Maria Nelden Djakababa (“Nelden”) is a psychologist focusing on trauma, disaster, humanitarian workers, journalism and trauma, resilience, growth, and culture. She has qualifications in social and cultural psychology, culture and development, trauma recovery, and creative writing. She holds a Professional Master’s degree as a psychologist from the University of Indonesia, and an Advanced Master’s degree in cultures and development studies from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. Djakababa is currently pursuing her Ph.D. studies at the University of Amsterdam. After a period of lecturing at the University of Indonesia, Atma Jaya Catholic University and the Jakarta Institute of the Arts, she has accumulated to date more than seven years of experience in community-based trauma recovery in post-conflict and post-disaster areas in Indonesia. She is also one of the pioneers in Indonesia in raising the issue of journalism and trauma.

As an Indonesian Research Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School for Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 semesters, Djakababa’s research will focus on disaster management policies and institutional support for humanitarian workers. She will also examine the impact of culture on coping strategies, resilience and post-traumatic growth in humanitarian workers post-disaster, as an integral part of the analysis.