Vanita Deshpande

Vanita Deshpande (she/her/hers)
Program: Master of Public Administration (MPA) 
Concentration: Climate, Energy and Environment
Hometown: Pune, India

Vanita Deshpande ’27 is a second-year Master of Public Administration candidate at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), concentrating in Climate, Energy and Environment. Most recently, she worked at an early-stage AI startup, where she supported partnerships and operations, public-sector engagement, and research on AI ethics.

Before SIPA, Vanita worked across government, international affairs, and policy research. Back in India at the Piramal Foundation, she worked with district and state government officials on public-sector capacity building and education initiatives. She later worked at the Pune International Centre, where she supported policy research, operations, and executive communications for the Asia Economic Dialogue, engaging with government officials, diplomats, and other stakeholders. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics, Political Science, and Sociology from Christ University, Bengaluru.

Outside of SIPA, Vanita enjoys hiking, cooking, and feeding her loved ones, watching sci-fi films and series, and exploring New York City. She speaks English, Hindi, and Marathi, and looks forward to connecting with prospective students and sharing her experience at SIPA.