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DEICE Committee

The SIPA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Climate and Engagement (DEICE) Committee (formerly, the Diversity Committee) was convened in the 2013–14 academic year to support the efforts of SIPA faculty, staff, and student organizations in fostering a community at SIPA that is welcoming, respectful of individual and group differences, and representative of our society.

The DEICE Committee advises the Dean and the leadership team on efforts to support greater diversity at SIPA on a range of topics, including but not limited to: programming, academic affairs, recruitment, campus/school climate for students, faculty, and administration on diversity, inclusion, and social justice issues.

The DEICE Committee currently works through the following subcommittees to move SIPA’s DEI agenda forward: 

  • School Culture and Campus Climate—Supports efforts to improve the physical environment, interpersonal dynamics, and sense of belonging for SIPA students, staff and faculty.
  • Curriculum, Scholarship and Capacity Development—Supports continuing efforts to strengthen attention to DEI issues in the SIPA curriculum, and also supports professional development of faculty, staff and students to increase their DEI awareness, knowledge and skills.
  • Community Activities—Continues to support signature student-focused DEICE Committee events, as well as staff community-building events.

Activities

The DEICE Committee meets monthly, and its subcommittees meet at least monthly, during the school year. The DEICE Committee also sponsors and cosponsors a range of DEI-related events during the school year, and sponsors the Student Diversity Initiative Grant program together with the Office of Student Affairs (see below for further details).

The DEICE Committee's activities during the 2023–24 school year, and its plans for the  following school year, are summarized in this year-end report to the SIPA community.

Student Diversity Initiative Grant

Sponsored by the SIPA DEICE Committee, the Student Diversity Initiative supports students in the development of a project or event that will advance diversity and inclusion at SIPA.

  • The DEICE Committee invites grant proposals that advance diversity, inclusion, social justice, and equity in light of the Committee’s mission in one or more of the following areas:

    • Representation: Enhance the recruitment, retention, and support of students, faculty, and staff from diverse and historically under-represented backgrounds.
    • Community-Building: Create opportunities for community-building; foster an inclusive climate respectful of diversity and increased cross-cultural understanding, and enhance collaboration among diverse groups at SIPA and across the Columbia campus.
    • Network: Build a sustainable network among students, faculty, administration, alumni, and policy practitioners to work together to further the Diversity Committee’s mission.
    • Discourse: Provide forums for robust, academic discourse and dialogue at SIPA and the greater public policy community surrounding issues of diversity and inclusion (including the integration of local/global diversity), social justice, and equity in the fields of international affairs and public policy.
    • Education: Provide opportunities for enhanced learning, discourse, and research, both inside and outside of the classroom, that challenge students think critically about concepts related to the intersectionality of identity, social justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, and to consider their implications on policy and international affairs.
    • Policy Formulation and Practice: Create innovative ideas and share best practices around diversity and inclusion, equity, and social justice as they relate to professional practice.
    • Outreach and Advocacy: Develop activities and strategies for outreach and advocacy that engage students, faculty, staff, and alumni with the greater community in support of SIPA’s mission of advancing social justice and addressing structural inequalities, including increased support for historically and socially marginalized communities.

    For submission guidelines and to apply, please visit SIPA CampusGroups.

  • "Immigration, Detention, and Resistance Through Art"

    Wednesday, May 1, 2019

    Immigration policy and mass incarceration represent today one of the main sites of human rights abuses and violations in the US. The panel brought together community-based artists and organizers, academics, immigration advocates and attorneys to discuss insights and intersections between their work and explored the ways in which community art can be mobilized as a form of resistance. The event was organized by SIPA's Concentration in Human Rights and Humanitarian Policy and the Humanitarian Affairs Working Group, RISE, SSOC, LASA, and Migration Working Group.

    "Come Learn about Trans and Gender Non-Conforming People of Color" - Performance and talk by Alok Vaid-Menon

    Wednesday, April 24, 2019

    The event was organized by SIPA's Spectrum. Co-sponsored by GPP, GPWG, RISE, and the SIPA Diversity Committee.

    SIPA Story Slam

    Wednesday, April 17, 2019

    The SIPA Story Slam showcased our community's defining experiences through live storytelling around the theme "Lost in Translation." This event featured student and faculty storytellers performing 5-minute stories alongside music and dancing.

    South Asia Association (SAA) Multi-Cultural Event

    Thursday, March 28, 2019

    The event gave students from outside the South Asian community the opportunity to interact with and experience the diverse cultures and perspectives from countries within the South Asian region (namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and The Maldives).

  • SIPA Intersectionality Conference

    Friday, April 20, 2018

    The first annual SIPA Intersectionality Conference organized by SIPA Students of Color (SSOC) was held on April 20. The Conference examined the intersectional role of identities in social, economic, and political inequities in the U.S. with the keynote given by Melissa Mark-Viverito, senior advisor to the Latino Victory Fund and former speaker of the NYC Council. Co-Sponsored by the SIPA Diversity Coalition and SIPA Diversity Committee.

