The MPA in Environmental Science and Policy program bid farewell to the class of 2014 on May 22 as the students celebrated their graduation from the School of International and Public Affairs.
Faculty, family and friends joined the 64 graduating students to honor their accomplishments and wish them luck in their future endeavors beyond Columbia University.
“Graduation is one of my favorite times of the year,” said Sarah Tweedie, the assistant director of the program. “It is incredible to watch the students leave campus and go on to accomplish so many amazing things.”
The graduates took part in the commencement ceremony for the School of International and Public Affairs on Columbia University’s South Lawn. Degrees were awarded to 697 candidates hailing from 66 different countries.
SIPA welcomed Thomas E. Donilon, a former national security advisor to President Obama, to serve as the keynote speaker at the ceremony. Donilon spoke to the graduates about his role as an advisor to the president. He emphasized the potential impacts that SIPA alums will have on the world, stating that “The things we value most in this world—peace, progress, social justice, economic development—all depend on smart and dedicated people like you taking up the mantle of leadership and applying your insights to service.”
Students in the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy program enroll in a year-long, 54-credit program offered at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, in partnership with the Earth Institute.
Since it began in 2002, the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy program has given students the hands-on experience, and the analytical and decision-making tools to implement effective environmental and sustainable management policies. The program’s 619 graduates have advanced to jobs in domestic and international environmental policy, working in government, private and non-profit sectors. Their work involves issues of sustainability, resource use and global change, in fields focused on air, water, climate, energy efficiency, food, agriculture, transportation and waste management. They work as consultants, advisers, project managers, program directors, policy analysts, teachers, researchers, and environmental scientists and engineers.
Visit our website for more information: http://mpaenvironment.ei.columbia.edu/
