Duke's Sanford June Memo

More than 2,000 people attended Sanford’s graduation at Cameron Indoor Stadium on May 8th to celebrate nearly 400 public policy graduates. From teaching award recipients to the Terry Sanford Leadership Award winners to the hooding of our PhD recipients to our amazing student speaker, our graduates and faculty dazzled the assembled family and friends.

In lieu of a Dean’s blog this month, we share an excerpt of Chad Sarchio’s PPS’92 address to the graduates. Chad shared an inspired and heartfelt “public service announcement” about the value and opportunities offered by a career in government service. He also shared insights into how pressure and momentum can positively fuel every stage of a career.

Chad Sarchio is an attorney and federal civil servant. His remarks at Sanford’s commencement ceremony, excerpted below, are his own and do not represent the official views of the federal government.

Reception Celebrating the Duke Global Policy Program in Geneva

June 26, 6:00 – 8:00 pm CEST

Geneva, Switzerland

During the evening, guests will have the opportunity to meet the students who have spent the week learning from international organizations and experts in Geneva, connect with program faculty, and reconnect with Duke alumni from across Europe.

Sanford Professors, Cory Krupp, Gavin Yamey, and Amy Hepburn, will share remarks about the program and the students' experience, as well as their respective academic tracks, Humanitarian Action and Global Health, and Duke’s broader commitment to addressing global challenges.

Register and Learn More

Sanford Summer Sync-Up

Hosted by Sanford’s Career Services

July 16, 6:00 – 8:00 pm EST

Duke in DC

Sanford Alumni are invited to attend an evening of networking and connecting with fellow Sanford alumni and students spending their summer in D.C. This happy hour offers a great opportunity to build community, share experiences, and expand your Sanford network while enjoying light refreshments.

Sanford Serves with Duke Nashville

Back-to-School with PENCIL

August 15, 9:00 – 11:00 am CST or

11:00 am – 1:00 pm CST

Nashville, TN

More information and registration to follow this summer

It is the last month of our fiscal year, and we need YOU!

Your support of the Sanford Annual Fund provides crucial and immediate support for Duke public policy students. Act now to make an impact and help us reach our goal by making a gift by June 30. Thank you to everyone who has provided support to the Sanford School of Public Policy during the fiscal year 2026!

DJ Vogt MBA'01 MPP'02

Head of State + Local Government Affairs (West Region)

SAP Americas

DJ has spent his career working in the rooms where public priorities, business decisions, and economic policy come together. As Head of State and Local Government Affairs for the West Region at SAP Americas, DJ leads the company’s government affairs strategy across 19 Western states, with a focus on issues that include artificial intelligence, privacy, cybersecurity, and procurement modernization. His work centers on helping public sector leaders understand how technology can support better outcomes for governments and communities.

Each month, we want to share updates from our alumni.

Do you have a new job? Receive a promotion or an award?

Celebrating a wedding, birth, or other milestone?

Thank you to our amazing alumni volunteers who have recently volunteered with Sanford, on regional boards, and with affinity groups this year!

