ADVERTISEMENTs
Columbia’s public affairs school announces Rajiv J. Shah as Class Day speaker
The ceremony is scheduled for May 20, 2025.
-
Bhavana P - Thu, 10, Apr 2025
- 14:07 EDT
- 120
.jpeg)
Rajiv J. Shah /
Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) has announced that Rajiv J. Shah will deliver the keynote address at its 2025 Class Day ceremony.
Shah, president of The Rockefeller Foundation, has spent his career addressing critical global issues including health equity, climate resilience, and economic inequality.
Also read: Jay Shetty to serve as Princeton’s Class Day speaker
Since taking the helm at foundation in 2017, Shah has led efforts to promote equitable access to opportunity and renewable energy, while strengthening health systems around the world. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he mobilized partnerships to expand testing access and deliver essential support across sectors in the U.S. and abroad.
“With so much uncertainty ahead, Shah is uniquely positioned to inspire and guide them as they prepare to make an impact with their SIPA degrees.” His life’s work also exemplifies our mission—to promote global leadership and bold solutions to solve our most complex policy challenges,” said SIPA dean Keren Yarhi-Milo.
Shah previously served as administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and as chief scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
A trained physician, he also served on the Pentagon’s Defense Policy Board and helped orchestrate U.S. responses to major humanitarian crises in Haiti, Afghanistan and West Africa.
He is the author of the 2023 book Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens, which explores how innovation, data, and cross-sector collaboration can drive meaningful progress.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
ADVERTISEMENT
.jpg)
Video
.png)
.png)
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login