Current MPA Students

Kamil grew up in Kota, India. Before joining Princeton, he worked at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as an SDGs and Climate Finance Policy Specialist, where he supported the G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group across two presidencies: first in New Delhi with India's Ministry of Finance, and then in Pretoria with the South African Reserve Bank. In practice, this meant helping governments navigate multilateral negotiation and building consensus on issues around climate finance, carbon markets, and adaptation. Prior to UNDP, he worked with think tanks and public affairs consultancies in New Delhi. Trained as a lawyer, Kamil is drawn to issues where law, politics, and economics intersect – and has a stubborn belief that multilateralism, for all its frustrations, remains the most credible tool we have for problems that don't respect borders. At Princeton SPIA, he hopes to sharpen the economic and policy fluency needed to make global financial systems work better for the people and places most at risk from climate change.

Olivia graduated magna cum laude from Princeton SPIA with a minor in Latin American studies and is thrilled to be a 2026 Scholars in the Nation’s Service Initiative (SINSI) Graduate Fellow. She plans to pursue a joint MPA/J.D., with her ultimate goal being a career in impact and public interest litigation. As an undergraduate SINSI, Olivia served as a Protection Intern at the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, where she conducted individual casework and researched issues including immigration detention laws, Latin American asylum policies, and refugee access to healthcare. She has also worked as a Research Intern at the Partnership for Public Service and interned with the Education Law Unit at South Jersey Legal Services. Her policy interests include immigration, criminal justice reform, and human rights, and her senior thesis examining detained immigration courts in the United States received the Princeton SPIA Senior Thesis Prize. On campus, Olivia served as the Director of Outreach and an Associate News Editor for The Daily Princetonian, fostered community as a Community Living Advisor in Rockefeller College, and worked as a research and course assistant across the SPIA and History departments.

Joe graduated from Princeton with an undergraduate degree in history and a certificate in Russian language and culture before receiving the SINSI Graduate Fellowship, a four-year program that includes a SPIA MPA and two years of work in the federal government. At SPIA, his graduate focus was in Field I (International Relations). He completed three SINSI rotations: at the Federal Transit Administration, at the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, and at the United States Embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Nikita was born in Jakarta but spent much of his upbringing moving between Indonesia, China, Brazil, and East Timor as the son of a career diplomat. Growing up across continents and seeing his father's dedication to public service set him on a path toward diplomacy. He studied political science at the University of Indonesia, focusing on comparative politics, and interned for a Member of Parliament working on trade and industrial policy. After graduating, he joined Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he worked on Indonesia's European Union (EU) portfolio, managing day-to-day relations including political and economic cooperation, trade disputes, and negotiations. Working on the Indonesia-EU trade agreement showed him that diplomats don't just shape international partnerships; they also steer critical conversations about domestic economic and development policy. Over the summer, Nikita traveled back to Brazil to complete his MPA internship with the Institute of Health Policy Studies (IEPS). At Princeton, Nikita hopes to deepen his expertise in international political economy and contribute to global development strategies that reflect the priorities of emerging economies. After SPIA, he plans to continue serving as a career diplomat for Indonesia, representing his country abroad and helping shape its global political and economic strategy. Outside of work, he plays soccer whenever he gets the chance and is an avid scuba diver.

Blair calls Virginia home, holding a bachelor’s degree in political and social thought from the University of Virginia. Prior to SPIA, he served as assistant director for AdviseVA, an AmeriCorps program. He led the organization's fundraising and strategic planning efforts to increase access to high-quality postsecondary opportunities for first-generation and low-income Virginians. Blair previously served as a college adviser with AdviseVA at two rural high schools, where he helped increase college enrollment. In college, he interned with Enseña Perú, an education-focused nonprofit based in Lima, Peru, where he developed policy recommendations on violence prevention protocols for K-12 teachers. Blair plans to continue pursuing his policy interests in education access and social mobility after completing the MPA. In his free time, he enjoys running, yoga, and singing with a community choir.