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Diane Addison, MIA/MPH (Epidemiology) 2011
Dual Degree
Diane Addison is originally from Ghana, and has lived in various places including Oklahoma, Senegal and Switzerland. Her undergraduate degree is from Boston College where she double majored in French and Psychology. After she received her B.A., she worked for a NGO that focuses on public health. She also interned for UNAIDS in 2008 where she worked in the Office of the Chief Scientific Adviser while doing research on changes in the inclusion of women and girls in HIV clinical trials.
What kind of work do you hope to do when you graduate?
"Before I became a dual degree candidate, my concentration was in Economic and Political Development at SIPA. International development is still at the core of what I want to pursue in the near future, and I hope to work on improving the health of women and children in developing countries."
SIPA features lots of events for students to attend. Is there any interesting presentation that you have attended that you could comment upon?
"SIPA definitely has some amazing events/conferences each year. One of the most interesting events I attended was a debate on female genital cutting which brought together strong advocates of the practice as well as representatives from organizations such as Tostan and UNICEF who are using community-based approaches in order to convince villages to abandon the practice. The debate was passionate and thought-provoking. "
What has been the best part of your SIPA experience?
"The best part of SIPA has been getting to know my incredible and dedicated classmates. SIPA is skilled at finding people who possess all breadths of skill and experience. I have made life-long friends and a great network."
What attracted you to SIPA?
"I was attracted to SIPA for many reasons. Location was one of the key factors. I love New York City and I can’t think of a better area to attend graduate school. No matter what your interests are, you will always be able to find a network of people who share those interests. The professors at SIPA are also quite interesting. They bring an enormous amount of knowledge, expertise, and some pretty amazing stories."
What advice would you give a first-year student?
"Have fun, be sure to get to know your classmates and professors very well, and breathe… You will survive Econ!"
[July 2010]