SIPA Alumni Association

Brent Feigenbaum MIA ‘84
Chair, SIPA Alumni Association

Welcome to the Alumni Association. We are more than 23,000 strong; SIPA alumni are everywhere—and YOU are part of this extraordinary global network. Everyone who graduates from SIPA is automatically a member of the SIPA Alumni Association.

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I graduated in 1984 before there was an Alumni Association. SIPA has changed tremendously since my time in Morningside Heights, and today, the School is much larger, richer, and more dynamic. About eight years ago, I was reintroduced to SIPA by a fellow graduate, and I was impressed with how the School had evolved. I became involved with the Alumni Association as a volunteer and was elected Board Chair in June 2020. By volunteering, I have reengaged with SIPA and Columbia and have discovered tremendous graduates, students, and faculty.

The SIPA Alumni Association began in 2008 with the main purpose of connecting alumni worldwide with each other and the School. Our objectives are threefold: to support and encourage alumni career networking, to help recruit top students to apply to the School, and to fundraise. We unite SIPA alumni through communications, on-campus programming like Alumni Day, and regional programming through our SIPA Regional Communities. Currently, we have 32 Regional Communities globally and are focused on significantly expanding this number. If there is already a Regional Ambassador in your area, I encourage you to reach out and get involved. If there is not a Regional Ambassador, please consider volunteering to become one.

There are many ways to get involved with the Alumni Association and connect with SIPA graduates and current students. We could use your help organizing interesting talks and programs for SIPA alumni, promoting SIPA to prospective students, encouraging accepted students to attend, organizing networking opportunities for career advancement, and strengthening the bond among all SIPA graduates through local social events. We can use your support on the following committees:

Nominating & Governance
Careers
Admissions Ambassadors
Programs
Reunion

Learn more about joining a committee here.

By becoming active with the alumni community, you will meet other SIPA graduates who are doing fascinating things in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. SIPA has always attracted unique individuals with curious minds. I urge you to continue your personal journey of learning by getting involved today. I look forward to seeing you at a future SIPA Alumni Association event.

Brent Feigenbaum MIA ‘84

Alumni Association Board

The SIPA Alumni Association is governed by a group of dedicated alumni volunteers, representing diverse years, programs, and disciplines. Working closely with the Office of Alumni Affairs, board members play an active role in chairing committees and leading key alumni initiatives, engaging fellow alumni in volunteer and leadership roles, and actively participating in alumni events and other programming. With valuable input from SIPA’s Dean, the board’s activities are closely aligned with the School’s mission and strategic priorities.

Current committees of the Alumni Association include Programs, Careers, Admissions Ambassadors, Alumni Awards, Reunion, and Nominating and Governance. The Alumni Association’s by-laws can be found here.

Learn more about getting involved as a member of the board or its committees here. Feel free to reach out to members of the board or the Office of Alumni Affairs to learn more about getting involved.