Mac Milin Kiran

“I chose CCT because it perfectly encapsulated all my interests into one single graduate program – communication & journalism, policy & international affairs, and technology.“

Academic Background: BEng in Computer Science, with concentrations in Artificial Intelligence & Cybersecurity, and a minor in Public Policy & Global Affairs

Area of focus in CCT: Technology Law & Policy, Political Communications, Diplomatic Studies

What did you do before CCT? I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore just a few months before I started my studies at CCT! Over the course of my undergraduate degree, I explored various areas of interest through internships at a large corporate firm, a national newspaper and a start-up. My undergraduate journey culminated with my final year research project – Opinion Mining and Sentiment Analysis for Climate Change tweets. I took a short two-month break after graduating to visit family and travel.

What activities do you participate in at CCT? I was Fritz Family Fellow at the Georgetown Initiative on Tech & Society. I worked on a super interesting elections security project with Professor Meg Leta Jones and Professor Paul Ohm. I also worked as a Program Assistant with the MS in Environmental and Sustainability Management program. I joined GradGov and the Georgetown Technology Policy Initiative (GTPI). At GradGov, I worked as the Deputy Director of Elections & Membership and at GTPI, I also lead the Hackathon Working Group.

Why did you choose CCT? I chose CCT because it perfectly encapsulated all my interests into one single graduate program – communication & journalism, policy & international affairs and technology. The fact that I could curate my own journey at CCT with such interesting and cutting-edge electives, topped it off for me!

What surprised you about CCT? I was pleasantly surprised by how approachable the CCT faculty are, and how each of them is so doing such vividly distinct work (I hope I get to know all of them by the end of two years!). I was also surprised at the diversity of the cohort and how no two students are the same!

What have you been up to since CCT? I have recently accepted a position at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as an Innovation Scholar. In this role, I’ll be collaborating with leaders in government and industry to address key issues shaping the future of business and innovation.