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• Oversee management of Graduate Program Office and the day-to day operation of the three graduate programs: Master in Public Affairs (MPA), Master in Public Policy (MPP), and Doctorate of Philosophy in Public Affairs (PhD).
• Exercise senior level decision-making and supervisory responsibility over various staff. Direct and allocate $680,000 budget.
• Allocate over 4 million dollars in tuition and stipend support for graduate students. Autonomy in determining financial aid awards and financial aid reconsideration.
• Guide the complex curriculum development process, including recommending faculty hires, ensuring active student involvement, suggest and evaluate specific course additions.
• Manage all joint degree programs and certificate programs including MPA-JD; MPA-URP; MPA-MBA; Certificate in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy; Demography Certificate, and ad hoc joint programs. Initiate and develop relationships with cooperation institutions.
• Design and implement academic rules and regulations with respect to all three graduate programs. Ensure fulfillment of all academic requirements.
• Review all student evaluations of faculty. Serve as an advisor to faculty regarding teaching methods, improvement of course enrollment, and strategies to increase the exposure of “low-enrollment” courses. Mediate and resolve faculty and student problems.
• Evaluate applications for admission to the Schools’ three graduate programs and the summer program for undergraduates of color, including serving as a member of the screening committee and the broader admissions committee.
• Review workshop travel proposals for academic integrity, supervise management of all workshops, allocate workshop budgets ($115,000). Develop policy on travel to unsafe areas. [55% of all second year graduate students travel internationally for required workshops].
• Direct summer program for undergraduate students of color; includes hiring all academic and administrative staff, development of curriculum, supervising staff, designing all programmatic aspects of program. Direct and allocate $230,000 budget.
• Represent the School and the Dean in various capacities. This includes representing the School before various alumni; professional organizations; before political, policy and academic officials; and serving on various internal and external committees (including Disability Affairs, Hiring Committees, MPA Program Committee, Admissions Committee, MPA-JD Committee, Internship Committee, Robertson Board).

Director of Graduate Programs
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
1998 - July 2000

• Managed day-to day operation of the graduate programs, Master in Public Affairs (MPA), Master in Public Policy (MPP), Doctorate of Philosophy in Public Affairs (PhD).
• Advised and counseled students regarding academic matters, career development, personal issues.
• Coordinated readmission process including evaluation of students’ academic performance, leave of absences requests, financial aid reconsideration.
• Supervised graduate program registrar and support staff. Included ensuring record maintenance, course scheduling, qualifying examination administration, pre-registration, registration, coordinating faculty advisors and field coordinators, database and website maintenance.
• Recruited MPA, MPP, PhD. candidates and undergraduate students of color for summer program. Included various travel in the United States and abroad.
• Evaluated applications for admission to the Schools’ graduate programs and the summer program for undergraduates.
• Assisted the Faculty Chair and the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs in planning graduate curriculum; developed and implemented rules and regulations regarding grading, readmission, and academic conduct.
• Administered tutoring program, including hiring of graduate tutors, ensuring academic progress.
• Principle liaison between graduate students and senior administrative staff / faculty and broader campus community, including President’s Office, Housing, Health Center, and Legal Affairs.
• Coordinate various annual activities including, Math Camp, Orientation, Alumni of Color Weekend, and Graduation Activities.
• Principle administrative liaison with WWAC (student government committee).

Assistant Corporation Counsel
Office of the Corporation Counsel
New York, NY
1994 - 1998
• Litigated affirmative and defensive cases including federal § 1983 civil rights actions and challenges to City agency administrative determinations.
• Defended the City against constitutional challenges to legislative regulations, such as the challenge to the licensing scheme that removed organized crime from the Fulton Fish Market, first amendment challenge to the City’s denial of a specific protest forum for advocates for the medicinal use of marijuana, and challenges to the City’s adherence to the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Prosecuted criminal violations of the NYC Administrative Code, including housing, building, health, and fire code violations of City rules.
• Prepared witnesses. Conducted depositions. Argued numerous pre-trial motions. Conducted criminal trials.
• Conducted tuberculosis detention hearings representing the Department of Health.
• Wrote motions, memorandums of law, answers, and complaints.
• Developed case strategy and negotiated settlements.
• Advised and counseled City agency heads regarding legal strategy and case resolution.

Associate
Law Office of Alfreida B. Kenny
New York, NY
1993 - 1994
• Researched procedural and substantive issues related to guardianships, receiverships, and landlord-tenant matters. Wrote memorandums of law, leases, and legal documents related to judgment collection.

Fair Housing Clinic
Columbia University School of Law
1992 - 1993
• Litigated case of housing discrimination, representing the plaintiffs. Worked with a student team to develop case strategy. Wrote memorandum of law and interrogatories; conducted deposition.
• Participated in mediation and negotiated settlement of $30,000 (highest negotiated settlement ever achieved by Columbia law students).

Program Assistant
Newark Fighting Back, Inc.
Newark, NJ
1991 - 1992
• Co-wrote successful $3 million grant proposal whose goal was to develop a comprehensive approach to reducing the demand of illicit drugs and alcohol in the City of Newark.
• Aided in the conceptualization, development, and implementation of over 75 programs and initiatives, such as drug treatment for women with children and community policing.
• Organized Executive Board, committee, and partnership meetings for over 100 partners in the overall initiative; the partners included politicians, grass-roots organizations, private entities, city agency heads, tenants’ associations, small business owners, and educators.
• Assisted in policy formulation; reviewed and analyzed the budgets of various program proposals from social services agencies and non-profit organizations seeking funding.
• Collaborated with community organizers to facilitate the participation of tenant associations, small businesses, and local school officials in numerous programs and initiatives.

Teaching Assistant
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
Academic Year 1990-1992
• Conducted bi-weekly discussion sessions for Congressional Politics course.
• Counseled and mentored students regarding personal situations, faculty relations, and academic performance problems.
• Prepared examinations and graded papers and exams.

Intern
Governor’s Office
Little Rock, AR
Summer 1986
• Polled legislators. Wrote responses to constituents on issues ranging from education to prison reform. Prepared memorandums on relevant issues for then Governor Bill Clinton.

EDUCATION
Columbia University School of Law
Juris Doctorate, May 1994
Honors: Jane Marks Murphy Prize, 1994
Best Brief Moot Court, 1992
Activities: Columbia Human Rights Law Review
Black Law Students Association

Princeton University
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
Masters in Public Affairs, May 1994
Emphasis: Domestic Policy
Activities: Women’s Graduate Students Association
Black Graduate Students Association

Georgetown University
Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service
Bachelors of Science of Foreign Service, May 1990
Emphasis: International Economics, Finance and Commerce
Honors: Woodrow Wilson National Fellow
Activities: President of Georgetown University NAACP
Minority Student Affairs Mentoring Program

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
• New York State Bar Association
• NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education)

PERSONAL
• Studied at the L’Institut du Science Politique, Paris, France and the Université de Caen, Caen, France.
• United States Senate exchange student to Kobe, Japan