Matt Sisul

An engineer who attended Columbia University as an undergraduate, Matt was engaged in large-scale public infrastructure projects such as bridges, tunnels, and subways in the developed world. Looking to apply his skills to help people in need, he became the chapter president of the New York Professional Chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB-NY). Matt came to Gallatin to pursue a more multidisciplinary approach. His thesis "Technical Assistance in Infrastructure Service Delivery: Poverty Alleviation Theory and Practice," combined the study of economics, public health, and public administration, concentrating on international community development, infrastructure and service delivery.

Through his studies at Gallatin and as an NYU Reynolds Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship, he expanded his understanding of the role that physical infrastructure plays in international development and poverty alleviation. He traveled to Honduras, where he worked with an American NGO, Ayuda en Acción, and the local community to build a footbridge in a remote village. He also participated in the construction of a library and four classrooms for a primary school in Usalama, Kenya, and helped conduct an assessment for a secondary school in Southern Sudan. Upon completion of his program, he took a one-year contract with a Haitian construction firm as a project manager, responsible for building multiple small-scale projects, including primary schools. When he returned to Brooklyn, he founded Sisul Consulting, a firm that provides engineering and construction services to local construction companies in developing countries, and helps them compete with international firms and organizations.