Alumni Spotlight: Mahak Agrawal
by
Sophie Capshaw-Mack|October 15, 2021
Mahak Agrawal
An alumna of the Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy (MPA-ESP) program, Mahak presently works at Columbias Center on Global Energy Policy on the Carbon Management Research Initiative. Prior to attending Columbia, Mahak made her first masters degree specializing in city affairs from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi.
Recognized for her achievements accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in India through tidy water and sanitation efforts, Mahak was nominated for the 2021 Goalkeepers Global Goals Award, led by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Mahak has also worked in different capacities with the International Society of City and Regional Planners; the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Town and Country Planning Organization, Government of India; and the Institute of Transport Economics, Oslo, to name a few.
2 years back, she founded The Spatial Perspectives as a platform to alter the way we view pressing urban-regional challenges. In her spare time, Mahak experiments with sustainable art work showcasing the cultural heritage of India along with international environmental stories. Currently, she is exploring the power of art treatment with her mum who is recovering from COVID.
In the interview listed below, Mahak elaborates on her time at Columbia, discusses her profession path in sustainability, and provides suggestions to existing students.
What inspired you to earn your Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy (MPA-ESP) from Columbia?
It was not a straight route to Columbia MPA-ESP. The reason I state that is due to the fact that I was trained in urban planning and sustainable development, and I was operating in that domain for more than four years before concerning Columbia. While working, I was wanting to pursue a doctoral degree at the crossway of climate science and metropolitan sustainable development, but destiny had it I was used a Masters in Public Policy at the University of Oxford and a Masters of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy at Columbia.
There are two key reasons that pressed me to pursue MPA-ESP at Columbia while the world remained in a lockdown circumstance. One, the MPA-ESP is a STEM degree, and that was a huge plus for me. The second reason was that I was used 2 fellowships because of my prior work on sustainable development, that made the journey much, a lot easier to pursue in regards to finances. I would state that there were multiple factors that eventually led me to Columbia.
What skills did you develop through the program? How have these equated to your professional life?
Going through a 3-semester program at Columbia and seeing through the numerous workshops how a bill may impact people and how we can really affect change when it comes to public policy or administration, that was a really terrific chance for me. In my prior experience, I was working more on the side of carrying out public policy, so I understood how federal and worldwide policies were affecting communities and nations around the world.
What most interests you about the sustainability field?
For me, sustainability has actually constantly been an extremely personal cause and the factor I say that is due to the fact that my papa works for the public service in India. I was able to witness him communicating with individuals and with various officials as to how development policies actually play out on the ground, what people get impacted by public policies, and how government organizations play a part at different levels. For me, closely seeing how advancement policies– or any policies– effect the environment and the society was something that I might never forget.
What is your perfect career?
My ideal career changes from time to time in terms of the particular business that I wish to work for. One of my dream careers would be operating in the sustainability or social impact domain within the tech industry. There is a substantial untapped capacity that tech can play in really driving favorable change, not for the environment just, however for society and federal government organizations all around the world. So whenever we talk about carbon management or ESG-aligned business governance, I think tech markets have plentiful resources to drive and provide substantial change. Eventually, that would be a perfect profession because I could be a part of that modification– being a sustainability ninja in the tech market.
What guidance would you provide to present students?
I believe trainees should think about that there are different opportunities when it comes to environmental science or policy. You require to think beyond those types of companies to your interests, whether you want to go into sustainable art or energy or city development. There are a lot of things that are moving toward sustainable advancement as well as toward environmental science and policy.
I want I did not pay as much attention to the job search because MPA-ESP is just a 1 year program. Of course, you need to browse for a task, especially if you are a global student who wants to work in the US and has a mind-numbing time clock connected to your visa.
You can follow Mahaks journey on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
An alumna of the Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy (MPA-ESP) program, Mahak presently works at Columbias Center on Global Energy Policy on the Carbon Management Research Initiative. While working, I was hoping to pursue a doctoral degree at the intersection of environment science and metropolitan sustainable development, but destiny had it I was offered a Masters in Public Policy at the University of Oxford and a Masters of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy at Columbia.
In my previous experience, I was working more on the side of implementing public policy, so I understood how federal and worldwide policies were affecting neighborhoods and countries around the world. I was able to witness him connecting with individuals and with various authorities as to how advancement policies truly play out on the ground, what people get affected by public policies, and how federal government organizations play a part at different levels. For me, carefully seeing how advancement policies– or any policies– impact the society and the environment was something that I could never forget.