MEET Sienna NorDquist

Graduate Admissions Consultant (Social Sciences)

Sienna Nordquist is an incoming PhD student in Social and Political Science at Università Bocconi, one of Italy’s most preeminent universities. Sienna’s research interests focus on electoral politics, clientelism, and anti-human trafficking efforts, with a focus on European politics and democratic institutions. When she isn’t reading about those topics, Sienna also loves to learn and study about monetary policy and geopolitics too!

Prior to Bocconi, Sienna was first a Robert W. Woodruff Scholar at Emory University in Atlanta, GA, where she double majored in International Studies and Economics with an unofficial minor in Italian language. She graduate summa cum laude after defending her senior honors thesis on electoral clientelism in postwar Italy. In the midst of the pandemic, Sienna then started (and finished!) her master’s degree in European and International Public Policy at the LSE’s European Institute. She graduated from LSE with Distinction and won the award for best policy incubator in her cohort.

Having undertaken a myriad of leadership positions alongside her academic studies, including as a Champion for Change with UN Women and Senior Advisor to the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network – Youth Initiative; Sienna is a firm believer in mentorship and positioning others for success. And having overseen the creation of sustainable development student groups across the world (from South Korea to Mexico and just about everywhere in between), she gets how the different university systems worldwide can be complex and hard to navigate. Yet more importantly, she knows a little bit of guidance and some enlightening information is all you need to find your own way and carve your own path! Sienna is excited to de-mystify the graduate admissions process with the Accepted Consulting team, starting in May 2022.

 Education

PhD in Social and Political Science at Università Bocconi (present)

Masters in European and International Public Policy, London School of Economics (2021)

BA in International Studies and Economics, Emory University (2020)

Written Work

Journal article. “EU Policymaking and Anti-Human Trafficking Efforts: Inferred Policy Preferences from a New Survey.” Journal of Human Trafficking. Forthcoming <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23322705.2022.2041339>

Op-Ed. "In Defense of Language GERs." The Emory Wheel. December 10, 2020.

Textbook Chapter. "The Role of Youth in Achieving the SDGs." Chapter 14 in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through Sustainable Food Systems. Springer. Co-authored with Dario Piselli, Siamak Sam Loni, and Kayla Colyard. (September 2019)

Op-Ed. "Place Your Faith in Sustainability Initiatives." The Emory Wheel. September 12, 2018.

Awards

LSE European Institute's Award for Best Overall Policy Incubator Performance in the MSc in European and International Public Policy (2021)

Robert W. Woodruff Scholarship (2016-2020)

Phi Eta Sigma's Continuing Excellence Scholarship (2020)

Elizabeth Long Atwood Undergraduate Research Award (2020)

Academic Honor Societies Membership in Phi Eta Sigma, Pi Sigma Alpha, Omicron Delta Kappa, Omicron Delta Epsilon, Phi Beta Kappa, and Phi Sigma Iota

Conferences

Workshop organizer, 2019 World Youth Day

International Observer, 2018 UN General Assembly (UNGA)

Panelist, Georgia Tech University's Greater Atlanta UN SDGs Young Leaders Panel (2018)

International Delegate – 2016, 2017 and 2018 Vatican Youth Symposia (VYS)

Keynote Speaker & Panelist – 2016, 2017, and 2018 AYUDH Americas Youth Parliaments

Panelist, UN Case on the Status of Women (UN CSW) 60 – 2016