Latest news from the American Foundation

On June 3, the Sciences Po American Foundation honored Emilie Mazzacurati ('02), Global Head of Moody's Climate Solutions and Mike Schmuhl ('15), Chairman at Indiana Democratic Party and former presidential campaign manager for Secretary Pete Buttigieg, at the 2021 Alumni Award. The ceremony began with a conference on the Impact of Climate Change on the Midwest and beyond led by Sam Miles, the first laureate of the Michel David-Weill Scholarship and current PhD student at UC Berkley. The event concluded with networking sessions for Sciences Po alumni, who joined virtually from across the globe.

On Monday, April 26, the Sciences Po American Foundation welcomed Hubert Joly in conversation with Evan Epstein. Joly is the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Best Buy and is now a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School.

Tania Johnson, the Director of Sponsored Programs at Swarthmore College, had a long-time dream of living and studying in France. She had begun studying the language in middle school and high school, and as a French and International Relations major at the University of Pennsylvania, was “really grateful to have had the opportunity to study” at Sciences Po.

Elsa Alvarado, currently a Senior Vetting Analyst for the 59th Presidential Inaugural Committee, dreamed of attending Sciences Po, where so many influential French political leaders were educated. She spoke to us about her passion for politics, leadership in the Hispanic community, and dedication to being a global citizen.

On March 11, the Sciences Po American Foundation hosted alumna Chine Labbe in conversation with Professor Nancy L. Rosenblum, Senator Joseph Clark Research Professor of Ethics in Politics and Government emerita at Harvard University.

Readers might recognize her as the anchor of the Saturday edition of the “CBS Weekend News,” but in addition to reporting on COVID-19, Chicago gun violence, and the Flint water crisis, Adriana Diaz “had the pleasure of going to Sciences Po twice.”

Alexandre Chenesseau is a Managing Director at Evercore in New York, working in global mergers and acquisitions advisory, and a graduate of Sciences Po’s Master in Finance and Strategy. He describes having always wanting to pursue diverse fields early on in his life, including foreign affairs, diplomacy, and even journalism, for which he thought “Sciences Po was a pretty obvious choice.”

The Universities of Sciences Po, Princeton and Columbia are launching a major three-year research project on Muslim communities in India thanks to the generous support of the Henry Luce Foundation. The resulting research will offer new analysis and insights into the challenges faced by Muslim communities in India today.

Kayvan Noroozi is a trial lawyer based out of California, who spent an undergraduate year abroad studying at Sciences Po. For Noroozi, the time he spent at Sciences Po helped him develop a wide range of friendships and an international perspective, a valuable asset in his work in high stakes commercial litigation focusing on intellectual property. He remembers his year at Sciences Po as “one of [his] best years,” and has “nothing but positive memories.”

Krystal Wilson Azelton is a Director of Space Applications Programs at Secure World Foundation, an organization working internationally towards secure, sustainable, and peaceful uses of outer space.

Jennifer Famery-Mariani is an independent curator and the founder of Tribeca Art+Culture Night. Her career has spanned both the public and private sectors in Paris and New York. She believes that through Sciences Po, she was granted the exposure to different points of view, different student profiles, and different themes that prepared her to successfully navigate the professional world.

Michael Strauss became the General Counsel at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development at the beginning of 2020. He studied at Sciences Po in 1998 on an exchange program from the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy and found that his time at Sciences Po prepared him well for his career in many ways.

Arnaud Tesson is a Sciences Po alumnus, who studied Economy and Finance, and the U.S. Asset Management Practice Leader at executive search firm Egon Zehnder.

The Sciences Po American Foundation welcomed alumna Camille François, in conversation with William G. Howell and alumna Delphine Halgand, to discuss disinformation and misinformation in the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election.

The Sciences Po American Foundation welcomed Anastasia Colosimo, in conversation with Adam Gopnik, for a discussion on religion and democracy.

Up until September 2020, Anne-Claire Legendre served as the Consul General of France in the United States, tending to French citizens and promoting French influence abroad. Meeting with the Sciences Po American Foundation in New York, she explained that her education at Sciences Po gave her the skills she needed to become a diplomat.

The Sciences Po American Foundation welcomed alumna Maëlle Gavet, in conversation with Christophe Duthoit, for “The New Cold War is Coming – the Internet is the Battlefield,” the third installment of the Alumni Webinar Series. Hubert Joly, senior lecturer at the Harvard Business School and the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Best Buy Co., Inc concluded the session.

Hannah Cooper is the CEO & Co-Founder of Cooper/Smith, a professional services firm that uses data to improve global health and development programs, and a graduate of Sciences Po. She credits Sciences Po in her approach to problem solving that has served her throughout her multidimensional career.

Maud Leclair is a research assistant in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s department of Asian Art. Thanks to Sciences Po, she says, she gained the pragmatic and professional skills that give her confidence in her ability to one day take the helm of a cultural institution.

The Sciences Po American Foundation welcomed alumnus Mike Schmuhl, in conversation with Célia Belin, for “Behind the Scenes of the 2020 Presidential Campaign,” the second installment of the Alumni Webinar Series. Mike Schmuhl is a Director at Heartland Ventures, where he works on brand development and investor relations.

Michael Allegretti is the Chief Strategy Officer at Rubicon, a software company using technology to drive environmental innovation. Throughout his multi-faceted career in policy, he has concentrated on leadership and problem solving, and attributes his interests partly to his time at Sciences Po. “Sciences Po taught me that focus: how do you lead, whether it's the highest level of the French Presidency down to Parliament or city governments, in a way that solves problems for people?” Allegretti says. “That is ultimately what I believe good public policy is about, solving problems in a cost effective and fair way.”

Thierry Bernard is the CEO of QIAGEN, a life science and molecular diagnostic company currently at work producing COVID-19 tests. Bernard says that his entry into the healthcare industry was “purely coincidence,” but he has excelled thanks to “the mindset that Sciences Po gives you to always try to go the extra mile.”

On August 5, the Sciences Po American Foundation hosted the first installment of the Alumni Webinar Series, US-China Economic & Trade Relationship: An insight from Jamieson Greer in conversation with Emily de la Bruyère.

We spoke with Abby Butkus, Program Manager at Catalyst Fund. Abby got her Master’s degree at Sciences Po before working in Rwanda and now in the United States. In this interview, Abby discusses her current career in fintech and her advice for connecting to the Sciences Po network.