This is the seventh entry in our “Top 10″ list for you to consider when communicating with our office and applying.
Number 7 – Check out our student, alumni, faculty, staff interview page.
One of the most common questions we get is from prospective students that wish to speak with alumni, students, or faculty. The top priority of our faculty is to work with current students and they often are unable to respond to the high volume of email requests. We generally reserve contact with our alumni to current students for the same reason – sheer volume.
We do have student volunteers but their top priority is to focus on their studies and professional development. We do our best to put applicants in touch with current students but often this takes a bit of time and coordination.
However, you can hear from students, alumni, staff, and faculty by visiting our interview page. We have text and video interviews available and we continually try to add new content. This is a great way to hear directly from those with experience in our programs without having to wait.
A perfect example is the recent appointment of SIPA professor Merit Janow to the international advisory board of the China Investment Corporation, the country’s $200 billion sovereign-wealth fund. The newly established board has 14 members, and comprises economists, investors and former government officials from the United States, Europe and Asia. Professor Janow formerly served as a member of the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization while teaching at SIPA as well. You can read about Professor Janow on her 
Another faculty member that has been in the news recently is Professor Gary Sick. Professor Sick was the National Security Council expert on Iran in the Ford, Carter and Reagan administrations. He comments in multiple publications and outlets on the disputed re-election of Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Here are a few links to interviews with Professor Sick: 
And making some of our own news, SIPA is pleased to welcome Swati Desai as Associate Professor of Practice. Desai served in a variety of positions with the City of New York’s Human Resources Administration, most recently as Executive Deputy Commissioner of Evaluation and Research. She has previously taught at Fordham University, New York University and Long Island University; and her research interests include management analysis, performance management, and health and labor economics.
