SIPA Welcomes New Alumni Affairs Director

The SIPA community welcomes Susan Storms as the new director of alumni affairs, a role in which she will oversee programming designed to build community and enhance the network of more than 20,000 SIPA alumni around the world.

Storms, who arrived at SIPA in mid-August, will draw on extensive experience in the area of international education, including leadership and career programming for graduate students in particular. She brings to SIPA more than 22 years of experience at New York City’s International House, where she served most recently as director of programs and resident life and previously as director of admissions, among other positions.

“SIPA is a uniquely global community that is deeply engaged in addressing the world’s most challenging issues,” said Storms. “I’m delighted to bring my experience building relationships in a global context to work on behalf of SIPA and its graduates.”

As director of alumni affairs, Storms supports the work and activities of the SIPA Alumni Association, which was restructured earlier this year under the leadership of its executive committee. The Alumni Association is volunteer-driven and includes committees for careers and mentoring, admissions ambassadors, communications and outreach, and events.

Storms noted that there are many ways for alumni to get involved, wherever they might live. She underscored, for example, that the admissions ambassadors committee seeks alumni volunteers to meet and speak with prospective SIPA students around the world.

In recent years, SIPA’s alumni mentoring program has been especially successful in engaging alumni. The Alumni Association’s largest current initiative, it connects more than 600 alumni and students or recent graduates.

 “I’m interested in facilitating long-term community building among alumni,” she said. “Our students have the opportunity to connect across cultures and disciplines, not only while they are studying here at SIPA, but throughout their working lives.”

“I also look forward to getting to know alumni volunteers,” she added. “I want to learn more about why they give back and how we can help even more alumni get involved.”

For more information, visit the alumni website or email Susan Storms.

— Kristen Grennan MPA ’16