Date July 12, 2025

Alumni Spotlight: Derrick Zantt ’16 MPA

By Meg Coss

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.

Derrick Zantt, a 2016 graduate of Brown's Master of Public Affairs (MPA) program, grew up in the '90s in a Baltimore suburb consuming an action-packed diet of aeronautical movies and television. "I loved all things aviation. It sounds corny, but these shows, particularly "Airwolf," really motivated me. I couldn't think of anything cooler than doing that," recalled Zantt.

In 1998, Zantt fulfilled his dream of flying when he joined the U.S. Army, continuing a family history of military service that dates as far back as WWI. As a fourth-generation service member, Zantt's military career began in Asia. He completed a combat tour in Iraq, then served as an Army captain at Afghanistan's Bagram Airfield. In 2011, he obtained his bachelor's degree in aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

In 2015, Zantt decided to pursue a master's in public policy to advance his career within the military. "Upon completion of my key development time as a commander in Afghanistan, I wanted to learn to influence processes better, to better help people, and to make a lasting change with agency and public policy," he said. "Public affairs was the vehicle I wanted to pursue for mastery in grad school."

Zantt applied to several top graduate programs and received acceptance letters to all of them, but chose to further his studies at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs because of the support he received from the Brown community. "It was like a family," Zantt said. He viewed Brown's MPA program as a close-knit community with a strong network of people dedicated to positive change through public policy. "I wanted to be a part of that," said Zantt. "It was a space I hadn't been in before. Particularly that rigorous academic environment with people who really want to make a difference."

Upon completion of my key development time as a commander in Afghanistan, I wanted to learn to influence processes better, to help people better, and to make a lasting change with agency and public policy.

Derrick Zantt Class of 2016 MPA

As Zantt made the transition from Army life to life at Brown, he noticed others around him making their own shifts. America was still at war while Zantt was at Watson, and he discovered that some students held strong opinions about the war. Zantt recalled, "Some of the people I met at Brown didn't know a lot of service members personally," he said. "To have me there, and get the perspective of someone who had served, was important to them." Likewise, Zantt learned to see things from different perspectives. "It was good for me," he said, grateful for the interactions that allowed him to show the human side of the U.S. Army.

At Watson, Zantt spent part of his twelve-week consultancy (now the Policy-in-Action Project) as a science technology policy fellow in the City of Providence's Department of Innovation. As an advisor to the Director of Innovation, Zantt helped develop creative, scalable solutions to common urban challenges, including waste, pollution, and traffic congestion.

He worked with a team that submitted a proposal for a U.S. Department of Transportation challenge grant known as the "Smart City Challenge," which awarded $40 million to a mid-sized American city that put forward data-driven ideas to improve people's lives by making transportation easier, safer, and more reliable.

For Zantt, the experience was foundational. It gave him the opportunity to lean into his strengths and apply his knowledge of sensor applications and open-data optimization to influence lawmakers, while showcasing his conviction that data, particularly statistics, is an international language that, when used effectively, enables policymakers to make informed decisions for the public good.

Zantt now works as an aerial intelligence officer for the Department of Defense at what he deems "the convergence of aerospace and intelligence." He utilizes the knowledge and skills acquired at Watson daily, particularly when presenting statistics derived from large datasets to executives in leadership positions. Zantt noted that "if you understand broad data and how to extrapolate what you need from it," you can equip your boss with the information they need to make the best informed decision.

In recent months, Zantt's focus has shifted from datasets and presentations back to the sky. He is learning to fly new military aircraft and obtaining new aircraft certifications, as he prepares to leave D.C. for South Korea, where he will serve a two-year term as a battalion commander. It is an influential position that puts Zantt in charge of a roughly 300-person staff and places the responsibility of implementing global missions on his shoulders. "It's a big transition," said Zantt, "but I believe I’m ready for it."