    Interactive Electoral Workshop

    Monday, April 16, 2018

    The workshop was facilitated by policy experts from the Brennan for Justice and SIPA faculty members, Prof Fuchs and Prof Shapiro, with the goal of addressing low voter turnout in U.S. elections. Co-Sponsored by Citizen American Voter and the SIPA Diversity Committee.

Faculty Representatives

  • David N. Dinkins Professor of Professional Practice in Urban and Public Policy

    Photo of Michael Nutter

    After serving almost 15 years in the Philadelphia City Council, Michael A. Nutter was elected the 98th Mayor of his hometown, where he served in office from 2008 until 2016. During his time as Mayor, he also served as the President of the United States Conference of Mayors from June 2012 to June 2013.

    Since leaving public service, Mayor Nutter has remained active in public policy, government, and civic life, in critical areas of education, media, public policy, political campaigns, the corporate community, and academic institutions across the country. In addition to his appointment as the Inaugural David N. Dinkins Professor of Professional Practice in Urban and Public Policy at the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) by the Columbia University Board of Trustees, Mayor Nutter has been appointed as a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council; political commentator at CNN; Senior Fellow and national spokesperson for the program “What Works Cities” at Bloomberg Philanthropies; Executive Fellow in Leadership (ISL) at the Lebow College of Business Institute for Strategic Leadership (ISL) at Drexel University; Chair of the first Mayor’s Advisory Council at Airbnb; Executive Fellow at the University of Chicago Urban Labs; Member of the Economic and Community Advisory Council at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia; Distinguished Fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs; and Distinguished Non-Resident Senior Fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution. Mayor Nutter received his Bachelors in Economics from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

  • Senior Lecturer in the Discipline of International and Public Affairs: Co-Director, Economic and Political Development Concentration

    Photo of Jenny McGill

    Eugenia McGill is a Senior Lecturer in the Discipline of International and Public Affairs and the Co-Director of the Economic and Political Development Concentration at SIPA, where she directs the Workshop in Sustainable Development Practice and teaches courses in Methods for Development Practice and Gender, Politics and Development. Her teaching and research interests include the social impacts of globalization, development interventions and development finance, particularly gender-related impacts, as well as innovative and inclusive approaches to development planning.

    A lawyer and development specialist, Professor McGill also advises development agencies, governments and nongovernmental organizations on social policy, law and development issues, and on addressing gender and other social concerns through development plans, programs and projects.

    Professor McGill serves on the board of directors of the East-West Management Institute, and the oversight council of The School at Columbia University. She has also served on the National Screening Committee for the Fulbright-Clinton Public Policy Fellowships. Previously, she was a senior officer at Asian Development Bank and practiced law with Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen and Hamilton in New York and Hong Kong.  She has a JD from the University of Pennsylvania, MIA from SIPA, MAT from Northwestern University and BA from Williams College.

  • Professor of International and Public Affairs

    Ben Orlove Headshot

    Benjamin Orlove, an anthropologist, has conducted field work in the Peruvian Andes since the 1970s and also carried out research in East Africa, the Italian Alps, and Aboriginal Australia. His early work focused on agriculture, fisheries and rangelands. More recently he has studied climate change and glacier retreat, with an emphasis on water, natural hazards and the loss of iconic landscapes. In addition to his numerous academic articles and books, his publications include a memoir and a book of travel writing.

    Orlove taught for many years at the University of California, Davis. At Columbia University, he also teaches in the Master’s Program in Climate and Society, for which he serves as Associate Director. He is a Senior Research Scientist at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, and is one of the four co-directors of the Center for Research in Environmental Decisions.


     

  • Lecturer in Discipline of International and Public Affairs; Director of Urban and Social Policy Concentration for Executive MPA

    Headshot of Yumiko Shimabukuro

    Yumiko Shimabukuro's core research and teaching interests lie in the areas of comparative political economy and social welfare policy with a regional expertise in Northeast Asia. She is the Director of the Urban and Social Policy concentration for the Executive MPA program and serves as the faculty director of the Global Leadership Development Training initiative.

    Beyond her academic work, Professor Shimabukuro leverages her two-decades long professional experience straddling the financial, non-profit, and academic sectors and offers advanced professional development training for the mid-career MPA program in Economic Policy Management, Columbia Business School, and numerous other venues throughout the country. She is the creator of the 5S Method, a comprehensive guide to effective knowledge management and transfer derived from the fields of cognitive science, data visualization, psychology, neuroscience, anatomy, linguistics, education, and voice science. 

    Professor Shimabukuro received an MIA in International Economics from Columbia University, a PhD in Political Economy from the Department of Political Science at MIT, and a Post-Doctoral Fellowship from Harvard University.  She is the recipient of the Harvard Teaching Excellence Award and the Columbia University Outstanding Teaching Award.

