Generations of SIPA Graduates Gather for Alumni Day and Reunion Dinner
On March 29, graduates from classes spanning six decades gathered on Columbia’s campus for the annual SIPA Alumni Day and Reunion Dinner. The program began in Low Library’s Rotunda, featuring a keynote conversation with Nobel Peace Prize-winning journalist Maria Ressa, and presentation of the 2025 Alumni Awards to Jennifer Morris MIA ’97 and Sabrina Habib MPA-DP ’16. The Service to SIPA Award was presented to John H. Coatsworth, who served as SIPA’s dean from 2008 to 2012 before becoming Columbia University provost.
The number of SIPA alumni gathered for the occasion was the largest and most global in the school’s history, with over 300 graduates present, including 50 alumni representing 20 countries from across six continents.
In her welcome remarks delivered on behalf of Dean Yarhi-Milo, who was ill, Katie Day Benvenuto ’03CC, ’12BUS, associate dean for development and alumni relations, addressed the current challenges facing the university. “These are uncertain times,” she noted. “But let me be absolutely clear: Columbia is committed to ensuring that every single student is afforded a learning environment free from harassment and hate.” She added that “SIPA will never deviate from its mission” and will “continue to educate and support all of our students,” while defending “open debate, academic freedom, and the pursuit of knowledge.”
In her fireside chat with Benvenuto, Ressa — who joined Columbia SIPA as a professor of professional practice in 2024 — discussed freedom of speech more broadly and the challenges that democracies face globally.
“The lesson we learned in the Philippines is that the longer it takes the citizens of a democracy to hold on to their rights, the weaker they get over time, because what you lose at the beginning you never get back,” said Ressa.
The afternoon featured four panel discussions with faculty members and alumni. The panel, “The World in 2025: Issues Shaping the International Agenda,” was moderated by Ambassador Victoria Nuland and included Victor Cha ’83CC, MIA ’88, ’94GSAS, Constance Hunter MIA ’94, and William F. Wechsler MPA ’93.
“Climate Change, Food Security, and Sustainable Development” was moderated by Professor Glenn Denning and included Rafael Merchan MPA-DP ’13, Karla Ramos MIA ’10, Professor Shiv Someshwar, and Christina Stanton MPA ’05.
Professor Mauricio Cárdenas moderated “The Global Economy: Ensuring Inclusive Prosperity and Resilience in the Midst of Uncertainty” with panelists Saumya Bisaria MPA-GL ’24, Almudena Fernández MPA ’08, and Laura Ramirez MIA ’14.
The fourth panel, “Can AI Be Fair?: Addressing Gender Bias Through Policy and Practice,” featured Payal Arora ’09TC, Stephanie Mikkelson MPA-DP ’16, and Nishant Shah MIA ’10.
The evening’s highlights included countless selfies of Seeples, toasts to the reunion classes, and the opportunity for alumni to come together to celebrate their time at SIPA and hear about the successes of fellow classmates.
Morris, CEO of The Nature Conservancy, received the Distinguished Alumni Award for her leadership in addressing climate and biodiversity crises. “I feel like every day, no matter the bad news, I wake up and am doing something that's making the world a little bit better, and I really do credit SIPA for launching me into a position and a career that has taken me to do things that I had only dreamed of,” Morris said during her acceptance speech.
Habib was recognized with the Emerging Leader Award for her work as cofounder and chief exploration officer of Kidogo, Kenya’s largest childcare network.
“It was here [at SIPA] that I learned that progress requires coalition and that change doesn't happen in isolation,” Habib said. “It was here that I learned that knowledge itself isn't power. It's knowledge put into action that is true power. This degree isn't just a credential, it's a responsibility, and we have so many different options of how to exercise that responsibility.”
Maria Ressa imparted upon the alumni the three lessons she learned as a journalist in the Philippines of “how to stand up to a dictator,” as she titled her 2022 memoir. “The first is to know your values, so draw the line. The second is, hold the line. This is the part that's scary, but the last part is the easy part, collaborate … You can collaborate with each other. You're extremely powerful. Stand up for these values and that network, that community, is where power comes from.”