Abby Zofchak MPP'19 - Abe Katz MPP'18 - Adam Gabay PPS'16

Aden Klein PPS'24 - Alex Elliott PPS'16 - Alex Reese PPS'11

Alex Song PPS'17 - Alice Anderson PPS'13 - Alicia Groh MPP'05

Alisha Pinto MPP'16 - Allison Breuer PPS'15 - Amina Bility PPS'17

Amy Mesrobian MPP'12 - Anna Kohnen PPS'13 - Anne Arwood PPS'05

Ari Panzer MPP'23 - Asael Salinas PPS'21 - Ashley Pollard PPS'15

August Mao MPP'16 - Austen Edwards MPP'16 - Bautista Logioco MIDP'04

Ben Adams PPS'08 - Ben Rae MPP'09 - Bianca Broom PPS'99

Bindu Sharma MIDP'89 - Bob Anderson PPS'13 - Branka Panic MIDP'19

Braveen Ragunanthan PPS'12 - Brian Buhr PPS'19 - Bridgette Thornton PPS'00

Brittany Gabriel MPP'24 - Bruce Johnson MPP'77 L'77 - Callie Katt PPS'10

Carmen Simon PPS'05 - Casey Reckman PPS'02 - Cat Haaga PPS'02

Catherine Abbott PPS'91 - Charles Hadlow PPS'01 - Chris Lam PPS'98

Christine Scott PPS'05 - Christopher Brown PPS'14 - Christopher Geary PPS'15

Christy Choi PPS'07 - Clarke Hitch PPS'11 - Claudia Paccieri MIDP'09

Dan Altman PPS'15 - Dan Jung PPS'14 - Dan Pellegrino PPS'14

Dan Schuchinsky PPS'13 - Daniel Gardner PPS'20 - Daniel Jasper MPP'13

Daniel Karslake PPS'87 - David Garcia PPS'98 - Debbie Witchey PPS'86

Dennis Sills PPS'06 - Derek Rhodes PPS'15 - Dharshan Varia PPS'24

Dhivahari Vivekanandasarma MPP'25 -

Diane Lisowski PPS'90 P'24 - DJ Vogt B'01, MPP'02

Dominique Karesh PPS'22 - Drew Greene PPS'24 - Ed Brandon PPS'97

Ed Joullian PPS'13 - Edith Hawkins MPP'00 - Eliana Villar-Marquez MIDP'98

Elijah Williams PPS'21 - Elizabeth Cue PPS'13 - Elizabeth Farley PPS'15

Elizabeth McIntosh PPS'13 - Ellen Itskovitz PPS'79 - Emily Holby PPS'10

Emily Holt PPS'03 - Emma Welch PPS'16 - Erin Moffitt MPP'19

Ethan Susser PPS'19 - Eva Wilkinson Johnson PPS'03 - Evelyn Dykema PPS'92

Fabiola Rueda MIDP'07 - Forrest Robinette MPP'20 - Francesca Cetta PPS'23

Gabrielle Battle PPS'23 - Gonzalo Pertile MIDP'17 - Graham Williams PPS'85

Grant Guenther PPS'11 - Habib Rehman MIDP'17 - Haley Raphael PPS'21

Hayley Sanon PPS'17 - Izzi Hernandez-Cruz MPP'17 - Jabril Wilson PPS'21

Jacki Purtell MPP'10 - James Hopson PPS'24 - James Houser MPP'87

Jeff Harris PPS'07 - Jeffrey Matu MIDP'08 - Jeffrey Smith PPS'76

Jen DeNeal MPP'13 - Jennifer Moreno PPS'15 - Jeremy Block T'03 MPP'10 Ph.D'10

Jeremy Ruch PPS'13 - Jessica Lyons MPP'23 - Jill Levenson PPS'87

Joanne Kim PPS'22 - Jodi Ganz PPS'94 P'25 - John Rees MPP'19

John Tolsma PPS'95 - Jordan Rodriguez PPS'13 - Joseph Ingemi MPP'06

Joseph Kouaho MPP'19 - Jules Healey PPS'16 - Julie Snyder MPP'20

Justin Gilanyi PPS'04 - Karen Gottlieb PPS'89 - Karen Tracy PPS'83

Karishma Merchant PPS'07 - Kathleen Egan PPS'17 - Kaylene Lewek PPS'07

Kelly Shen T'16, MPP'22 - Kendra Schultz PPS'17 - Kevin Fish MPP'17

Kim Williams MPP'05 - Kimberly Page PPS'98 - Konstantin Atanesyan MIDP'00

Kurt Engleman PPS'01 - Lauren Bledsoe PPS'12 - Lela Ali G'19

Lily Coll PPS'22 - Lin L Wang MPP'13 - Linda Low MIDP'18

Lisa Lawson PPS'89 - Liz Burger PPS'07 - Lora Mason PPS'85

Lori Cashman PPS'94 - Lucas Metropulos PPS'15 - Luke Horvath MPP'17

Lydia Bergman PPS'02 - Madeline Buczkowski MPP'19 - Madeline Litvack PPS'14

Madeline Wade MPP'17 - Madhulika Vulimiri MPP'18 - Madison Mastrangelo PPS'19

Maja Constani MIDP'05 - Marcia Segall PPS'06 - Maria Ramirez MPP'20

Marie Veyrier MIDP'15 - Mariela Graham PPS'02 - Mark Kubaczyk MPP'18

Mark Mazzetti PPS'96 - Marra Guttenplan PPS'03 - Matthew Landers MPP'21

Matthew Levenson PPS'19 - Max Labaton PPS'20 - Megan Cheney PPS'10

Meredith Bunnel MPP'17 - Meredith Davin PPS'17 - Meredith Jones PPS'96

Meredith Ragno PPS'12 - Michael Harris PPS'14 - Michael Schoenfeld PPS'84

Michelle Schwartz PPS'98 - Mimi Bliss PPS'88 - Monique Currie PPS'05

Monique Tuttle PPS'90 - Moon Kim PPS'05 - Natalie Geisler PPS'15

Nathaniel Brody PPS'15 - Nicholas Minter MPP'10 - Omolayo Ojurongbe MPP'24

Panagiotis Karamanos MIDP'95 - Patrick Nevins PPS'07 MPP'16 -

Penny Fleming P'09, P'10, P'12, P'13

Pete Schork PPS'12 - Phil DeGrouchy PPS'11 - Priyanka Raj Kanal PPS'17

Quauhtli Olivieri Herrera MPP'17 - Qusai Hussain PPS'19 - Rajan Mehra PPS'17

Rajitha Bearden PPS'02 - Rhea Ninan MPP'22 - Rich Gittings MPP'19

Rob Fischer PPS'88 - Rob Hammock PPS'93 - Rob Kaye PPS'87

Robb Chavis PPS'98 - Roberto Obando MPP'02 - Rossana Zetina-Beale MIDP'11

Roy Gosnell PPS'20 - Ryan Van Slyke SPP'24 - Samantha Murray PPS'01

Sarah Bell-Wechsler PPS'01 - Sarah Gibbs PPS'02 - Seth Brown MPP'17

Sharique Mashhadi MIDP'10 - Shelley Carter PPS'00 - Sofia Balino MPP'11

Spencer Levy PPS'20 - Stevan Pardo PPS'81 - Steve Boland PPS'19

Steve Columbaro PPS'97 - Steven Thomas MPP'81 - Sunny Zhang PPS'17

Susan Biles MPP'98 - Susan Callaway PPS'84 - Susan Wilkerson PPS'83

Sydney Howland PPS'15 - Tabitha Vigliotti MPP'14 - Teagan Atwood PPS'21

Ted Ebel PPS'92 - Tessa Deutsch PPS'98 - Tim Lindsey MPP'23

Timi Lewis PPS'95 - Toni Millner PPS'91 - Tre Scott PPS'15

Tyler Deane-Krantz PPS'16 - Tyler Steed PPS'14 - Ubong Akpaninyie PPS'12

Walker Jester PPS'19 - Will McClendon PPS'15 - William Tener PPS'18

Yori Hook MPP'23 - Zachary Davis PPS'99

Your participation brings invaluable knowledge and experience to the table for fellow alumni and current students, and we greatly appreciate your efforts. As a Duke alum, your unique experiences and talents have the power to make a difference in the lives of others. Consider lending your support as a volunteer to strengthen the Duke network while giving back. 