Director of Research and Publications, Charlie Whittington, Announces Candidacy for Director of Inte

McCourt is a fantastic community full of different people, but we can harness the power of these differences so much better. Each person at McCourt brings a different story to be told: Whether that person is from Ecuador or the United States; blue or white collar; Christian, Muslim, or Atheist; Black or White; or trans, cis, gay, or straight. I vision a McCourt where each person can tell their story so others learn. There is no such thing as policy without perspective, remedy without reason, or treatment without theory. I vision a McCourt where nationality and gender identity or religion and class reinforce each other in a broader perspective. I want to change the dynamic of McCourt so that students, faculty, and staff interact with one another in a way the positively reinforces a mission of public policy excellence that is mindful of diversity. I vision a McCourt where we put faces to minority students, who share their stories and teach something new about life to everyone. I will support women and LGBTQ people at McCourt by listening to members of organizations, such as the Women in Public Policy Initiative and the LGBTQ Policy Initiative. I will support our international students, and listen to the concerns of our students involved in the Latin American Policy Association and the South Asian Policy Research and Initiative. If I am given this opportunity, I will make my first responsibility to talk to every single McCourt student about their concerns with the state of diversity. I will do everything in my ability to address those concerns. What I am not going to do is draft an extensive plan stating why McCourt needs to do certain things for diversity — diversity comes from the people, not a single entity.