What makes you proud to be an alum?
CGA helped me to realize my hopes and dreams through my career and has placed me on a fulfilling journey filled with meaningful and impact-driven work.
What are your main areas of responsibility in your current role?
Build and manage private sector partnerships that advance climate action. Support the development of policymaking and programs that accelerate New York City's transition to a green economy, including through climate education initiatives, entrepreneurship opportunities that advance safe and scalable climate technologies, and growth of green jobs that create economic mobility for New Yorkers.
How did your time at the CGA help prepare you for this role?
My education at the Center for Global Affairs (CGA) at New York University uniquely enriched my world view and prepared me to pursue my passion for working on climate-focused programs and policies. The professors and coursework at the CGA were nothing short of exceptional and the degree program helped me to launch my career. Immediately after graduating, I was able to land a job focused on implementation of climate programs, which would spring into many new opportunities in what is now an eight-year-long career with New York City government. In my current role as a Senior Advisor at the Mayor's Office of Climate & Environmental Justice, I am focused on building and managing private sector partnerships that advance climate action and played a leading role in the development of green economy initiatives for New York City's recently released PlaNYC: Getting Sustainability Done. The coursework I took in energy and the environment including in electricity markets and energy management provided me with highly rewarding knowledge and foundational skills that I am still utilizing to this day. I am proud to be a CGA alum and grateful for the opportunities and doors this education helped unlock for me.
Any favorite memories at the CGA?
I have many amazing memories from my time at the CGA. Some of my favorites include (1) winning the O'mara Grant for Innovative Research Design, which allowed me to travel abroad to Pakistan to conduct research for my thesis project; (2) my group research project on water sustainability for the Water, Politics, Sustainability, and Opportunities class, which made me a believer in the power of teamwork, and (3) tour of the New York University CoGen plant as part of the Energy Management for Portfolios: Putting Policy into Practice class.