Jingyi (Sunny) Jiang

Jingyi (Sunny) Jiang is committed to improving the lives of global citizens through place-based, people-centered service. She holds a Master in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School, where she developed skills in policy analysis, budgeting, data analysis, and conflict resolution. She is drawn to local government for its direct impact on people’s daily lives.

Sunny has gained experience with state and local government through HKS’s Policy Analysis Exercise, Urban Politics Field Lab, and Problem-Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) work, as well as a research assistant role at the Bloomberg Center for Cities. These experiences have prepared her to work with local governments, residents, and community partners to address complex challenges. As a trained mediator, she values listening, bringing people together, and finding common ground.

Before Harvard, Sunny worked in partnerships at UNICEF. Her professional experience spans government, international organizations, NGOs, and nonprofits across Asia, North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

A language lover, Sunny speaks Chinese, English, Spanish, and French, and is currently learning Norwegian.

Initial Fellowship Focus: The fellow will help establish shared systems and a unified data framework to align city budgets and operational decisions with Columbia’s comprehensive plan. The process aims to enable interdepartmental collaboration and give staff and residents greater visibility into how public investments support the city’s long-term direction.