Program Assistant Introduction: George-Ann Ryan MIA '20
George-Ann grew up on the island of Antigua in the West Indies with roots in the nearby island of Montserrat. After graduating from Pace University in New York with a BA in Economics focusing on quantitative research methods, George-Ann worked in research and administration roles for nonprofits and government organizations dedicated to economic and social equity. She was set to apply to PhD programs before SIPA caught her eye as a program where she could explore her passions for studying international economic inequality, maintain and develop quantitative skills, and supplement her work experience with solid public policy knowledge.
Alongside her academic exploits at SIPA, she is Steering Community Coordinator at RISE: Working Group on Race, Inequality, Solidarity, and Economics ( a student group) and is a founding member and Chief Financial Officer of The Sadie Collective — a nonprofit aimed at mentoring, empowering, and equipping Black women in economics, public policy, and related fields.
What were you doing before you came to SIPA?
I was an Economic Scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and a Research and Administrative Associate at the Economic Security Project — a nonprofit with a mission to explore and advocate for cash-transfers as an important tool for fighting inequality.
Did you choose to attend SIPA to change careers, or to gain experience in a career path you already had experience in?
A little bit of both. I have always loved economics for both its theory and mathematical elements, but before coming to SIPA I was dead-set on a path for a PhD in economics. However, my job experience in the nonprofit sector really showed me that value of a more well-rounded education that prizes both the quantitative and the more policy and communications oriented side of economics and economic research. I came to SIPA in order to get a bit more of that in my repertoire.
What has been the best part of your SIPA experience?
I’ve enjoyed the diversity of experiences I’ve encountered here and meeting people from countries I never thought I would such as Afghanistan and Mongolia. SIPA has really broadened my horizons and frames of reference when looking at international policy problems. Through student organizations (and some pretty fun parties) you will meet people who will become lifelong friends and hopefully have couches to surf all over the globe.
What kind of work do you hope to do when you graduate?
After graduation, I hope to return home to Antigua and work in the private sector for a bit before eventually establishing my own think tank focused on economic development and governmental accountability.
What’s your internship experience been like?
My internship experience has been pretty interesting. I spent the summer in Washington D.C. at the Brookings Institution working in The Hamilton Project — an organization housed within Brookings’ Economic Studies Department — as a Summer Research Intern. There, I called on many of the skills I’ve honed both at SIPA and elsewhere through using STATA for data preparation and analysis to contributing to reports by compiling relevant literature for Fellows. It was challenging but I enjoyed it wholeheartedly.
What do you think makes a good SIPA student? What qualities do stellar SIPA students typically possess?
To me, a good SIPA student is passionate about the world around them and is buzzing with ideas about how to make it better. For the most part, many of my colleagues are internationally focused with aspirations to work toward making the world a better place through sound policy, whatever the arena.
Photo credit: Mathematica Policy Research