Fletcher Impact Report 2024 | 2025

When Meslin arrived at Fletcher as a 21-year-old Canadian student, he brought with him an abundance of travel and global experiences. Yet it was his peers—diverse, driven, and intellectually curious—who opened his eyes to new perspectives and novel ways of thinking. That exposure, combined with his professional experience in the private equity sector, inspired an innovative approach to magnifying donor support for student financial aid.

The Fletcher Low-Interest Loan Program addresses a critical need of international students by filling the financial gap they often face, since conventional loans are typically not accessible to them. With matching gifts up to $2 million from the university, the program is projected to offer up to 600 loans of $5,000 to $25,000 over eight years once fully funded. Importantly, the “leverage” provided by Tufts’ matching funds, combined with student loan repayments over time, will enable each dollar of donor contribution to provide up to $2.50 of loan value to eligible students. Loan repayments and interest are deferred while students are in school and repayment terms are kept affordable, a key factor for those who hope to pursue careers in public service.

Meslin’s commitment to student success is long-standing. Among the many areas he supports, Meslin provided the vision and funding to create Fletcher’s Educational Enrichment Fund (FEEF), which provides cash grants to students to extend their learning beyond the classroom. From international conferences to global competitions and policy simulations, FEEF-supported experiences deepen academic knowledge, sharpen professional skills, and lead to new possibilities that can unlock future employment opportunities, extending classroom learning into real-world impact.

Meslin’s dedication to Fletcher students is more than inspiring; it is a reflection not simply of his own belief in the value of a Fletcher education, but also of the leadership, creativity, and commitment of the many donors who support Fletcher each year—a community that lifts, supports, and believes in the transformative power of opportunity.

The program has become a cornerstone of Fletcher’s commitment to preparing principled, action-oriented leaders to confront the world’s most pressing challenges. Under the dedicated leadership of Richard Shultz, Shelby Cullom Davis Professor of International Security Studies, who passed away in November 2025, the program continued to flourish and attract students from around the world to learn from experts and practitioners in the field. At the core of the program is a commitment to rigorous inquiry, critical thinking, and strategic pedagogy. Students participate in immersive experiential learning where they bridge theory and practice—a hallmark of Professor Pfaltzgraff’s approach to education.

When Professor Pfaltzgraff passed away in 2023, Professor Shultz, Nihal Goonewardene, F73, and more than 120 generous donors banded together to establish the Robert L. Pfaltzgraff, Jr. Professorship in International Security Studies. This newly endowed professorship honors Professor Pfaltzgraff’s pioneering contributions as a teacher, practitioner, and policy leader in the field of international security. It stands as a lasting tribute to his enduring legacy and the profound impact he has had on generations of students and global policy discourse.

Endowed professorships are essential to attracting and retaining world-class faculty who drive innovation in scholarship and practice. We are deeply grateful to all who made this milestone possible and who continue to champion Fletcher’s mission of global leadership and academic excellence.

Established in 1999, the Tavitian Scholars Program in Public Policy and Administration was designed to deliver a rigorous, multidisciplinary Fletcher education to midcareer Republic of Armenia public servants. Scholars immerse themselves in an intensive, semester-long, on-campus experience in Medford, Massachusetts. They engage with Fletcher’s world-class faculty on topics ranging from global diplomacy and international law to national security and technology policy. The curriculum is crafted to address the evolving challenges of public leadership in a rapidly changing world.

A cornerstone of the program is the Tavitian Symposium, a peer-driven learning environment that facilitates critical debate and application of new insights to current issues in the Armenian public sector. Other highlights of the program include professional development and networking trips to New York City and Washington, D.C., where visits to government agencies, civic institutions, and think tanks offer firsthand exposure to international diplomacy and decision-making processes. The trips also provide opportunities for learning outside of the classroom and exposure to the best of American culture beyond Boston, which was important to Aso O. Tavitian, founder of the Tavitian Foundation and cherished friend of Fletcher.

The program’s enduring success is a testament to the vision of Mr. Tavitian. His deep commitment to global affairs and public service laid the groundwork for a legacy that continues to shape the careers of Tavitian Scholars Program participants. Today, the nearly 350 alumni of the program hold influential roles across governmental institutions—from Parliament to ministries—driving change and fostering international cooperation.

Dr. Joyce Barsam, J62, AG89, J89P, A91P, A94P, AG91P, member of the Tavitian Foundation Board of Trustees, reflects, “Our partnership with Fletcher exemplifies what international collaboration and global learning can achieve. We’ve built an impactful program that is rooted in Fletcher’s multidisciplinary education and driven by our shared commitment to shaping a better future, and we are proud of what we’ve accomplished together.”

Thanks to the continued generosity of the Tavitian Foundation, the Tavitian Scholars Program remains a beacon of excellence, cultivating leaders who are equipped to meet the demands of a complex global landscape.