Vedika Vinaik (’26SPS)
Student
Vedika Vinaik is a second-semester graduate student in the Strategic Communication master’s program at Columbia University. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai. Prior to moving to New York, she worked as an Artificial Intelligence and Language Learning Model Analyst, where she developed a strong foundation in data analysis and user-centered communication. Her academic and professional interests lie in exploring how public relations and strategic communication can be used to strengthen community development. She enjoys working on creative projects across multiple mediums, including UX and web design, social media strategy, and traditional art, and is particularly passionate about supporting artistic and literary initiatives. This interest in creative expression and access to literature informs her presentation, which examines how public institutions can better mobilize awareness and community support for youth literacy initiatives, focusing on the role of the New York Public Library in addressing systemic literacy challenges among children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.