Public Policy Alumni Gather at First-Ever Alumni Coffee House
More than 20 Department of Public Policy (DPP) alumni and their guests gathered in Gellner on May 8 to reconnect with each other, and to hear about the changes that will be taking place this summer when DPP faculty, students, and staff join the School of Public Policy (SPP). SPP Founding Dean Wolfgang H. Reinicke, DPP Professor Evelyne Huebscher, SPP Director of Career Services and Alumni Relations Ann Gagliardi, SPP Director of Communications Susanne Lane, and DPP PhD Coordinator Zoltan Wagner were on hand to answer questions and to meet DPP alumni.
During his brief welcoming remarks, Reinicke noted that the changes taking place this summer provide a wonderful opportunity to further strengthen public policy education at CEU. “We are becoming one of the largest and most diverse public policy schools in Europe,” he said. Reinicke said that SPP would be offering three public policy master’s programs in the fall: the two-year MPA, the one-year MA, and the Mundus MAPP. “The three programs are in many ways complementary,” he said. Reinicke explained that faculty and staff from both SPP and DPP have been working closely for many months on a wide range of issues to ensure a smooth transition, and to iron out technical issues related to student and faculty handbooks, and the website.
Alumni posed questions to Reinicke and Huebscher, and also offered suggestions for ways that SPP could stay in touch with public policy alumni. Gagliardi said that this was a top priority for her and for her colleague Heni Griecs with whom she is working very closely. She urged DPP alumni to connect with her on LinkedIn if they had not already done so noting that she had already connected with more than 80 DPP alumni in this way.
Gagliardi said that she recognizes that staying in touch with DPP alumni poses specific challenges, as their careers tend to take them far and wide, and stated that she hopes to use technology creatively to help alumni stay engaged. Several alumni expressed an interest in finding public policy alumni in their area and in connecting to the wider CEU alumni community network, as well. Another suggestion was to let public policy alumni know when professors will be giving a talk or presenting a paper, so that alumni who are in the area can attend. Alumni also expressed interest in career support and resources, including specific information about professional opportunities and job vacancies. As the event drew to a close, alumni commented positively on the Coffee House and said they would welcome more frequent opportunities to connect throughout the year, either in person or virtually.
Before adjourning the meeting, Reinicke urged all alumni to stay in touch. “This meeting is just the beginning,” he said. Gagliardi expressed enthusiasm about getting to know and working with DPP alumni and invited them to email her at any time.