Deborah Burke

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE NYU WAGNER FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL?

I knew I wanted an urban-centered environment to grow my understanding and network within the framework of local challenges and opportunities. NYU Wagner had a strong network of faculty and partners who are deeply embedded in the city government. Though ultimately I did not choose to work for the city, many of my grantmaking strategies are focused on the power of cities and finding balance for diverse stakeholder groups.

How did being in New York impact your professional journey?

I was fortunate to work part-time at the Furman Center for Real Estate & Urban Policy while at Wagner, so I had started to recognize the myriad connections that come from being in the center of things. Knowing what field I wanted to work in was immensely helpful too. I knew that I wanted to work on energy and climate issues, but the breadth of ways to do meaningful work in that space really came to light here in New York. Even before I started working for the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, I could see the value of working on a global problem (climate change) while being located in a global city.

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

The question of how to measure impacts when working on areas of social good is one that Wagner classes deal with both explicitly and implicitly throughout the curriculum. This fundamental question continues to haunt me as I attempt to judge the impacts of the Fund’s grantees, but Wagner provided tools and perspectives that I often think back to. I also attended a number of the Wagner events and mixers which were a good way to stay sharp at networking—something that is core to my current job.