How This Public Policy Alumna Helps Keep Metro Moving

McCourt School of Public Policy alumna Bela Walkin (MPP '25), senior policy analyst at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), was drawn to public transit policy by a belief that how cities move their people shapes the quality of their lives.

Growing up in Lake Charles, Louisiana, a place she describes as "car-centric," Walkin did not have many experiences with public transit as a child. That changed during her junior year at Rice University, when she spent a semester abroad in Paris.

"Using world-class public transit daily was life-changing," said Walkin. "It allowed me to live a healthier lifestyle and extended the scope of my community."

That experience in Paris stayed with her. After graduating from Rice with a degree in economics and social policy analysis, she spent two years as a management consultant in Houston before returning to France to teach English at a middle school north of Lyon. Even in a smaller city, a reliable bus network reshaped her daily life. Walkin, who describes her experience with public transportation in France as transformative, observed how living in an interconnected urban environment that was designed for people improved her well-being.

She left France with a conviction that walkable, well-connected communities make people's lives richer, and that the United States had much to learn from Europe's approach to urban design and public transportation. Walkin arrived at the McCourt School eager to learn how she could help create a similar reality for public transportation in the U.S.

"I came into McCourt really motivated by this philosophy of public transit and urbanism as the building blocks for thriving communities," says Walkin.

At McCourt, she made the most of every opportunity. Walkin interned on Capitol Hill in the spring of her first year, then spent the following summer and her entire second year at the Office of Management and Budget, working with the Statistical and Science Policy team at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. The experience, she says, pulled back the curtain on federal policymaking and deepened her understanding of how government uses data and evidence to drive public policy decisions.

She also served as an editor for the Georgetown Public Policy Review podcast. In her first semester, she knew she wanted to interview influential urban planner and author Jeff Speck, and on a whim, she cold-emailed him to request an interview. He responded in under ten minutes.

"The experience taught me that simply asking for what you want can create opportunities," she said.

Her capstone thesis, "The Relationship between Neighborhood Walkability and Workers' Commuting Mode Choices," wove together her academic interests and passion for improving walkability. When WMATA posted a senior policy analyst opening just six weeks before her graduation, it felt like the role was written for her.

"My now-boss read my thesis during the interview process. I guess it was good enough for me to land the job," Walkins quips.

Today, Walkin conducts in-depth research and analysis on projects ranging from rail service planning and fleet management to fare collection costs and station accessibility. She draws directly on the skills built in McCourt's data science and visualization courses.

"McCourt prepared me for exactly this kind of work."

For students considering a similar path, Walkin's advice is to consider working in local government.

"You are so much closer to your community and the problems you are trying to fix when you work on local issues," she says. "And you see the fruits of your labor - sometimes every day, if you commute via Metro."

Over the next few years, Walkin hopes to continue to grow her career at Metro. She looks forward to continuing to contribute to public transportation in the region through projects that move her community forward.

"I wouldn't be here without my experience at McCourt. The education I received opened the door to this opportunity, and the relationships I built there made DC feel like home. McCourt was foundational in building both my professional and personal life in this city."

For Walkin, the ride home is more than a commute. It's a daily reminder that her work has a real impact.