ISPS Welcomes New Policy Fellows

The Institution for Social and Policy Studies is pleased to announce the third cohort of Policy Fellows. Thirteen Yale graduate and professional students have been selected for the 2014–15 academic year.

“And after a banner year for the second class of ISPS Policy Fellows and a record number of extremely high-quality applicants for the third, we look forward to welcoming this new group of graduate students in the social sciences and allied professions into the  ISPS fold,” said Jacob Hacker, Director of ISPS and Stanley B. Resor Professor of Political Science. 

The Fellowship program started in 2012 with the aim of bringing together scholars across campus interested in pursuing policy-relevant research on domestic issues. Over the course of the program, ISPS Policy Fellows attend seminars and bi-weekly meetings; receive training in skills such as op-ed and policy memo writing, media appearances and blogging; and present their research and receive feedback from ISPS-affiliated faculty and other graduate fellows. At the end of the program, the fellows are expected to have completed a research project.

The following scholars will join the Policy Fellows program for the 2014-2015 academic year:

Tony Cheng, a second-year PhD candidate in Sociology. His primary research interest focuses on law enforcement strategies in response to urban violence. 

Sarah Esty, a second-year law student and joint MBA candidate at the School of Management. She was a Solnit Policy Fellow at Connecticut Voices for Children.

Aaron Goldzimer, a second-year law student. His research currently focuses on political polarization, gridlock, and democratic reform.  He is a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Jenna Healey, a PhD student in the Program for the History of Science and Medicine. Her research focuses on the history of reproductive technologies and fertility behavior, with a specific emphasis on the intersection between age and pregnancy.

Rebecca McKibbin, a third-year PhD student in Economics. Her research interests lie in the fields of industrial organization and public finance.

Jennifer McTiernan, a second-year law student at Yale Law School. Her research focuses on the law and policy of social enterprise, with a specific interest in alternate corporate structures designed to deliver social value as well as profit.

Matto Mildenberger, a fourth-year PhD student in the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.  His research seeks to understand climate policy inaction in the face of dramatic economic and social costs associated with climate change.

Corina Mommaerts, a fourth-year PhD student in Economics. Her research explores the role of informal insurance arrangements within a community or family in mitigating various sources of risk.

Patrick O’Brien, a fourth-year PhD student in Political Science. He is interested in the presidency, American political development and macroeconomic policy.

Rosa Po, a first-year law student and editor of Yale Law & Policy Review.

Matthew Regele, a third-year PhD student in Organizations & Management at the Yale School of Management. His broad interests include entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial growth, and the sociology of strategy.

Jerome Schafer, a second-year PhD student in Political Science. He is interested in political behavior, political economy, and quantitative methodology. His current research uses lab experiments to explore biases in economic voting.

Baobao Zhang, a first-year PhD student in Political Science and a master’s student in Statistics. Her research focuses the intersection between public policy and political behavior.