PPIA Bay Area Alumni Survey Report

The Bay Area Alumni Survey Summary

The PPIA Bay Area Alumni Survey was launched on December 1, 2010 and remained open until
January 15, 2011. The survey was distributed through several email listservs and social networking
sites. One hundred and eight alumni successfully completed the survey. Since a count of the number of
potential respondents is unknown, a rejection rate cannot be computed. A majority of the respondents
completed the PPIA program after 2001 – a skew that potentially occurred due to the surveying
method. Because graduation date correlates with age, a majority of respondents are presumed to be in
the mid to late twenties. However, PPIA’s thirty years of hosting summer institutes implies that the
actual population age of PPIA alumni in the Bay Area is above the sample mean. A majority of the
respondents completed their Junior Summer Institute (JSI) at the Goldman School of Public Policy,
although every contemporary JSI (except for the Maryland School of Public Policy) is represented.
Thirteen states and five countries are represented in the sample, as well as a plethora of public policy
interests. A majority of alumni did indicate their interests in professional networking, mentorship
programs, social events, and creating a membership organization. All survey results are at the end of
this document.

The Impact of PPIA1

The Public Policy and International Affairs Program (PPIA) is a national program that prepares young
adults for an advanced degree and ultimately for careers and influential roles serving the public good.
PPIA has an outreach focus on students from groups that are underrepresented in leadership positions
in government, nonprofits, international organizations and other institutional settings. This focus stems
from a core belief that our citizens are best served by public managers, policy makers and community
leaders who represent diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Furthermore, international affairs are
increasingly mixed with local concerns. Addressing such global issues make diversity a critical goal in
professional public service. For thirty years, PPIA has been at the forefront of promoting diversity in
public service and nurturing the full potential of students as active citizens, public servants and agents
of change.

PPIA Benefits
PPIA is an outreach program that seeks to educate and inspire young people of all ages and from all
backgrounds on public service. Through PPIA, students receive training and financial support for a
consortium of top public and international affairs graduate programs in the nation. The program also
facilitates ongoing professional development. Upon completion, students will have access to an alumni
association of approximately 3,000 PPIA Fellows from all across the nation.
PPIA Bay Area Alumni Network
As PPIA alumni in the Bay Area of California began connecting via social networks, several alumni
met at the Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy (University of California, Berkeley)
and decided to initiate a Bay Area Alumni Survey. The purposes of this survey included providing a
means for alumni to (re)connect with one another, obtaining accurate data on the number and policy
interests of alumni, and charting the future development of a Bay Area Alumni Network. While still in
its infancy, feedback from the Bay Area Alumni Survey provided evidence of the network’s growth
potential. The survey’s results, detailed on the next few pages, will be used to chart the future path for
the network’s next steps.

Get Involved
2011 marks the 30th Anniversary for the PPIA program. Across the nation, alumni are hosting dinners,
networking events, and other programs to commemorate the PPIA’s success. The Bay Area Alumni
Network invites PPIA alumni and affiliates currently in the Bay Area to join a planning committee for
a special PPIA 30th Anniversary celebration in our region. If you are interested in joining the
committee, please email David Gray (davidgray@berkeley.edu) for more information. You are also
invited to join the PPIA Bay Area subgroup on LinkedIn, where you will receive up-to-date
announcements on alumni and events hosted by the Bay Area Alumni Network.
 Descriptive Statistical Results from PPIA Bay Area Survey

PPIA Junior Summer Institute

 Goldman School, UC Berkeley – 65
 Gerald Ford School, Michigan – 24
 Heinz School, Carnegie Mellon – 6
 Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton – 8
 Unidentified – 4

States Represented
 AL – 1  MA – 2  SC – 1
 CA – 73  MY – 1  TX – 5
 GA – 1  NJ – 5  WA – 2
 IL – 3  NY – 3
 LA – 3  PA – 2

Countries Represented
 Indonesia – 1
 Mexico – 1
 Philippines – 1
 Taiwan – 2
 USA – 102

Year Completed PPIA

 1997 – 1  2003 – 4  2007 – 15
 1998 – 2  2004 – 7  2008 – 22
 2001 – 3  2005 – 3  2009 – 14
 2002 – 4  2006 – 12  2010 – 20

Are You Interested In…

 Professional Networking – 99 Yes/8 No
 Mentorship Program – 80 Yes/27 No
 Social Events – 92 Yes/15 No
 Membership Organization – 79 Yes/28 No
 Descriptive Statistical Results from PPIA Bay Area Survey

Policy Interests
Health Policy, Criminal Justice, Education, Youth Development, Family, Criminology, Youth
Delinquency Prevention, Budget and Finance, Economic Development, Urban Development, Local
Government, Social Policy, Domestic Policy, Human Rights, Domestic Violence, Child Abuse, Human
Trafficking, Environment, Urban Planning, Immigration, LGBTQ Rights, Women’s Rights,
International Development, Juvenile Justice, School Violence, School Culture, School Curriculum,
Organizing, Media, Strategic Management, Economics, Policy Design and Implementation, Social
Change, Nonprofit Management, Race, Gender, Leadership, Housing, Transportation, Environmental
Justice, Civil Rights, Welfare, Food Access, Social Security, Social Safety Net Programs, Social
Movements, Global Cities, Progressive American Dream, Jobs/Innovation Research, Critical Race
Theory, Election Law, Voting Rights, Income Inequality, Program/Policy Evaluation, Poverty, Transit-
Oriented Communities, Energy Policy, Asia, Latin American Politics, Refugee Policy, Australia,
Financial Literacy, Community Engagement, Intersection of Race-Class-Policy, Labor, Employment,
Agriculture, Public Health, Macroeconomics, American Indian, Alaskan Native Issues, Utilities, Career
Technical Education, Workforce Development, High School Drop-Out Prevention, Achievement Gap,
HIV/AIDS, Health Care Disparities, Mental Health, Equitable Urban Planning, Drug Prevention,
Socioeconomic Development of Underserved Communities, Border Security, Nuclear Proliferation,
North-South Korea Relations, TANF, Food Stamps, Democratization, Political Development, Anti-
Corruption, Legislative Strengthening, Public Accountability, State-Building, China, China-Middle
East Relations, International Environmental Policy, Electoral, Non-Profits, Culturally Competent and
Linguistically Appropriate Government Services, Community Development, Land Use, Small Business
Reform, City Planning, International Trade, Asset Development, College Access, US Presidency, 25th
Amendment, International Security, International Intelligence, Social Enterprise Development, Finance
Policy, Administrative Policy Making, Technology, Electoral Reform, Gang and Crime Related
Policies, Health and Human Services, ESL, Obesity, Tax and Public Finance, International Economic
and Financial Policy, NGOs, National Security, Skilled Labor Migration, Global Governance.