Administrative Representatives

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  • Manager, Executive Education and Training

    Headshot of Laura McCreedy

    Laura is the Manager of Executive Education and Training at the Picker Center for Executive Education and previously worked in the in the Office of the Dean at SIPA, where she assisted with special projects and events, including support for the DEICE Committee. In addition, Laura has worked as a research assistant for the International Peace Institute (IPI) Center for Peace Operations; for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Representation Office in Tanzania; the Carnegie Corporation of New York; for Interfaith, Youth, and Adult Diversity and Inclusion and Police-Community Relations initiatives at the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion; and for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Women’s Leadership initiatives at Accenture and Booz Allen Hamilton.

    Laura holds a bachelor’s degree in International Affairs and Anthropology from Wayne State University in Detroit and a Master’s of Science by Research (MSc) degree in Social Psychology from the University of Edinburgh, where her research focused on social cognition and conflict resolution. She is also a recent graduate of the Executive Masters of Public Administration (EMPA) program at SIPA, where she focused on International Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding. Her SIPA capstone project examined mechanisms for "Combating Racism and Discrimination Through the United Nations."

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  • Associate Dean, Student Affairs

    Tsuya Yee Headshot

    Tsuya Yee joined SIPA in July 2021 as Associate Dean for Student Affairs. Dean Yee comes to SIPA from The New School for Social Research where she has served in student affairs roles for twenty years. In addition to general advising duties, Dean Yee is responsible for leading the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) to support student academic success by delivering robust support services, student life programming, and advising for all students at SIPA.

    Dean Yee is also deeply engaged in community justice initiatives, including serving as co-chair of the New York Day of Remembrance Committee, and on the leadership council of Tsuru for Solidarity. Tsuya earned her BA from the University of California, Santa Cruz and her MA in Political Science from The New School.

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Student Representatives (including Diversity Coalition representatives)

SIPA Diversity Coalition

The Diversity Coalition was formed in 2015 by student groups with the cross-cutting mission of supporting diversity, equity and inclusion at SIPA. The Coalition is composed of the following groups. Up to ten Diversity Coalition groups are represented on the Diversity Committee.

SIPA is home to over 50 diverse and vibrant student-led organizations. A full list can be found here.

  • Empowering Asian Women (EAW) – The purpose of Empowering Asian Women is to encourage further dialogue on the topic of diversity and inclusion by fostering leadership development of Asian female students and professionals.

  • Gender and Public Policy Working Group (GPWG) – GPWG hopes to facilitate the integration and exposure of a gender perspective at SIPA and promote useful discussions and events.

  • More information coming soon.

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  • Migration Working Group (MWG) – The Migration Working Group aims to promote dialogue, awareness, and community involvement on national and international migration issues.  

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  • SIPA Pan-African Network (SPAN) – As its mission, SPAN creates a vibrant community of support for students within SIPA and Columbia concerned with Africa and its Diaspora. SPAN’s core objectives are to create a platform for African students and all other students interested in Africa to share ideas beneficial to development in Africa; leverage opportunities within SIPA and Columbia University, and collaborate with other student groups for increased visibility; organize events focused on development and connect members with organizations for internship and post-graduation employment opportunities; and participate in orientation of new students and ensure equal opportunities for all members.

  • SIPA Students of Color (SSOC) – SSOC is a diverse community of students, alumni and faculty that focuses on the support and advancement of underrepresented students becoming future policy leaders and development professionals. Our core belief is that the world is best served by policymakers and leaders who represent a wide variety of cultural traditions, political worldviews and life experiences. The organization’s primary function is to assist its members in achieving their academic and professional goals. SSOC seeks to leverage its broad network to assist Columbia SIPA in the recruitment of underrepresented students and faculty while advocating for the inclusion of diverse and dynamic perspectives within Columbia SIPA’s course curriculum and cultural climate.

  • SIPA Women in Leadership (WIL) – SIPA WIL is an organization at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), consisting of Columbia students, alumni, administrators, friends, allies and mentors. SIPA Women in Leadership’s mission is to prepare its members for success and leadership in all sectors and professional endeavors. We aim to bring awareness to the barriers women face as leaders today and the importance of having women serve in decision-making positions, with the overall goal of achieving gender equality.

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  • SPECTRUM - SIPA Spectrum is an organization within which SIPA's LGBTQ+ and allied students may network, build a community, and hold dialogue on international and domestic issues, through which community members may access relevant resources and information.

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  • Working Group on Race, Inequality, Solidarity, and Economics (RISE) – The mission of RISE is to create a safe environment for students to engage, in a spirit of cooperation and solidarity, in co-learning, discussions and activities towards solutions to diverse problems of social inequality, such as wealth and income inequality, poverty and racial, gender and economic disparities.