Taubman Center Director Eric Patashnik moderated the discussion, warning that the shutdown has had a “significant impact on millions of Americans.”

While working as a global relations officer at Brown University, Diana Perdomo chose to take advantage of the University’s Employee Education Program to earn a Master of Public Affairs (MPA) degree. It was a decision that would accelerate her career growth, leading to impactful positions in government and the nonprofit sector.

Gen. Mark Milley cited Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s rise to industrial and global power as major challenges to the current world order.

Nate Blouin, who earned his Master of Public Affairs (MPA) degree from Brown in 2019, dropped out of his freshman year of college and moved to Utah to ski. He then went on to become the youngest legislator in Utah's State Senate, defeating his opponent with 72% of the vote.

Internationally focused from a young age and growing up outside Washington, D.C., Marcus Burke experienced career growth after earning his Master of Public Affairs (MPA) degree from Brown in 2017 as a mid-career professional.

John Friedman told the Brown Daily Herald that the new Watson School of International and Public Affairs aims to elevate Brown’s global policy presence by fostering interdisciplinary study, expanding faculty, and relaunching its MPA program.

As the Watson School launched early this summer, its Master of Public Affairs (MPA) program welcomed a new class of students. This year's cohort brings with them a wide array of experiences and perspectives that have shaped their goals as they enter the program.

Seats available in several new IAPA seminars!

Derrick Zantt earned his master's degree in public affairs from Brown in 2016. A fourth-generation service member, Zantt currently works as an analyst for the Department of Defense, where he puts his belief in open data and the knowledge he acquired at the Watson Institute to influence policy.

Sonia Cuesta, who earned her Master of Public Affairs (MPA) degree from Brown in 2017, was happy to give back to the program that helped her establish a career in human rights and international relations. During the spring 2025 semester, Cuesta supervised a new generation of MPA students' Policy in Action project from her position at the United Nations.