Many students like Isra’a Nour (B.S.’15) arrive on the Monroe Park campus with a plan before they take the class that changes not only the course of their educational journey, but also their life. 

Nour wanted to serve in a field that helped people, and she initially enrolled with the intention to pursue a career in medicine. However, her Introduction to Anthropology course offered inspiration to help in a different way. She graduated with degrees in anthropology and biology and immediately utilized her education working in humanitarian aid programs in Sudan, by teaching English and supporting vulnerable children and families affected by the decades-long authoritarian dictatorship.

Her experiences in Sudan were transformational and serve as her North Star in her day-to-day work with Open Society Foundations, a nonprofit organization focused on human rights, equity, and justice.

What drew you to VCU to pursue degrees in anthropology and biology?

I have been a Virginia resident for most of my life, and from an early age I knew the reputation of VCU Medical Center as one of the state’s most respected institutions. My longstanding interest in the medical field naturally drew me to explore VCU, and by the time I graduated high school, I had completed more than 600 volunteer hours at Sentara Potomac Hospital in Woodbridge, Va., which was an experience that earned me the Soroptimist International of Woodbridge Scholarship Award. That recognition gave me the confidence to apply to VCU as a biology major with a pre‑medicine concentration. My sister, who graduated from VCU in 2013, was also an encouraging factor.

Everything changed, however, when I walked into my first ANTH 103: Introduction to Anthropology class taught by Christoper A. Brooks, Ph.D. I found myself captivated by the questions anthropology asks; how people live, think, evolve, and organize their worlds. Those classes quickly became the highlight of my time at VCU, and following that passion, rather than my original plan, ultimately shaped the trajectory of my career. Looking back, I now see just how valuable those courses were. Their lessons inform and strengthen the work I do today in ways I could never have predicted.

What is your favorite memory from attending VCU?

As a shy sophomore and junior at VCU, one of my favorite memories was serving for two years as a senator in the Student Government Association (SGA), where I was the deputy chair of the Community Life Caucus. Stepping into that role gave me the chance to debate and advocate for the rights and needs of my fellow students, and it was my first real exposure to decision‑making spaces. It deepened my appreciation for voting and democracy, and it showed me how powerful it can be when everyone feels they have a voice. I was able to uplift diverse perspectives simply by talking with students across campus and bringing their experiences into policy conversations, an early lesson in constituent power!

That experience also pushed me far outside my comfort zone. I had to break out of my small friend group, campaign across campus, post my face everywhere, and ask people to vote for me. It was intimidating, but it helped me grow and connected me with bright, passionate students from every year, people I might never have crossed paths with otherwise. Being part of SGA shaped me personally in ways I still carry with me and I still have friends that I made through SGA.

Since you graduated from VCU, your career path has been defined by work in advocacy and foreign policy. What inspired that path? How have those early career experiences shaped your current work?

After graduating from VCU in 2015, I found myself at a crossroads. Should I continue on the pre‑medicine track I had prepared for nearly my entire life, or step into the path that aligned more closely with my strengths and heart? Ultimately, I chose the latter. In 2016, I moved to Sudan to teach English in the University of Khartoum’s English department through the UK‑based NGO: Sudan Volunteer Programme. It became one of the most transformational experiences of my life. I learned so much about community, resilience, and the power of education, but most importantly, about myself, my values, and what genuinely motivates me.

That experience opened doors I could never have anticipated. I was soon recommended for a Child Protection Volunteer role with UNICEF Sudan, where I had the opportunity to travel across the country supporting programs that protected vulnerable children, strengthened family and community‑based care systems, and improved access to essential services. One of my most treasured memories is from my time visiting an internally displaced persons camp in North Darfur, where I met some of the bravest and brightest young girls I’ve ever encountered. Even at such a young age, they were navigating challenges far beyond what most people face in a lifetime. Their strength stayed with me and that site visit impacted how I viewed my place in the world and clarified the kind of work I wanted to dedicate my life to. Particularly, work that uplifts, protects, and advocates for those who deserve far more than the circumstances they were born into.

Being immersed in the realities of humanitarian and development work, especially in communities navigating conflict, displacement, and authoritarianism, allowed me to see how systems, governance, policies, and people’s lived experiences intersected. It was during this period that I realized how deeply I was drawn to work rooted in human rights, justice, and long‑term structural change. After all, I was working in civil society under a brutal nearly 30-year long regime.

After returning stateside, I decided to apply to an open role at Open Society Foundations (OSF), one of the world’s largest private philanthropic networks and an esteemed organization dedicated to advancing rights, justice, equity, democratic governance, and open societies around the globe. I’m now a program manager on the Rights and Economic Renewal in the U.S. team based in Washington, D.C. Prior to that, I was a policy analyst on the U.S. Foreign Policy Team covering Sub-Saharan Africa.

Tell me about your current role as a program manager at Open Society Foundations. What does your day-to-day look like?

In this role, I spend most of my days acting as the main point of contact for grantees and partners across states, building real relationships and staying closely connected to what’s happening on the ground. I’m constantly identifying emerging leaders and organizations that can strengthen power locally, and I support them through the full grantmaking process. Since about a quarter of the role involves travel, I’m regularly out visiting partners, attending convenings, and staying connected to global and state-level dynamics. Also, as an international organization we often have convenings to meet with one another that requires travel from U.S. colleagues.

A big part of my work is translating our broader strategy into concrete, coordinated actions that support state-based organizing and advocacy work. Internally, I collaborate with colleagues across OSF and work closely with leadership to make sure our portfolio remains strategic and aligned with OSF’s global initiatives. I also monitor progress, document risks and learnings, and adjust plans based on what we’re seeing in the field so the initiative stays adaptive and effective. Everyday blends relationship-building, strategic thinking, and program execution.

How did the curriculum at VCU prepare you for your professional work? 

Studying anthropology and biology at VCU shaped the way I think and work in ways I still feel to this day. Anthropology taught me how to truly listen, how to understand people through the lens of their cultures, histories, and lived experiences. It made me curious about how communities function, how power shows up in everyday life, and how people make meaning out of the world around them.

Biology strengthened the other side of my brain. It gave me the tools to analyze data, understand complex systems, and approach problems with structure and clarity.

Bringing both fields together has been a huge advantage in my policy and program management work. Anthropology helps me stay rooted in empathy and context, while biology helps me measure outcomes, assess progress, and spot risks or unintended consequences. That blend is what grounds my monitoring, evaluation, and learning work, and allows me to adapt programs in real time and make sure the solutions we build are thoughtful, human-centered, and backed by evidence.

My VCU education taught me how to connect people and systems and to value both the stories we hear and the data we measure.

What’s your why?

Even when I imagined myself becoming a physician, the root motivation was always the same: I wanted to help, uplift, and advocate for people, especially those who are marginalized or overlooked. That desire to stand with communities and expand access to dignity and opportunity has been the through‑line in my journey. The path eventually shifted from medicine to international development to international relations to state and local powerbuilding, but the intention never changed. At the core, I believe that humanity deserves a just and fair world.

As a mother, a wife, and a member of a community, I feel a profound responsibility to contribute to a world where humans can live with dignity, opportunity, and safety. The wishes and hopes I have for my daughter naturally extend to wanting the same for others, especially those most marginalized. My work is my way of acting on that responsibility. It allows me to stand for fairness, uplift communities, and help shape systems that make people’s lives measurably better. Although this has become my career, it has always been my personal commitment to leaving the world more equitable and just than I came into it.