Phidor Kong graduated in May 2025 with an MS in public policy and management from Carnegie-Mellon University’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, one of the nation’s top public policy schools. She spent her first year at CMU’s campus in Pittsburgh. In addition to her classes, she served as a sustainability research intern, focusing on environmental policy and community engagement. The second year of the program was in Washington, D.C., where she interned at the National Center on Education and the Economy.

Phidor was selected for the 2024 Quad Fellowship, a program that seeks to support candidates whose work engages science and technology to positively impact the collective good. She was one of only 50 Fellows chosen from almost 3,000 applicants, and she was the first Cambodian to be chosen for this award! The program lauded Phidor for using “her skills in data-driven policy analysis and technological understanding to effectively analyze complex environmental policy issues.” One example of Phidor’s work is Tea Talk Education, an online discussion platform and podcast she co-founded in October 2023 to support high school and undergraduate students in Cambodia. The site posts scholarship opportunities, offers career readiness programming, and runs a mentorship program.

At Beloit, Phidor majored in political science and environmental justice. Her senior honors thesis in political science assessed the challenges that NGOs face in addressing environmental issues in Cambodia. She argued that while NGOs are well-established as developmental partners, there are a series of factors that limit their ability to effectively contribute to environmental governance in Cambodia. She spent a year studying abroad in Finland and the U.K. at programs that focused on environmental politics. She was also active in many campus pursuits, including the Asia-Pacific Student Association, Environmental Club, and sustainability programming.

Phidor came to Beloit as a SHE-CAN scholar. The five-year program funds access to higher education for talented young women from post-conflict countries who have a passion for change. This commitment to giving back to Cambodia was further recognized when Phidor received the 2023 Sikandra Spain Award at the Beloit Honors Day celebration.

Phidor is returning to her native Cambodia to pursue her interests in international educational policy and environmental sustainability. After many years abroad, she is excited to spend extended time with her family (and to eat real Cambodian food). Congratulations Phidor, we are sure you will continue to make significant and positive contributions to Cambodia!