Date & Time
Apr 17 2026
3:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Location
SPIA - Washington, DC
Department
Julis-Rabinowitz Center for Public Policy and Finance
The Griswold Center for Economic Policy Studies
Speaker(s)
Michael Schmidt
Caroline Nguyen *03
Navroz Dubash
Walter Jones
Ana Fernandes
Mark Plant
Audience
Restricted to SPIA students, faculty, and fellows
Registration details forthcoming.
SPEAKERS:
| Navroz Dubash ’90 is Professor of Public and International Affairs and the High Meadows Environmental Institute at Princeton University. His research focuses on climate governance, energy transitions, and the intersection of development and environmental policy. He previously worked for over fifteen years in India at the Centre for Policy Research and co-founded the Sustainable Futures Collaborative, where he continues to serve as Chair of the Advisory Council. Dubash has been a leading contributor to global climate policy, including as a Coordinating Lead Author for the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report and as a member of the UNEP Emissions Gap Report steering committee. He has published extensively in academic and policy outlets and regularly contributes to public discourse on climate issues. |
| Ana Margarida Fernandes is a Lead Economist in the Development Research Group at the World Bank. Her research focuses on the effects of trade and foreign direct investment on firm productivity, innovation, and quality upgrading. She has conducted impact evaluations of trade-related policy interventions, including export promotion and customs reforms, across multiple countries. Since 2011, she has led the Exporter Dynamics Database project, analyzing the drivers of exporter performance and growth. Her recent work examines deep trade agreements, corruption in customs, and tax evasion. |
| Walter C. Jones ’85 is an international businessman, attorney, and former U.S. senior diplomat with more than three decades of public and private experience across global finance, development, and diplomacy. Currently he is Director of Investments for Europe, Eurasia, Latin America and Caribbean at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. Previously he founded and led Daana Technologies and Jones Pohl Group, guiding strategic planning and expansion for corporations and investors worldwide. Earlier, he served as U.S. Executive Director and Chief of Mission to the African Development Bank during a pivotal period of regional transition, and prior to this he was an officer in the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation. In addition to Princeton, he holds degrees from Harvard Law School and the George Washington School of Business. | |
| Caroline Nguyen *03 is Executive Director of the Baratta Center for Global Business Education at Georgetown University. She brings over two decades of experience across government, global development, and strategy consulting. She previously served as Managing Director at the Millennium Challenge Corporation, where she led a $2B+ international portfolio spanning infrastructure, regulatory reform, and public-private partnerships. She also served in the White House as Director for Clean Energy and Global Public Sector Partnerships, advancing initiatives at the intersection of climate and economic growth. Earlier in her career, she worked at McKinsey & Company and in legal roles at the U.S. Department of Justice and WilmerHale. She holds a BA from Harvard University, an MPA from Princeton University, and a JD from Columbia Law School. |
| Mark Plant *82 is a Senior Fellow Emeritus at the Center for Global Development. He previously had a long career at the International Monetary Fund, where he served as Director of Human Resources and held senior roles in the African Department and the Strategy, Policy, and Review Department. His work focused on IMF engagement with low-income countries, including oversight of major debt relief initiatives such as HIPC and MDRI. Earlier in his career, he held positions at the U.S. Department of Commerce and General Motors and began his professional career teaching economics at UCLA. |
| Michael Schmidt is a Distinguished Visitor at the Griswold Center for Economic Policy Studies at Princeton University. He previously served as the inaugural Director of the CHIPS Program Office at the U.S. Department of Commerce (2022–2025), where he led the implementation of a $39 billion initiative to expand domestic semiconductor manufacturing, resulting in over $450 billion in total investment. Earlier, he directed the rollout of the expanded Child Tax Credit at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, delivering payments to more than 37 million families, and held senior leadership roles in New York State government overseeing tax administration and economic development. His current research focuses on developing a principled framework for industrial policy and aligning U.S. strategy with international partners. He holds a BA in History and a JD from Yale University. |
| Kruskaia Sierra-Escalante *98 has over 25 years of experience in the international finance sector. She currently heads the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) Co-Investor Solutions division, guiding the strategic development and implementation of innovative finance mobilization products catering to institutional investors. Previously, she led the IFC’s Blended Finance team managing a multibillion-dollar portfolio targeting low-income and fragile countries, climate mitigation and adaptation, gender, inclusion, and food security. Earlier, she served as the IFC’s global lead counsel for climate and blended finance. Before joining the IFC in 2003, she was at Chadbourne & Parke, LLP, working power sector project finance. Kruskaia holds an MPA from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, and a J.D. from the New York University School of Law. |
Followed by networking reception with DC-area alumni. Cosponsored by the Julis-Rabinowitz Center for Public Policy & Finance and the Griswold Center for Economic Policy Studies.
Sponsorship of an event does not constitute institutional endorsement of external speakers or views presented.