Christian Gonzalez-Rivera

Why did you choose Wagner for graduate school?

I chose Wagner because it is one of the few schools of urban planning that is inside a policy school, and because it is a co-host of the prestigious Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy. I was also attracted to Wagner because of stellar faculty whose work had helped me during my early career in policy.

How did your Wagner experience prepare you professionally for what you are doing today?

I grew tremendously as a professional during my time at Wagner. I came to Wagner knowing what I wanted: to build up my research skills in support of furthering my career as a policy researcher. At Wagner I found great professors who expanded my knowledge and deepened my commitment to the community of people who are working for the public service.

Describe your current job.

I am responsible for producing research reports, presenting research, and briefing policymakers on economic development and workforce development policy. Our research combines traditional policy analysis with investigative journalism to create approachable policy reports that present a compelling, fact-based narrative around issues that tend to fly under the radar of policymakers. Our work contributes to the public discourse through presentations to policymakers, advocacy groups, and the public, as well as testimony at city council and the state legislature. We also directly influence policy decisions through actionable and clear recommendations.