Concentrations at CIPA: Economic and Financial Policy

Interested in what our different concentrations have to offer? In this post in our series about CIPA concentrations, we hear from Brettany Tucker.  Brettany is a first year CIPA fellow focusing in Economic and Financial Policy. Here in her own words, Brettany reflects on her interest in a pursuing an economics concentration with a public sector lens, her international experience thus far at Cornell, and coursework she has enjoyed as an MPA student. 

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CIPA’s APECO Capstone Group- Field Visit to Atacama Valley

CIPA offers a variety of ways to get involved in hands-on research experience, including International Capstone projects. In this blog post, Hillary Mara writes to us from Chile on her current Capstone project where she is conducting interviews, meeting with key stakeholders and collaborating with members of the community to develop a Corporate Social Responsibility plan for an association of agricultural exporters.

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Meet the Faculty: Nancy Brooks

This week in “Meet the Faculty” we have Nancy Brooks, who teaches courses on intermediate microeconomics and statistics.


September 8, 2016 

CIPA’s world-class faculty from diverse backgrounds and sectors will help you to build a strong knowledge base and to hone valuable skills for your future career in public affairs. This week in our “Meet the Faculty” series, we have Nancy Brooks from the City & Regional Planning Department to answer some questions about CIPA, her courses, and how to make the most of your MPA and your time in Ithaca.

  1.        Why should students attend CIPA -vs- another graduate policy program?  

Our MPA program is perfect for students who have a fairly good idea of their professional goals in the public leadership arena.  The Cornell faculty guiding the MPA program have designed a set of courses that are specially created to meet the needs of 21st century public affairs leaders working in many different fields.  In addition, our program’s curricular flexibility allows our students to access a broad array of Cornell’s incredible public-affairs oriented offerings (both inside and outside of the classroom). Cornell is a land grant institution with a mission statement that includes public engagement and producing graduates who will make positive impacts on society as a key pillar.  Cornell University and CIPA offer a tremendous choice in courses and experiences to help our students achieve their professional goals—if an applicant has a plan for what they hope to achieve with an MPA, they will be able to find the courses and faculty to help them do so at CIPA.

  1.        What do you enjoy most about teaching at CIPA?

I like lots of things about teaching and being a part of this unique MPA program.  One thing I truly love is talking to our fellows and alums about the relationship between their classroom learning and the work they are doing or plan to do in their careers.

  1.        Briefly describe your research and teaching interests.

I am an applied micro economist. My research is primarily related to urban and environmental economics issues — specifically, topics related to the implications for both equity and efficiency of different types of market externalities.       

  1.        What specific course(s) do you teach for CIPA students?  What skills do students take away from your course(s)?

The main courses I teach for CIPA Fellows are (1) CRP 5122: Intermediate Microeconomics for Public Affairs and (2) CRP 5450: Inferential Statistics for Planning and Public Policy.  Both of them are foundation courses that I hope will give CIPA Fellows very useful analytical skills and conceptual tools for their future careers as public affairs professionals.  

  1.        What advice do you have for students who want to make the most of their two years here?

Don’t forget that two years goes by VERY quickly.  Make your plan for your studies as soon as you can — you can always change your plans, but you have to have a good plan at all times to make the most of your brief time in the program and at Cornell.

  1.        What’s your favorite Ithaca restaurant and why?

Some of my family’s favorite restaurants are Saigon Kitchen, Viva Taqueria and Taste of Thai.  I also really like the food at the Atlas Bowl in Trumansburg — the drinks and bowling are also fun there.   

  1.        What one fun activity would you consider a “must-do” for students during their tenure here, in order to  get the full Ithaca experience ?  Why?

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology offers bird walks on Saturday and Sunday mornings.  I would suggest doing at least one bird walk with them during spring migration (March to May).