Current position and employer: Research Fellow; University of Southern California, Center for Economic and Social Research

Hometown: Lucknow, India

Current city: Washington, DC

Why did you choose McCourt? I chose McCourt because of is its unwavering focus on academic rigor, reputation, and commitment to instill robust yet practical quantitative analytical skills. In addition, the international bent of the school/program—both in cohort composition as well as the curriculum—really appealed to me. Finally, as true as any cliche rings, there is no better place than Washington, DC to be studying policy at, and I was not going to miss out on that opportunity.

What was the best part of your experience? I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to be taught by, and interact with, some of the eminent researchers and practitioners in the field of international development. Besides that, having the exposure to attend some brilliant and engaging seminars, panel discussions, and talks has certainly been a great experience thus far.

What internships did you have during your time at McCourt? 

Research Intern at Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), Rwanda [Summer 2019]
Research Assistant at gui2de to Prof. Andrew Zeitlin (this was a part-time job I held through my time at McCourt)

Student organization involvement while at McCourt: McCourt Policy in Practice (MPiP), South Asian Policy and Research Initiative (SAPRI), Georgetown Public Policy Review (GPPR)

Undergraduate degree and university: B. Eng in Materials Science and Engineering with minors in Business and Public Policy from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Hobbies / Interests: Attending live music shows, cooking, geeking out over everything economics, exploring vegan restaurants, and keeping up with the wonderful sport of cricket.