Current MPA Students

Raised in San Diego, California, Michael has built his career at the intersection of international development and macroeconomics, with a focus on how the financial sector shapes development outcomes. After studying at the University of Oregon and University of Chicago, Michael worked for the United Nations Development Programme, first in the Human Development Report Office and later in the Regional Bureau for Arab States, researching alternative approaches of measuring socioeconomic well-being beyond traditional income-driven measures. He later worked for both the World Bank and International Finance Corporation, on the 2022 World Development Report and MSME Finance Gap Report respectively, examining the central role of finance in the economic recovery from the pandemic in middle- and low-income countries and quantifying the finance gap that persists for MSMEs in developing economies. For the past three and a half years, Michael has served in the IMF’s Capital Flows Division of the Monetary and Capital Markets Department. In this capacity, he has worked with finance ministries and central banks of IMF member countries on Article VIII issues, primarily on capital controls, macroprudential regulation, foreign exchange market development, and exchange rate policy. Michael looks forward to building on this experience at SPIA, particularly on the political economy of central banking and how developing economy central banks can build credible monetary policy frameworks. Outside of work, he enjoys hiking, exploring national parks, concerts at the 9:30 Club, reading in the park (mostly financial history), trail running, and watching his Oregon Ducks and San Diego Padres.

Niels most recently served as a Policy Analyst on the Economics and Trade team for the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission where he supported the Commission's work on the Chinese financial system and U.S. economic statecraft. He previously was an associate director for the Atlantic Council GeoEconomics Center where he managed the center’s research on the Chinese economy and U.S. trade policy in the Indo-Pacific. He has also worked at McLarty Associates, the Albright Stonebridge Group, as well the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where he was awarded the Pearce Prize. His analysis and commentary have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and Bloomberg, among others. Niels completed his MPA internship with Evercore in Washington, D.C. Niels holds a B.A. in economics and international affairs from the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University. In his free time, Niels is an avid rock climber, skier, and hiker.

Born and raised in the Seattle metropolitan area, McKean enlisted in the U.S. Army as a Korean linguist at age 19. He studied Korean for 16 months at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, and completed four additional months of technical training in Texas. After two years of rigorous preparations, McKean was stationed in Hawaii to serve as a multi-disciplined language analyst for the National Security Agency. While working full-time, McKean graduated summa cum laude from Excelsior University with a bachelor's degree in national security and an additional bachelor's in foreign language from the Defense Language Institute. During his time on O'ahu, he volunteered at beach cleanups and native species conservation efforts. He enjoys playing a variety of sports including pickleball and basketball. McKean's professional interests include U.S./ROK/DPRK relations, U.S. electoral reform, and education policy. After five years in Hawai'i, McKean was granted the opportunity to attend graduate school and commission as an officer in the Army. He looks forward to the next chapter of his life at Princeton. Upon graduating, he will continue to serve in the U.S. Army and hopes to one day transition to the public sector and impact domestic policy.

Originally from New Hampshire, Kyle graduated from Princeton University with a B.S.E. in civil and environmental engineering this past spring. He returns, this time to the School of Public and International Affairs, as a Scholars in the Nation’s Service Initiative (SINSI) Graduate Fellow. His interests lie at the intersection of engineering, public policy, and the environment, where he hopes to advance decarbonization goals in the energy transition. In his hometown, Kyle serves on his Local Energy Committee, where he helps steer small-town energy policy and sustainable practices. His interest in energy governance builds on prior research evaluating financial, structural, and policy barriers to climate adaptation at Princeton’s Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. Kyle has worked with several nonprofits that provide technical assistance to water and wastewater utilities in underserved communities in the United States and abroad. He recently completed his senior thesis examining the relationship between compact urban development and vehicle usage in India to inform effective infrastructure policy for reducing carbon emissions in Princeton’s Urban Nexus Lab. During his undergraduate career, Kyle led Princeton’s Varsity Men’s Volleyball team as a Captain. This summer, he took some time to travel, visiting Vietnam, Thailand, and Switzerland. After graduating from Princeton (again), he hopes to enter roles in nonprofit organizations or the public sector with the goal of developing domestic grid decarbonization and energy security policies.

Sophia was born and raised in El Salvador and finished high school in Dallas, Texas. She was a Forty Acres Scholar at the University of Texas at Austin where she focused on Latin America, international political economy, and natural resource management. Sophia engaged in faculty research projects on democracy in Texas and beyond while balancing community engagement in service organizations including a refugee awareness group and UT’s oldest women’s honorary service society. Sophia then worked with Ernst and Young as an anti-money laundering and regulatory compliance analyst. Once the COVID-19 pandemic subsided, Sophia lived and worked in Paraguay for almost three years, serving as an environmental education Peace Corps Volunteer. During her service, she worked closely with high school teachers at her rural site, developing and delivering tailored lessons and programs, including interdisciplinary permaculture garden projects. She extended her service by almost six months to work closely with a local sustainable development organization and to continue providing support to fellow PCVs. This past summer, Sophia interned with Georgetown University's Baratta Center for Global Business Education in Washington, D.C. Sophia is passionate about sustainable development, environmental governance, and climate-forward strategies applied in the Latin American context. After SPIA, she plans to pursue meaningful work in these fields while fostering strong community connections. Sophia enjoys gardening, cooking, making things with her hands, and spending time with friends in nature.