacefully returned to Rwanda with no bloodshed. Whaley served as amabassador to Rwanda and returned to Rwanda and Zaire on several occasions. According to the Washington Post, Whaley traveled to the country so often that friends termed his expeditions "Whaley's War."
Whaley ended his career in politics by working in the State Department with Colin Powell, focusing on nonproliferation issues, according to the Washington Post. He also worked to improve recognition for retired foreign service officers.
"We knew he was sick, but it is still hard to get over his death," Eileen Callahan, Peter's mother, said. A memorial service for Whaley is set for March 10 in Washington, DC.
