Shanika Gunaratna
About Shanika Gunaratna
Shanika Gunaratna is the Strategic Partnerships Manager at ParentCorps, NYU Langone Health, with a background in journalism and public policy.
Title
Shanika Gunaratna currently holds the position of Strategic Partnerships Manager at ParentCorps, a program within NYU Langone Health. She assumed this role in 2021, where she manages and develops strategic partnerships aimed at enhancing support for children and families in historically disinvested neighborhoods. This role builds on her previous experience at ParentCorps, where she served as Senior Policy Coordinator from 2019 to 2021.
Professional Experience
Before her current role, Shanika Gunaratna worked at NYU Langone Health as a Senior Policy Coordinator for ParentCorps, from 2019 to 2021. She has also worked at the TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health as a Consultant and Graduate Research Assistant. Her career includes positions at the Financial Health Network as a Summer Associate, CBS News as a Science Editor & Reporter and Executive Assistant to the President, WTTW as an Associate Producer for Chicago Tonight, and Chicago Public Media as an Editorial Fellow.
Education and Expertise
Shanika Gunaratna has an academic background in both public policy and journalism. She earned a Master of Public Policy degree with a focus on Child & Family Policy from the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago (2017-2019). She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism and International Studies from Northwestern University (2007-2011). Her education informs her approach to strategic partnerships, combining robust research methods with effective communication strategies.
Background in Journalism and Public Policy
Shanika Gunaratna uniquely combines a background in journalism and public policy. Her roles in journalism at CBS News—including Science Editor & Reporter and Executive Assistant to the President—and her policy-oriented positions at institutions like the TMW Center and NYU Langone Health enable her to bridge the gap between policy and practice. Her writing skills assist her in effectively communicating complex missions and impacts to stakeholders.