The MPA-Development Practice program is hosting an event with keynote speaker Dr. Leonel Fernandez, the former president of the Dominican Republic. Admitted students are welcome to attend this event tomorrow at 6pm in the International Affairs Building Room 1501. Click here to RSVP.
The SIPA Office of Alumni and Development is pleased to share another installment of A View from the Class, a SIPA stories series featuring current SIPA students, recently graduated alumni, and SIPA faculty. In this issue, we feature current SIPA student Srujan Routhu MPA ’18. Srujan is a second year Master of Public Administration candidate, concentrating in Economic and Political Development (EPD) and specializing in Advanced Policy & Economic Analysis.
What were you doing prior to attending SIPA?
I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay in 2012. After, I worked as a policy researcher in a think tank housed inside the Reserve Bank of India, focused on corporate finance and research in debt restructuring, primary debt issuances in India, rural cooperative banking, and financial inclusion. Before coming to SIPA, I worked as the head of engineering for an educational technology firm. I also co-founded and was Treasurer of an NGO which is focused on programming based on rural schools, school infrastructure, and public health programs targeting school children.
Why did you choose your particular areas of study?
While my technical skills and interests lie in finance, economics, data analytics, and technology, my goal is to use these skills in some of the subsectors of development, like education, healthcare, agriculture, or disaster relief. I chose EPD as my concentration to learn about these subsectors and how technology and finance can improve development outcomes.
What are some of the experiences you’ve had outside of the classroom while at SIPA?
Beginning in my first semester and through summer 2017, I worked in the EdLab at Teachers College, helping to design and build technology for the education sector. Last year, I participated in the Dean’s Public Policy Challenge on one of the finalist teams. We had the good fortune to represent SIPA at the GPPN Annual Conference held in February 2017 at Sciences Po in Paris.
I also have participated in two EPD workshops. Last spring, I was part of a team that worked with Study Hall Educational Foundation, identifying pathways to scale up their flagship gender focused teacher training program. Currently, I am working with UNHCR as a project manager, helping UNHCR’s cash based interventions program to make better use of their data by improving information dissemination and providing insights to improve their operations.
How is your last semester at SIPA shaping up?
I am working on research pertaining to cryptocurrencies, implementing various macroeconomic models and analyzing how economic policy could potentially unfold given the constraints and special characteristics associated with cryptocurrencies. Separately, I am conducting independent research to better understand how digital identity can be both useful and harmful.
I am also part of a team selected for the Atos IT Challenge 2018, working to use demand response utility pricing data, machine learning, and IoTs to provide cost optimization solutions to utility service providers and consumers.
Is there a particular SIPA experience that stands out?
I have had many great experiences at SIPA. But for me, the most outstanding experience has been in the two courses I took with Professor Lisa Anderson. Coming from a science background, I had a chance to explore topics that were radically different from what I had generally studied before coming to SIPA. This experience pushed me quite far out of my comfort zone, but I enjoyed the experience thoroughly.
We’ve been busy talking to so many fantastic students these past few weeks, past, current and future! Graduation for the SIPA Class of 2018 is coming up in a few weeks, and it’s bittersweet for us to watch the students we’ve known since they attended their first info session, graduate and go off into the world. On the other side, we’ve talked to many of our newly admitted students as they figure out what life at SIPA will be like. We’ll be giving some peeks into student life next week on the blog. Until then, here’s what we’ve been up to at SIPA:
It’s been 10 days since Admitted Students’ Day, our annual open house for the new MIA, MPA, and MPA-DP incoming class. We welcomed the SIPA Class of 2020 to campus for the day, allowing them to get a feel for the vibrant and busy SIPA community.
This past weekend was Alumni Day, where past students reunited for informative panels and to catch up. Clockwise from the top left is the SIPA Class of 2008, Class of 2013, Class of 1998, Class of 1993 – two classes celebrating their 20- and 25-year anniversaries! The years our alumni spent here as current students led to lifetime bonds around the world.
Finally, we’re giving a huge congratulations to economist Richard Clarida, who was nominated as vice chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, the second-ranking position in the United States’ central banking system.
We’re excited to see the SIPA community grow in so many diverse directions. Wishing you all a great weekend!
