University of Georgia

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Administration

Aravinda Karunaratne is a Ph.D. candidate at the Department of Public Administration and Policy, School of Public and International Affairs, University of Georgia (UGA). At UGA’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government, he assists consulting projects under the State Services and Decision Support division.

Aravinda is a Civil Engineering professional with six years of experience in infrastructure consulting, project management, contract administration, business development, and quality-health-safety-environment management. He worked for Singapore-based and Belgium-based engineering contracting and consulting firms for marine dredging, land reclamation, and foundation construction project assignments in Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Qatar.

Aravinda contributed to the professional development ecosystem at UGA as a founding team member of the Ph.D. Consulting Club. He volunteers as a coach to students and graduates of MBA, Ph.D., and post-doctoral programs who aspire to receive offers from premier management consulting firms. In addition, he conducts lectures on the Presidency of Calvin Coolidge and Singapore’s Success Story.

Education
  • Master of Science in Applied Economics, Singapore Management University, 2016
  • Bachelor of Civil Engineering with Minors in Economics and Public Administration, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 2011
Of Note
  • Research Assistantship, Carl Vinson Institute of Government, 2021-2022
  • “Bridge to BCG” for advanced degree candidates, Boston Consulting Group, 2021
  • Research Assistantship, Graduate School, University of Georgia, 2017-2021
  • Dean’s List, School of Economics, Singapore Management University, 2014-2016
  • International Student Tuition Grant by the Ministry of Education, Singapore, 2007-2011
Research Interests
  • Public-Private Partnerships
  • Management Consulting
  • Leadership
  • International and Development Administration
Aravinda Karunaratne
Aravinda Karunaratne