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

Alumni Panel: Mid-Career Professionals

Wednesday, February 17 | 8–9 a.m. CST

Looking to pivot or level up your career? Join this panel of mid-career professional alumni to hear how their Harris experience shaped their career trajectories.

Peter Biava, MPP/MBA’19, is an Associate in Infrastructure Investment and Development at Bechtel Enterprises. With previous work experience heavily focused on finance, Peter said he pursued the MPP/MBA joint degree at UChicago with the goal of working in infrastructure investment, which he did upon graduation. 

Asia Canady, MPP’19, is a Policy Specialist at Start Early, a champion for early learning and providing children with the opportunity to thrive in school and life. She manages the operations of the Integration and Alignment committee of the state's Early Learning Council and also petitions state elected officials to support legislation concerning early learning and care. While at Harris, Asia also co-founded Black Action in Public Policy Studies with three fellow students. 

Gonzalo Pons, MPP’19, is currently a Behavioral Scientist Consultant for the World Bank’s Mind, Behavior and Development Unit (eMBeD) in the Poverty and Equity Global Practice. At Harris, Gonzalo was a Pearson Fellow, where he worked as a research assistant for Professor Austin Wright and contributed to projects on corruption and poppy eradication in Afghanistan. As a student at Harris he also co-founded the student organization International Development Policy Association.

Alumni Panel: Young Professionals

Wednesday, February 17 | 7–8 p.m. CST

If you're interested in how Harris can help you increase your impact in your next professional role, please join this panel of young professional alumni as they discuss how Harris helped them launch their careers.

Mengxin (Ivy) Sun, MPP'16, is a Manager in the Strategy and Analytics Department at Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. She uses data to identify and communicate healthcare issues and trends to the general public, healthcare stakeholders, and thought leaders. She also serves as Vice President on the Harris Alumni Council.

Jacob R. Plummer MPP’07, MBA’10, is Head of Customer Success at Datavant, which provides solutions to help institutions protect, match, and share health data. Jacob also was the recipient of  the UChicago Harris Rising Star Award in 2019, which acknowledges a recent alumnus who had distinguished themselves early in their career, creating a positive impact in the execution of public policy. 

Harin Contractor, MPP'08, is a Program Manager & Subject Matter Expert at Nexight Group, a research consulting firm in Virginia. He is co-chair of the executive board of the Washington Leadership Program, a nonprofit to build the next generation of South Asian leaders. Harin received the Minorities in Public Policy Studies (MiPPS) 2020 Alumni Award this fall. 

Alumni Conversation: The Value of UChicago

Friday, February 19 | 10–11 a.m. CST

Join Senior Associate Dean Ranjan Daniels, AM'94, Nikki Wegner, MPP'13, and Manuel Aragones, MPP'16, as they discuss the value of a UChicago degree from an alumni perspective.

Nikki Wegner, MPP’13, is a Manager in Deloitte’s government and public services practice. In her role, Nikki supports state and local governments in determining how to best deliver and implement health and human service programs so that people get better access to the medical, food, monetary assistance, and children services they need. Nikki also serves as President on the Harris Alumni Council. 

Manuel Aragones, MPP’16, is the co-founder and CEO of deep_dive, a data science firm based in his home country of Mexico. He is committed to using data science to reshape public policy, exemplified by his involvement with the Federal Legal Advisory Service of the Executive Commission for Victims’ Assistance (CEAV), a federal agency in Mexico for victims of disappearances, kidnappings, and crimes committed by government authorities. Manuel’s team, which included two Harris students, established a digital registry and applied data science to provide valuable insights on open cases. 


 

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