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.
2025 Urban Scholars
Sumbul Siddiqui
City Councilor for the City of Cambridge
2025 Rappaport Urban Scholar
Evandro Carvalho
Executive Director of the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency (OPAT) for the City of Boston
2025 Rappaport Urban Scholar
2024 Returning Urban Scholars
David LeBoeuf
Massachusetts State Representative
2024 Rappaport Urban Scholar
Andy Vargas
Massachusetts State Representative
2024 Rappaport Urban Scholar
- Massachusetts State Representative Bill Driscoll, 2024
- Massachusetts State Representatitive Tram Nguyen, 2023
- Amy Mahler, former Director of SPARK Boston, 2020
- Massachusetts State Representative Dylan Fernandes, 2020
- Katie King, Assistant Town Manager, Needham, 2019
- Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante, Chair, Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, 2018
- Senator John Keenan, Chair, Senate Committee on Post Audit and Oversight, 2018
- Ramon Soto, Director of Policy, Massachusetts, uAspire, 2016
- Jennifer Benson, President, Alliance of Business Leadership and former State Representative, 2015
- Sarah Zapharis, Consultant, 2015
- Linda Dorcena Forry, Vice President for Diversity, Inclusion and Community Relations, Northeast Region, Suffolk Construction and former State Senator and State Representative, 2014
- Theresa Lynn, Senior Vice President of Advancement, United Way of Central Massachusetts, 2014
- Carl Sciortino, Executive Director, Massachusetts AIDS Action Committee and former State Representative, 2013
- Steven Walsh, Executive Director, Massachusetts Council of Community Hospitals and former State Representative, 2012
- Mayor Joseph Curtatone, City of Somerville, 2011
- Jeffrey Sanchez, Senior Advisor, Rasky Partners, Inc. and former State Representative, 2010
- Joseph Driscoll, Senior Vice President, O'Neill & Associates and former State Representative, 2009
- State Representative Alice Peisch (D-Wellesley), House Chair, Joint Committee on Education, 2009
- Barbara Salfity, U.S. General Services Administration, 2007
- Mark Falzone, Deputy Director, National Immigration Forum and former State Representative, 2007
- State Representative William Straus (D-Mattapoisett), House Chair, Joint Committee on Transportation, 2007
- Tim Davis, Deputy Director for Policy Development and Research, Department of Neighborhood Development, City of Boston, 2005
- Brad Swing, Mayor's Office of Environmental Services, City of Boston, 2004
- Mayor Joseph Sullivan, City of Braintree, former State Representative, 2004
- Katherine Kottaridis, Executive Director, Historic Boston, Inc., 2003
- Barry Finegold, Dalton and Finegold, LLP and former State Senator, 2003
- Rachel Kaprielian, US Government Relations for McDonalds, former State Representative, 2003
- Peter Koutoujian, Middlesex County Sheriff, former State Representative, 2003
- Charles Murphy, consultant, former State Representative 2002
- Carol Blair, OnwardVia, 2001
- Joseph LaRusso, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Finance Manager, City of Boston, 2000
- Jack Hart, Nelson Mullins, and former State Representative, 2000
- Lillian Shirley, Director, Multnomah County and Portland, Oregon Health Department, 1999
- State Representative Kevin Honan (D-Brighton), House Chair, Joint Committee on Housing, 1999
- Bryan Glascock, Senior Advisor for Regulatory Reform, Boston Planning and Development Authority, 1998
- Honorable Stephen Lynch, U.S. House of Representatives, 1998
- Antonio Torres, Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency, 1996
- Maureen Flynn, Deputy Director, Boston Home Center, City of Boston, 1995
- John Munier, Managing Director, Syndicated, MarketStrategies, International, 1994
- Theresa Bourgeois, Founder, Esperence Consulting, 1993
- John Mills, Director, National Network of Sector Partners, 1992
- James Jordan, Criminal Justice Consultant, Strategic Solutions for Criminal Justice Organizations, 1991
- Honorable Justice Robert Rufo, Massachusetts Superior Court, 1991
- Charles Yancey, former Boston City Councilor, 1991
- John McDonough, Professor of the Practice of Public Health and Director of the Center for Public Health Leadership at Harvard School of Public Health and former State Representative, 1990
- Jeffrey Cronin, City of Pasadena, California, 1990
- James Brett, The New England Council, former State Representative, 1989
- Susan Tracy, The Strategy Group, former State Representative, 1989
- Thomas Bledsoe, Housing Partnership Group, 1987
- Kevin McCluskey, Associate Director of Athletics, UMass Boston and former Boston School Committee Member, 1986
- Priscilla Teague, Boston Public Schools, 1986
- Richard Rouse, Boston, former State Representative, 1986
- Thomas Vallely, Vietnam Program, Harvard University, former State Representative, 1983
In Memoriam
- Bruce Bolling, MassAlliance, former Boston City Councilor, 1985
- Thomas Kennedy, former State Senator, 2005