Aaron Bhatt, MPA 2020
Concentration: Energy & Environment
Specialization: Management
Hometown: Voorhees, New Jersey
Aaron is a second-year MPA-candidate born in India and raised in South Jersey. Prior to coming to SIPA, he worked on USAID development projects focused on East and Southern Africa. His work supporting the management of energy and wildlife trafficking projects motivated him to come to SIPA to deepen his knowledge in the energy and environmental policy. He is also an alumna of the University of Maryland, College Park, where he danced on and managed an Indian folk dance team and intensively studied Arabic. Since joining SIPA, he interned with the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam and served as Treasurer of SIPA Students of Color. In his free time, he loves to try new recipes and make chai for his friends. He often daydreams about the delicious khao soi he ate every day in Thailand during his study abroad.
Stuart Caudill, MIA 2020
Concentration: International Security Policy
Specialization: Technology, Media, and Communications
Hometown: Winchester, VA
Stuart was born and raised in Virginia. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science in International Relations and Arabic. While at West Point, Stuart interned with an FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. In 2012, he was selected to join the research team that examined documents captured in the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and he co-authored the report that accompanied the first public release of the documents. After graduating from West Point, Stuart spent over five years as a U.S. Army intelligence officer. He served as an intelligence officer in Afghanistan, led soldiers providing direct support to the initial operations against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, and coordinated offensive cyber operations in support of U.S. Cyber Command. These unique experiences focused his interest in public policy by exposing him to the most pressing issues in national security. After SIPA, Stuart hopes to help advance our understanding of cyber threats and their impact on international security.
George-Ann Ryan, MIA 2020
Concentration: Economic and Political Development
Specialization: Advanced Political and Economic Analysis
Hometown: St. John’s, Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda (with brief stints all over the place)
George-Ann grew up on the island of Antigua in the West Indies with roots in the nearby island of Montserrat. After graduating from Pace University in New York with a BA in Economics focusing on quantitative research methods, George-Ann worked in research and administration roles for nonprofits and government organizations dedicated to economic and social equity. She was set to apply to PhD programs before SIPA caught her eye as a program where she could explore her passions for studying international economic inequality, maintain and develop quantitative skills, and supplement her work experience with public policy knowledge. Alongside her academic exploits at SIPA, she is Steering Community Coordinator at RISE: Working Group on Race, Inequality, Solidarity, and Economics ( a student group) and is a founding member and Chief Financial Officer of The Sadie Collective — a nonprofit aimed at mentoring, empowering, and equipping Black women in economics, public policy, and related fields.
Nabila Hassan, MPA 2020
Concentration: Economic and Political Development
Specialization: Technology, Media, and Communications
Hometown: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Nabila Hassan is a second-year MPA candidate with a focus on Political Development and Technology. At SIPA, Nabila is the Education and Curriculum Chair for the Working Group on Race, Inequality, Solidarity and Economics. Prior to SIPA, she worked in the Asia communications team at McKinsey & Company, leading the regional social impact agenda and digital communications efforts. Nabila was born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and is passionate about innovation, inequality and social impact. Specifically, she is interested in the intersection between technology and policy in Asia and hopes to pursue a career in this field after SIPA. In her free time, she loves travelling, exploring new food joints and binge-watching TV. A random fact about Nabila is that her first visit to New York was for SIPA’s orientation, so her advice to prospective students is to take the leap and don’t be afraid of new challenges!
Steven Reid, MIA 2020
Concentration: International Finance and Economic Policy
Specialization: Data Analytics and Quantitative Analysis
Hometown: Bronx, NY
Steven Reid is a second-year Master of International Affairs student concentrating in International Finance and Economic Policy with a specialization in Data Analytics and Quantitative Analysis graduating in May 2020. He was born in the Bronx, New York but spent some of childhood years in Kingston, Jamaica, so he loves both places very much. Steven is one of three children, all of whom are 8 years apart; he is the youngest. Before SIPA, he lived in Boston working for the state government of Massachusetts and Tufts University doing budgeting and finance. He attended Villanova University in Villanova, PA, for his undergraduate studies where he majored in Political Science and Latin American Studies. Outside of doing problem sets and skimming PDFs, Steven is interested in architecture, interior design, philosophy, urban planning and most sports (he still doesn’t understand curling but respects it). Inspired by his love of Latin America, Steven has traveled to Cuba, Costa Rica, Colombia and Peru. He lived in Lima, Peru, for 6 months and misses his host mother, Tona, very much. If Steven had to pick his favorite city, it would be a three-way tie between Copenhagen, Tokyo and New York. He loves the laid back vibe of Copenhagen, the cleanliness and order of Tokyo and the speed of New York. One tip for prospective students is to come visit and talk to SIPA students, who are all welcoming and ready to help.
Zulpha Styer, MPA 2020
Concentration: Urban and Social Policy
Specialization: Management; Technology, Media, and Communications; and U.S. Regional*
Hometowns: Cape Town, South Africa, and Sydney, Australia
Zulpha is a Master of Public Administration student with a concentration in Urban and Social Policy and specializations in Management; Technology, Media & Communications; and U.S. Regional*. Zulpha is a dual national of South Africa and Australia. She was born in Cape Town and migrated to Sydney at 10 years old. She holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New South Wales, and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice and a Master of Laws with Merit from the Australian National University. Zulpha is also a solicitor of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory.
She has more than five years of experience as a senior policy advisor to Australian governments at federal and state levels, including the Australian Attorney-General’s Department. She has worked in national security, countering violent extremism, education funding, and indigenous affairs. In her personal capacity, she was appointed to the Multicultural NSW Regional Advisory Council for South West Sydney, advising the Minister for Multiculturalism on one of the state’s most culturally diverse areas. Zulpha was awarded an Australia Day Achievement Medallion for her public service in 2015. She has volunteered extensively in her local community, including as a tutor for women and children from refugee backgrounds, and a life skills workshop coordinator for a youth social inclusion program. In New York City, she volunteers as a mentee at PS 36 as part of Columbia University’s partnership with Read Ahead.
As a SIPA Student, Zulpha has travelled to Peru and Palestine, and Paris and Bangkok. In each of these places, she found time to spend with the local cat populations.
* Students only need one specialization to graduate but in my second year the International Fellows Program and wonderful courses on communications helped me meet the requirements for another two.
