EDUCATION
Columbia University, Columbia College, 2022-2026 — BA in Urban Studies, Minor in Political Science
Middlebury College, Middlebury Language School, 2022 — Diploma in Intensive Elementary Arabic Language
Harvard University, Harvard College, 2020 — Certificate in Biology and Government
Maret School, 2018-2022 — High School Diploma, Cum Laude
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
FTI Consulting — Incoming Technology (AAR) Consultant | New York, NY
The Policy Intelligence Lab of UEI — Executive Director | Washington, DC, April 2025 – Present
The Democracy and Public Policy Practice of UEI — Co-Director | Washington, DC, January 2025 – Present
The Urban Equity Institute (UEI) — Founder and Managing Partner | Washington, DC, November 2024 – Present
FTI Consulting — Advanced Analytics Research (AAR) Intern | New York, NY, May 2025 – August 2025
New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs — Intern | New York, NY, September 2024 – April 2025
LEADERSHIP
Columbia Global Research and Consulting Group (GRC) — Senior Advisor | New York, NY, May 2025 – Present
Barnard-Columbia Urban Review (BCUR) — Senior Advisor | New York, NY, May 2025 – Present
The Eric H. Holder Initiative Advisory Board — Member | New York, NY, January 2025 – Present
The Committee on the Core Curriculum — Undergraduate Student Representative | New York, NY, September 2024 – April 2025
Barnard-Columbia Urban Review (BCUR) — Editor-In-Chief | New York, NY, April 2024 – April 2025.
Columbia Global Research and Consulting Group (GRC) — President and Executive Board Chair | New York, NY, April 2024 – April 2025
InLight Magazine — President, Board of Directors | Washington, DC, September 2022 – August 2024
RESEARCH
Columbia College Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships — Rose Research Fellow-Ambassador | August 2025 – Present
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History — Research Fellow | New York, NY, July 2025 – Present
The Harriman Institute for Russian, Eurasian, and Eastern European Studies — Research Fellow | New York, NY, May 2025 – October 2025
The Institute for Religion, Culture, and Public Life (IRCPL) — Summer Research Fellow | Washington, DC, May 2024 – August 2024
The Eric H. Holder Initiative for Civil and Political Rights — Inaugural Research Fellow | New York, NY, May 2023 – May 2024
INVITED TALKS AND HOSTED PANELS
December 2, 2025 (Hosted) — “Immigration in the City: Law, Politics, and Social Justice” panelist and host; the Holder Initiative and Columbia University Law School, New York, NY
November 20, 2025 (Hosted) — “Thesis Exchange: Undergraduate Capstone Research Projects at Columbia” panelist and host; Columbia Research and Fellowships Office, New York, NY
November 6, 2025 — “PCA Clustering and Topic Modeling of New York City PPRs Demonstrate Typological Differences in Content and Success Rate of DOI Interventions in City Governance” at the Undergraduate Research Expo at the Columbia Data Science Institute, New York, NY
December 13, 2024 — “Histories of Privatization: Examining Culture, Legal Conflict, and Economic Transformation at Adams Morgan Plaza in Washington, DC” at the Eric H. Holder Initiative for Civil and Political Rights Research Panel Presentation, New York, NY
October 25, 2024 — “Histories of Privatization: Examining Culture, Legal Conflict, and Economic Transformation at Adams Morgan Plaza in Washington, DC” at the Columbia Undergraduate Research Symposium Presentation, New York, NY
September 2024 — “Religion, Politics, and Urban Placemaking: A Contemporary Historical Record of Religious and Political Expression on Public Space in Washington, DC” at the IRCPL and Columbia Religion Department.
AWARDS AND NON-RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS
Internal
April 2025 — First Place, Columbia University Undergraduate Library Research Award, Sophomore, Junior, or Senior Category
April 2025 — Outstanding Staff Writer or Columnist, The Columbia Political Review
2022 – Present — Dean’s List, All Semesters
External
April 2025 — Critical Language Scholarship, SPARK Russian Finalist and Scholar-Elect (Declined)
June 2022 — Cum Laude Honor Society, Northeast Chapter, Maret School, Washington, DC
June 2022 — Core Value Senior Award, Creativity, Maret School, Washington, DC
April 2022 — National Speech and Debate Association, Order of Distinction
April 2021 — Princeton Prize in Race Relations Certificate of Achievement
Ishaan Barrett 