Wendy Schiller told the Brown Daily Herald that the new school will unify programs, expand research opportunities, and better integrate undergraduate and master’s programs for greater interdisciplinary collaboration.

Hamidou "Hammi" Sylla, who earned his MPA from the Watson Institute at Brown University in 2023, found Watson faculty and staff enormously supportive of his YouTube talk show, "Let's Just Talk with Hammi." Many of Sylla's interviewees became valuable professional and personal mentors.

Grant Cohen, who earned his Master of Public Affairs degree from Brown in 2024 while working a full-time consulting job, used the experience to sharpen the skills he needed to advance his career in the public service sector.

Déja Todman's journey from Brown undergraduate to entrepreneur was a long and winding road. After a six-year leave of absence, she returned to complete her studies in International and Public Affairs (IAPA) and is currently serving as a liaison for Vera Krichevskaya's virtual workshops on political propaganda.

Ashley Delgado, who earned her MPA from the Watson Institute at Brown University in 2024, practices many of the skills she learned at Watson — tact, patience, program management skills and effective use of limited resources — in her current position with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Senior International and Public Affairs concentrator Marcos Montoya Andrade's summer internship project at The League of United Latin American Citizens has earned national media attention.

Out of 35 applicants, the Watson Institute has selected nine students for the 2024-2025 Director’s Fellowship cohort, offering them the chance to collaborate on research with faculty across the Institute's centers and initiatives.

Laura Cianciolo, who earned her Master of Public Affairs at the Watson Institute in 2024, credits her Watson-acquired expertise in statistics, econometrics, data visualization, problem-solving skills and interdisciplinary problem-solving with empowering her to conduct more sophisticated and meaningful research.

New International and Public Affairs (IAPA) Departmental Undergraduate Group (DUG) leaders Oluwanifemi Adetunji and Jordan Lac plan to increase the sense of cohesiveness and community within IAPA.

Watson's Graduate Program in Development (GPD) fieldwork opportunities informed Rehan Rafay Jamil's research focus. Jamil says the ability to cross traditional academic boundaries encouraged by the GPD improved his research, while the program's financial backing allowed him to do critical fieldwork.