Events

Join us for an in-person conversation with four recent MIT graduates working on environmental issues, health care, and community development to discuss career paths in the public interest. Register at: https://mit.joinhandshake.com/events/1839133/share_preview

Moderator: Prof. Justin Steil, DUSP

Featuring:

Willie Boag, Computer Science PhD, ‘22

Willie earned a PhD at MIT focused on health, machine learning, and policy, and later served as technical lead for deploying a postpartum hemorrhage prediction model at Duke. Now a Senior Data Lead at MassHealth, he splits his time between analytics and innovation. On the analytics side, he connects policy questions to data to drive evidence-based decisions in maternal health, child immunizations, and population health. On the innovation side, he has led AI pilot teams across Massachusetts Health and Human Services, including efforts to modernize legacy mainframe systems.

Kate Dineen, Urban Studies and Planning Masters, ‘11

Kate Dineen is the President & CEO of A Better City, a multi-sector group of nearly 130 Boston  business leaders united around a common vision: to create a more vibrant, competitive, sustainable, and equitable city and region for all.  She served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer from May 2019 to April 2023. Prior to joining A Better City, Kate worked for the New York State Governor's Office, serving as the Chief of Staff for State Operations, Assistant Secretary for the Environment, and Deputy Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery after Superstorm Sandy. 

She was previously U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s Policy Director and has worked in the non-profit and media sectors. Kate serves on numerous commissions and boards and is an Advisory Council Member for the Tufts University Center for State Policy Analysis. 

Smriti Bhaya, Urban Studies and Planning Masters, ‘24

Smriti has a background in architecture and has worked on private and public development projects in India, and with NYC's Department of City Planning. At MIT, she co-founded two social impact start-ups - Purifyx and Sakhi. Purifyx aimed to provide low-cost passive water filters for rural households in India. Sakhi supports menstrual hygiene management for girls in Bangladesh. It is a WhatsApp chatbot that generates responses to questions about menstrual hygiene that are grounded in accurate, verified knowledge from international health agencies. Ultimately, Sakhi aims to improve literacy among young girls across emerging countries who do not have access to this kind of information but would benefit from it.

During her time at MIT, Smriti was a DesignX Fellow, a Legatum Fellow, a Harvard Venture Innovation Fellow, and an IDEAS Social Innovation Awardee.

Chris Hunter, Management Bachelors, ‘18

Chris is the Director of Advisory Services at LEAF - Local Enterprise Assistance Fund. 

LEAF is a nonprofit community loan fund for cooperatives and underserved small businesses. They provide culturally competent technical assistance and flexible financing in order to build community economic power.

He leads a team of analysts who work collaboratively with small business owners to identify and resolve business challenges, provide robust financial analysis and planning services, and develop buyer and investor facing diligence materials to support access to capital and contracts. Chris began working with LEAF through a PKG Center program while an MIT undergraduate!

Brought to you by DUSP, The PKG Center, CAPD, MIT Climate Project