Meet Vera Thatchaichawalit ‘26: From Numbers to Policy Impact

Vera Thatchaichawalit is a second-year student pursuing a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Human Rights and Humanitarian Policy and a specialization in International Organizations and UN Studies. She is currently a Research Assistant for Professor Mahmood Mamdani, who teaches the seminars Pre-Atlantic Slavery in Africa and South Asia and Settlers and Natives. Prior to attending SIPA, Vera worked with the International Rescue Committee and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, where she conducted financial analyses and developed budgets for humanitarian emergency response and reproductive health initiatives serving low-income women and teens.

1. Can you share a bit about your journey to SIPA and what drew you to pursue an MPA in Human Rights and Humanitarian Policy?

Before SIPA, I spent several years on the operations side of NGOs, working in financial data analytics at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Planned Parenthood. I loved the analytical work, but over time I found myself wanting to move beyond the numbers and engage more directly with the policy issues driving what these organizations do. SIPA’s MPA program appealed to me because of how it integrates quantitative and qualitative approaches. For example, I've taken courses like Data and Conflict, where we used ArcGIS Pro and R to examine the ethical dimensions of conflict data, alongside more theoretical courses like Tenets and Dilemmas of Humanitarian Action. The Human Rights and Humanitarian Policy concentration, specifically, aligned closely with my interest in applying my data background to policy questions impacting refugees and other vulnerable groups.

2. How did your experience as an Operations Manager at the International Rescue Committee shape your understanding of humanitarian work on the ground?

My time at IRC gave me a close-up view of the structural gaps that exist even within well-resourced humanitarian organizations. Working with the Emergencies team to create budget allocation codes and calculate overhead-to-program expense ratios, I could see how funding flows and cuts directly shaped what was possible on the ground. That experience also opened my eyes to how much the operational and financial structure of an organization either enables or constrains its humanitarian mission. Especially given the dramatic funding cuts we're seeing today, I left wanting to better understand how to advocate for more equitable and efficient resource allocation at a policy level, not just an operational one.

3. In your role at Planned Parenthood, how did financial data analytics support decision-making and organizational impact?

My work centered on using financial data to support program design and guide organizational priorities. I projected cash flows, tracked net asset balances, and reported on budget-versus-actuals to inform leadership decisions in real time. The year following the overturn of Roe v. Wade was especially challenging, as we had to navigate federal funding cuts and a fragmented, largely hostile legal landscape. The data work became even more critical for identifying where resources could be deployed most effectively. Supporting initiatives like the Black Health Equity Initiative and Justice Funds required thinking about my work not just as resource allocation, but as a reflection of organizational values.

4. We’re also working together on the UNICEF India capstone—how has this experience allowed you to apply your data and policy skills in a global development context? (more of the research you are doing or you can reframe the question) 

The UNICEF India Capstone has been one of the most enriching experiences of my time at SIPA. I've been really lucky to work with an incredible team of peers who each bring such different backgrounds and areas of expertise. That alone has sharpened how I think and how I approach research. But my favorite part was traveling to New Delhi during spring break to meet directly with experts working in youth economic empowerment, skilling, and child rights, as well as with youth leaders themselves. Getting to sit down and converse with the people whose work our research is meant to inform made the analysis feel urgent and real in a way that’s rarely experienced in a classroom. Understanding how our findings will actually be applied in policy design and program development has pushed me to think much more carefully about how I communicate evidence and to whom. It was an experience I could only have gotten through our Capstone.

5. How has SIPA helped you bridge the gap between data, policy, and real-world implementation?

At SIPA, I've honed my ability to turn analysis into action and data into accountability. Coursework that blends policy analysis with quantitative methods has pushed me to communicate findings in ways that resonate with practitioners and policymakers. Having the opportunity to cross-register at the Mailman School of Public Health and the Institute for the Study of Human Rights has also helped me build a more interdisciplinary perspective on the issues I’m passionate about. That broader lens has been especially valuable in thinking through how data-driven insights translate into policy decisions in complex, real-world settings. Through working directly with clients like UNICEF for the capstone, as well as alongside faculty through assistantships, I’ve gained a better understanding of what it takes to produce work that is both analytically sound and practically actionable.

6. Looking ahead, what kind of impact do you hope to make after graduation, and how do you see your background in data and humanitarian work shaping that path?

At SIPA, my research has primarily focused on the intersection of forced displacement and public health in crisis-affected settings, with an emphasis on how structural inequities shape outcomes for marginalized communities. That’s the space I’d like to stay in after graduation, whether through policy research, advocacy, or program design, and where I hope to use data to translate evidence into recommendations that actually shape policy.