InternGram: Tanvangi Tiwari MPP ’20

September 6, 2019

This summer students were scattered around the country and across the globe getting first-hand professional experience during their summer internships. Students are sharing their experiences through InternGrams, a recap of the what, where, and wow of their experiences.

Name: Tanvangi Tiwari MPP ’20 

Organization: City of Detroit

I was brought in to define a data governance policy for the City of Detroit in the Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT). DoIT is the primary resource for all the city's technology needs—from day-to-day IT requests like software and hardware upgrades, to long-term projects in data management, digital inclusion, technology training, and internt of things. This involved a needs-based analysis for the data stakeholders and actually drafting policy. It seemed like a daunting task at the beginning of the internship, but over 16 weeks, I was able to deliver a framework that the City is due to adopt in the coming months. 

I had the pleasure of meeting the Chief Information Officer, and work with her team directing the Strategic Plan for Technology and Data for Detroit. The multidisciplinary team is full of extremely talented, extremely driven individuals who motivated me to be better than the best version of myself. Though I joined mid-project, my opinions were valued, and I was entrusted with such responsibilities I had not thought myself capable of fulfilling. In the end, I was able to deliver to their satisfaction, and that, to me, is very gratifying. It is also great to come out of the internship with the knowledge that my work is going to create a difference in Detroit's governance in the long run.