Congratulations to lecturers Chike Aguh and Ike Umunnah, who will join the program this fall, on their recent appointments. Chike and Ike’s appointments add to the Construction Administration M.S. program’s ongoing commitment to service and leadership in government and to the community, including the program’s Academic Director, Francisco Pineda who served on Biden’s Infrastructure Policy Committee leading up to the election.
Chike Aguh | Chief Innovation Officer, U.S. Department of Labor
Committed to what he describes as a “future of work for all,” Chike Aguh was sworn in as the Chief Innovation Officer for the Labor Department on January 20th. In this role, Aguh brokers partnerships and institutes practices to tap into employment and entrepreneurship opportunities from emergent technologies. He also specializes in the future of work’s impacts on racial equity; he was named a 2020-21 Technology and Human Rights Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Carr Center for Human Rights. Aguh guest lectures for and advises Columbia University’s Construction Administration M.S. program.
Ike Umunnah, J.D., Ed.M. | Director of Public Affairs, Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce
On January 25th, Ike Umannah joined the Biden-Harris administration as the Public Affairs Director of the Economic Development Administration (EDA). The Commerce Department sets policies to promote job creation and economic competitiveness and growth for the U.S. As a member of the new administration, Umunnah will promote awareness of EDA grants and initiatives that provide COVID-19 relief, incentivize sustainable business practices, and ensure equitable job creation in regions across the U.S. Starting this fall, Umannah will lecture for students in Columbia University’s Construction Administration M.S. program. On LinkedIn, he shared, “I'm excited to influence the next generation of leaders, builders, developers, and dreamers!”
