Meet the 2025 Rappaport Urban Scholars
Two emerging public sector leaders from the Greater Boston area will join the Harvard Kennedy School this fall as the 2025 Rappaport Urban Scholars. Executive Director of the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency (OPAT) for the City of Boston Evandro Carvalho and Cambridge City Councilor Sumbul Siddiqui will each receive full scholarships to attend the Harvard Kennedy School’s mid-career master in public administration program.
The Rappaport Urban Scholars Program began in 1981 with funding from Rappaport Institute Founder Jerome “Jerry” Rappaport to advance the education of Greater Boston’s elected and appointed public sector leaders who demonstrate an interest in urban and metropolitan issues, a capacity for leadership, and a continuing commitment to contribute to the well-being of Greater Boston. To date, more than 30 elected and appointed officials have participated in the program.
More about the 2025 Urban Scholars
Evandro Carvalho
Executive Director of the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency (OPAT) for the City of Boston
Evandro Carvalho is an experienced public service attorney and former state representative in Massachusetts. When he was 15, and knowing no English, Carvalho emigrated from Cabo Verde, Africa to Boston. He graduated from Madison Park Technical Vocational high school and earned his undergraduate degree at UMass Amherst and his Juris Doctor at Howard University School of Law.
Carvalho began his law career at the prestigious law firm of WilmerHale in their Washington DC office. Since 2011, he has been a progressive leader and public servant in all three branches of government in Massachusetts, including assistant prosecutor in Boston, state legislator, and executive director of the Boston Human Rights Commission. As a State Representative, Carvalho worked on police reform and criminal justice reform, as well as youth issues. Most recently, he served as the General Counsel for the Supplier Diversity Office of Massachusetts.
As the Executive Director of the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency (OPAT) for the City of Boston, Evandro works to improve the structures of public safety and health through enhancing transparency and accountability within the Boston Police Department (BPD) and building trust between residents and law enforcement across Boston’s neighborhoods.
Evandro lives in the Ashmont area of Dorchester with his wife Ashley and their daughters Eliana and Anaya, their son Evandro Jr., and their dog, an energetic boxer named Bruno.
Sumbul Siddiqui
Cambridge City Councilor
Sumbul Siddiqui is currently serving her fourth term on the Cambridge City Council. Previously, she served two terms as Mayor of Cambridge—becoming the first Muslim mayor in Massachusetts and the first woman to serve two consecutive terms in the role.
During her time as mayor, she led Cambridge through the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on equity and innovation. She raised more than $5 million in emergency relief for residents and small businesses, while strengthening food access, housing protections, and health services. She also launched the Cambridge RISE guaranteed income pilot, which grew into a $22 million program supporting 2,000 families, helping to shape the national conversation on direct cash assistance. Sumbul has led efforts for universal pre-kindergarten, established an Early College program at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, and helped pass major zoning reforms to increase affordable housing. Before serving in elected office, Sumbul worked as a legal aid attorney in Lawrence, Lowell, and Lynn.
Sumbul was born in Karachi, Pakistan, and immigrated to the United States as a child with her parents and twin brother. She lived in Cambridge in affordable housing, which deeply shaped her commitment to public service. After moving around for college and law school, Sumbul is now back living in Cambridge where she enjoys spending time with her family and their cat, Willow.
What are you most looking forward to in your time as a Harvard Kennedy School Rappaport Urban Scholar?
I’m excited to learn new tools and build relationships with my colleagues. The Rappaport Urban Scholars program offers a unique opportunity to reflect on my public service experience and further enhance my commitment to helping people. I’m especially looking forward to getting to learn from public servants across the country and the world.
Returning Urban Scholars
Massachusetts State Representative David LeBoeuf
David LeBoeuf is serving as the State Representative for the 17th Worcester District, which is inclusive of the City of Worcester and the Town of Leicester. His background — as a small business advisor, family advocate for survivors of domestic violence, and community leader successfully boosting access to healthcare and affordable housing — informs his ongoing fight for the causes that matter most to our communities.
David first ran for office in 2018 and was elected after a three-way primary and a general election, being one of only three individuals to flip a legislative seat from Republican to Democrat in Massachusetts that year. In addition to his professional work at the Initiative for the competitive Inner City (ICIC) David was the Board President of the NeighborWorks HomeOwnership Center, Vice Chair of the African Community Education program, and a board member of the Latin American Health Alliance. He also worked briefly for a state economic development agency and in municipal government.
In the most recent legislative session Representative LeBoeuf passed comprehensive legislation eliminating the waiting period for new state hires to access health insurance. During his career in the House, he has advanced policy changes to improve educational resources for foster children; negotiated the re-opening of mental health beds; increased access to early education apprenticeships; facilitated the conversion of a closed college into a new high school, emergency family shelter, and Head Start; and modified high interest loans that were crippling small water systems. Drawing from his own experiences with addiction recovery, he has become a leading advocate for dismantling systemic barriers to treatment access and reforming the way individuals with substance use disorder are treated within the child welfare and legal systems. His legislative agenda is focused on removing barriers for returning citizens to access professional licenses, modernizing support for students in foster care, eliminating environmental hazards in housing, and advancing consumer focused insurance policies.
David lives in Worcester, MA, where he was born and raised and was the first of his family to complete college. David enjoys travelling, watching documentaries, attempting to be an amateur chef, exploring cities, listening to EDM music, and organizing events for his classmates.
Read Rep. LeBoeuf's bio here.
Massachusetts State Representative Andres X. Vargas
Andy's story begins with a historic milestone when he was elected to the Haverhill City Council at the age of 22, becoming the city's first Latino elected official.
With a heart dedicated to the welfare of his community, Andy's passion for education and economic development shines through in his roles as Vice-Chair of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. A firm believer in the power of education to empower youth, he passed legislation to mandate civics education for all public school students, ensuring a brighter future for generations to come.
Another key priority for Representative Vargas is addressing childhood hunger. He successfully passed legislation providing universal free school meals for all students, as well as prior legislation to expand school breakfast participation. This groundbreaking move not only alleviates the burden of hunger but also removes the stigma associated with meal assistance and boosts academic outcomes.
In the realm of housing and zoning, Andy's vision has brought about a transformative change. With his leadership, he championed a housing and zoning code overhaul that mandates multifamily zoning in transit-oriented areas, the most significant zoning reform in a generation.
He has also been at the forefront of the fight against gun violence, spearheading a groundbreaking program on gun violence prevention through a public health lens. This initiative, now backed by an annual $13 million grant, stands as a model for the nation in tackling this critical issue.
With an unwavering commitment to justice reform, Andy has played a pivotal role in modernizing the parole and criminal justice system. Chairing the Commission on Structural Racism in Parole, he laid the groundwork for transformative changes to ensure a fair and equitable system for all. The report contributed to the removal of parole supervision fees, and mandated recording of parole board hearings.
Recognizing the urgent need to combat the opioid crisis, Andy has also worked tirelessly to expand access to naloxone, a lifesaving drug that can reverse overdoses. His efforts in this area have saved lives, bringing hope and healing to families and communities impacted by addiction.
He resides in Haverhill with his wife Rikelma – an educator and unfortunately a Yankees fan. They are parents to a happy boy named Rubén and an energetic Goldendoodle named Merengue.
Read Rep.Vargas' bio here.