Marissa Ng for Harvard Graduate Council

Deepening Connections Between HKS and the Harvard Graduate Community

Why am I running? 

The Harvard Graduate Council (HGC) brings together representatives from all of Harvard’s graduate schools. As an HGC Representative, I will serve as a bridge between HKS students and the broader Harvard graduate community, representing our interests both within the Kennedy School Student Government (KSSG) and across the wider university. 
Our relationships with one another are the foundation of a meaningful graduate school experience. Many of us in the HKS community are excited by the prospect of widening those connections by learning from peers at other graduate schools, exploring opportunities beyond HKS, and building a richer, more collaborative Harvard experience. I am running to take specific actions to strengthen our connections, helping HKS students engage more deeply with fellow graduate students and communities across Harvard.  
These bonds will matter even more in the year ahead, as our university community faces continued adversity. The Harvard graduate student body must come together with a unified voice to advocate for academic freedom, support international students, and stand up for diversity, equity, and inclusion. I want to ensure that HKS plays a critical role in that effort.

What will I do as your Harvard Graduate Council Representative?

Along with vigorously representing HKS students to the rest of the university during an unprecedented year, I will focus on creating both personal and community-level opportunities to connect meaningfully in new ways with our colleagues:
  • Cross-school coffee chats: sign up to be paired with a student from another Harvard graduate school
  • Small-group dinners and large community events: opportunities to build relationships across schools in informal, fun settings
  • Regular office hours in the HKS Winter Garden: a chance to share your ideas on how you’d like to connect with peers across Harvard, which I will then advocate for on the council

What experience do I bring? 

Before HKS, I completed two master’s degrees at the University of Oxford—an MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management at the School of Geography and the Environment and an MBA at Saïd Business School. These experiences taught me how to foster community across programs and departments at a large, matrixed university, and I look forward to bringing that perspective to HKS.

How can I be reached?

You can reach me anytime at marissang@hks.harvard.edu or find me during my Winter Garden office hours this week, Monday through Thursday from 12–1:30 p.m.  

How do you vote?

Voting opens on Monday, September 29 at 4:15pm and will stay open for 24 hours. A link will be sent to all HKS students.