Alexandra Hiniker

As director of the Sustainability Initiative at Carnegie Mellon, Alexandra Hiniker spearheads the university's commitment to centering equity across education, research, and practices to make the world more sustainable for all, using the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Previously, she oversaw New York City’s Sustainable Development Goals program at the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs, where she sparked a worldwide movement by creating the concept of the award-winning Voluntary Local Review for cities to report on their progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. The United Nations subsequently adopted the Voluntary Local Review and over 300 local authorities around the world have now committed to conducting their own reviews.

Hiniker’s approach to sustainability is informed by her experience advocating for, creating, and implementing equitable policies and programs at local and global levels. This includes leading humanitarian disarmament initiatives in some of the world’s most bombed and mined countries, advocating for locally-led peacebuilding and civilian protection processes at the United Nations in New York, and implementing pandemic preparedness projects in Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe.

Alexandra earned a B.A. from the University of Chicago, an M.A. from Uniwersytet Jagielloński in Kraków, Poland and an M.S. in Urban Policy and Leadership from Hunter College in New York City. She also studied at Sciences Po-Paris.