On Thursday, February 27, seven Master of Public Affairs (MPA) Director's Fellows presented the results of a semester of research working with Watson faculty and other international and public affairs professionals.

After witnessing systematic inequalities first-hand while working two jobs supporting at-risk communities, Jillian Harvey decided she needed to further her education in public policy to make a real impact in her community. After graduating from the Watson Institute's Master of Public Affairs Program in 2019, Harvey became a leader in the field of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the state of Massachusetts.

Graham Sheridan's success demonstrates that while the shortest distance between two points may be a straight line, it's not always the best career path. After earning his Master of Public Affairs degree from Brown in 2014, Sheridan took a winding route to his current position as a clean communities and economic development director at Virginia Clean Cities.

Kelly Rogers earned her master's degree in public policy from Brown in 2012. Since then, she has leveraged the knowledge she acquired and the connections she made at the Watson Institute into a career that has seen her make a significant impact on the state of Rhode Island.

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.

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.

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.

The combination of data analytics and policy analysis taught in Watson's Master of Public Affairs (MPA) program prepares people for real-world situations, whether they are working in government, for a think tank, or in the private sector. The mentoring and support among MPA alumni can also lead to professional development.

David Benoit, a 2023 graduate of Watson's Master of Public Affairs program, has used the data analytical and policy evaluation skills he gained in the program, along with faculty mentoring and prior experience working for then Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza, to earn a position as the racial justice advocate for the American Civil Liberties of Massachusetts.