The SIPA Office of Alumni and Development is pleased to share another installment of A View from the Class, a SIPA stories series featuring current SIPA students, recently graduated alumni, and SIPA faculty. In this issue, we feature current SIPA student Jenise Ogle MPA ’19. Jenise is a first year Master of Public Administration candidate, concentrating in Human Rights and Humanitarian Policy and specializing in Gender and Public Policy. She is also a SIPA Abrams Fellow.
What were you doing prior to attending SIPA?
I worked for Sanctuary for Families, New York City’s leading service provider for gender-based violence victims. In my role, I assisted domestic violence victims with their legal, educational, and economic needs. I also led the agency in a legislative advocacy campaign to end child marriage in New York, successfully changing the minimum age of marriage from 14 to 17. This experience taught me how public policy can be used to protect human rights, and it inspired me to return to graduate school.
Why did you choose SIPA?
I chose SIPA because of its Gender and Public Policy Specialization. My previous professional experience exposed me to how often women and their experiences are disregarded in policies and institutions. When choosing graduate schools, I wanted to join a program that would teach policy-making with a gendered-perspective. SIPA is a leader in offering gender-sensitive programming, the perfect school for my academic and professional interests.
What has been your experience at SIPA so far?
What distinguishes SIPA is its extraordinary people, and I feel fortunate to be in an environment of thoughtful peers and knowledgeable professors. It is empowering being around likeminded people who are also passionate about promoting positive change in the world. My fellow Seeples have continually inspired me, and I am very happy to be a member of the SIPA community.
Is there a particular SIPA experience that stands out?
I was selected for SIPA’s 2018 China Delegation. It provided me with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to dive deeply into U.S.-China relations. I met with government and business leaders in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. I previously had little exposure to Chinese foreign and economic policy, and I was consistently surprised by the breath of topics discussed during our meetings and our engaging discussions. Additionally, the trip gave me the chance to travel with 20 other Seeples. I valued getting to know them better, and I cherish the great friendships I was able to make.
What are your plans after SIPA?
I would like to engage in gender-based violence prevention work on a domestic level. I hope I can help develop gender-sensitive public policy that will promote gender equality.
The SIPA Office of Alumni and Development is pleased to share another installment of A View from the Class, a SIPA stories series featuring current SIPA students, recently graduated alumni, and SIPA faculty. In this issue, we feature current SIPA student Matthew Hinson MPA ’19. A first year Master of Public Administration candidate, Matthew is concentrating in International Security Policy (ISP) and specializing in European Studies. He is also SIPA’s John N. Hazard Fellow.
What were you doing prior to attending SIPA?
I attended the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in international history and a minor in philosophy. My studies focused on the role of religion and related violence in the modern Middle East. I also interned at the Library of Congress, in the nonprofit sector, and on Capitol Hill.
Why did you decide to study at SIPA?
As a 2017 Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellow with the U.S. Department of State, I wanted to continue my studies in international security, particularly with regard to terrorism, emerging technologies, and nonproliferation. SIPA’s ISP faculty is outstanding, and I thought it would be exciting to live in New York.
What has been your experience at SIPA so far?
It has been great getting to know the other ISP concentration students and working as a Research Assistant for the Arnold A. Saltzman Institute for War and Peace Studies. I also had the great experience of traveling over spring break to Thailand through the SIPA Southeast Asian Student Initiative (SEASI), a student-run organization that serves as a forum for students who share an interest in the Southeast Asian region.
Please tell us about a class that you have enjoyed taking at SIPA.
I very much enjoyed Professor Valerii Kuchynskyi’s Ukrainian Foreign Policy seminar. At the end of the semester, the other students and I had a chance to visit Ukraine’s Mission to the United Nations and have a fruitful discussion with the ambassador about issues such as Russian-Ukrainian relations and Ukraine’s membership on the Security Council.
What are your plans after SIPA?
I plan on entering the U.S. Foreign Service as a Political Officer and working as a diplomat around the world.
"The most global public policy school, where an international community of students and faculty address world challenges."
—Merit E. Janow, Dean, SIPA, Professor of Practice, International and Economic Law and International Affairs
