At UChicago, you’ll join a global network of alumni. During Virtual Admitted Student Week, admitted students are invited to join alumni across sectors to see what the trajectory of a Harris Student looks like. 

Please note, we can only accommodate admitted students at this time. All times are listed in Central Daylight Time.

The Value of a UChicago Degree: Alumni Conversation

Monday, April 5 | 5:30–6:30 p.m. CDT

Join us for a moderated Q&A session led by Senior Associate Dean Ranjan Daniels, AM’94, focusing on the UChicago network and value of UChicago as an investment. 

Rebecca Planchard, MPP’17, advises on early childhood health, child welfare, and early learning for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Secretary, working closely across divisions and with other state agencies. In response to COVID-19, Rebecca coordinates efforts to reopen K-12 school in partnership with North Carolina state education leaders, and provides strategic support to Hispanic/LatinX higher education outreach and coordination. Rebecca is the lead on North Carolina’s statewide Early Childhood Action Plan and directs the NC Early Childhood Integrated Data System. She is committed to equity-focused policies that are informed and implemented by the people who are most impacted by them. 

Faisal Baig, MPP’15, has served the World Bank in numerous capacities since 2015 including as a research analyst for the South Asian Region’s Chief Economist’s Office, the Development Economics Group, and the Bureaucracy Lab. As an Analyst, he provided analytical support for empirical and operations projects on macroprudential policy, labor markets, trade, and armed conflict. Most recently, Faisal has serves as an Economist/Public Sector Specialist with the Governance Global Unit and the Bureaucracy Lab. In this role, Faisal has led the development of the World Bank's Worldwide Bureaucracy Indicators (WWBI) and contributed to the governance agenda for public sector wage bill management and diagnostics. He also supports institutional capability assessments throughout the Bank’s client engagements

US Alumni Panel

Wednesday, April 7 | 6–7 p.m. CDT

Join a panel of Harris alumni from across the United States to learn about their experiences in Chicago and beyond.

Misha Berrien, MPP’19, is a Data Scientist At KIPP Chicago Public Schools. Her interests are at the intersection of data science and social good, and Misha helps public sector and nonprofit organizations utilize the prediction and analysis techniques that are now so ubiquitous in private sector companies

Dominic Garcia, MPP’03, is Chief Investment Officer at New Mexico Public Employees Retirement Association. In this role, he oversees investment management for 31 retirement plans and two benefit tiers for state, municipal, and county employees.

Claire O’Hanlon, MPP’13, is an Advanced Fellow in Health Services Research at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Claire is a health services, economics, and policy researcher, and her research interests include health care systems and consolidation, aging and the end of life, and emerging health technologies. After earning her MPP from Harris, Claire earned a PhD in Policy Analysis from Pardee RAND Graduate School in 2018.

The panel will be moderated by Michael Bradley, MPP/MBA’02, Chief Financial Officer at After School Matters. Michael oversees the budgetary facets of programmatic support that includes hands-on, project-based apprenticeship and internship programs in the arts, communications and leadership, sports, and STEM. After School Matters allows teens to explore and develop their talents while gaining critical skills for work, college and beyond.

International Alumni Panel

Friday, February 19 | 10–11 a.m. CDT

Join a panel of Harris alumni from across the globe to learn about their experiences in Chicago and beyond.

Varun Ahluwalia, MPP’19, is Director at Comptroller & Auditor General of India. There, promotes accountability, transparency and good governance through public sector auditing and accounting. He also provides independent assurance to stakeholders that public funds are being used efficiently and for their intended purposes.

Dami Oyedele, MPP’17 is the Senior Product Manager for Amazon Business, where she identifies new business selection opportunities through competitive analysis, customer insights, and industry partnerships. Dami also uses analytical tools to improve efficiency and effectiveness of business selection expansion across US and international markets.

Victor Vazquez, MPP’20, is Senior Advisor to the Deputy Finance Minister in Mexico City. In this role, Victor provides fiscal and policy insight for projecting and coordinating national development planning. Victor also supports the projection and calculation of the income of the federation and the government of the federal district and advises on the public credit and financial health of the federal public administration. Victor also supports the Minister’s efforts to coordinate, evaluate, and monitor the country’s banking system.

The panel will be moderated by Cheistha Kochar, MAIDP’20, who currently works as an Independent Behavioral Strategist for the Government of India. Prior to Harris, Cheistha worked in the private sector as an Analyst for McKinsey and then as a Consultant in the Office of Advisor to Prime Minister of India. She also worked for the University of Chicago as the Senior Advisor, Strategic Initiatives (South Asia), with the Office of the Provost. While completing her degree at Harris, Cheistha worked as a Teaching Assistant for the Strategic Leadership in Management Networks with the Booth School of Business, and was selected to participate in the Clinton Global Initiative. 

Home