CPPA attracts high-caliber students from across the US and around the world. UMass Amherst MPPA students have taken part in conferences and have been recipients of many awards. Please visit the PoliBlog for some recent accomplishments of our students.


CURRENT STUDENT PROFILES

Michael Bacon

I have lived in nearby Wilbraham, MA, my entire life. I originally attended Northeastern University in Boston to pursue a Pharmacy degree but transferred to Western New England College in Springfield after my freshman year. I just graduated in May with a B.A. in History and a minor in Political Science. My desire to pursue Public Policy came during an internship I had with Congressman Richard E. Neal of Massachusetts. Last summer, I worked in his district office, and I am currently working in his Washington, D.C., office. The experience has been very exciting. I am hoping to concentrate in either environmental or health care policy.

Anne Bordieri

I grew up in Wethersfield, CT, and graduated from Southern Connecticut State University in 2008 with a degree in sociology and a minor in criminal justice. It was the summer of 2008 at the University of Michigan at their Quantitative Methods program where I became very interested in public policy. I have worked with the State of Connecticut office of policy and management criminal justice policy division.

Margaret Byrne

I grew up in Shepherdstown, WV, and graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 2004 with a BA in Biological Sciences. I was a Rugby player and active in MassPIRG on campus. I received an MS in Environmental Health Sciences/Toxicology from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health in 2006, but was very glad to move back east (to Northampton, MA) after graduation. Since then, I have been a science coordinator for Clean Water Action, researched and published with the Investor Environmental Health Network and the Strategic Counsel on Corporate Accountability, and worked with the Political Economy Research Institute here at UMass. Through this work, I have become very familiar with corporate environmental policies and the vast inadequacies if environmental regulations. I have developed an interest in the regulation of emerging technologies, such as nanotechnology, and would like to focus my work on ensuring that sound science is used to create environmental health policies. I was especially drawn to UMass because of their focus on Science, Technology, and Society.

Christa Drew

In the nine years since undergraduate school, I've had the pleasure of working with a variety of populations; incarcerated, post-incarcerated, low-income, homeless, individuals with addictions, and individuals and families experiencing hunger and food insecurity. I have been engaged in direct service, teaching, group facilitation, organizing, consulting, coalition-building, grant writing, program development and management, and policy work. I've increasingly seen the importance of public policy in addressing social issues such as hunger and have enjoyed the increasing focus on advocacy and policy in my work for a Food Policy Council and as the current Manager of Hunger-Free Healthy. I will be concentrating my studies on Food Science Policy and uniquely engaged in both the CPPA and the Food Science department.

Zane Farr

I grew up in Pennsylvania. I graduated Bloomsburg University in 2008 with a BA in French and Political Science. After graduating, I worked as a Political Assistant and Union Organizer for the Service Employees International Union in Washington, D.C., and Cambridge, MA. I wanted to study at CPPA to further my understanding of the effects of public policy on working people and, more importantly, how working people can affect public policy.

Jordan Garner

I was born and lived in Northeastern Arkansas (about an hour outside of Memphis) until the age of 13, at which time I moved to central New Jersey to attend high school. Upon graduating in 2005, I enrolled at Loyola University New Orleans in the fall. After three weeks in New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina hit, and I spent the fall semester at Mount Holyoke College while the city attempted to begin the rebuilding efforts. I transferred to Tulane University after returning to New Orleans in the Spring of 2006. And finally after attending three colleges, I graduated from Tulane this past May with a Bachelors of Arts in Economics and French. My interest in public policy stemmed from my study of economics, and my main area of interest is economic development.

Brian Greenleaf

Growing up in Tyngsborough, I am a life-long resident of Massachusetts. I earned a bachelor's from Hamilton College in Clinton, NY, in 2008. As a Public Policy major and Education minor, my studies at Hamilton primarily focused on issues of education policy and reform. Instead of pursuing a policy position immediately after graduating, however, I decided to teach and gain knowledge of the education system from the inside. For the past two years, I have been a seventh grade history teacher at Waltham Public Schools. This has been a great opportunity to get hands-on experience in my field and truly understand what happens in schools daily. I hope to bring these experiences with me as I work towards my Masters of Public Policy and Administration.

Edward Harvey

I am originally from Durham, NH, home of the University of New Hampshire. I graduated from Dickinson College in 2005 with a BA in Religion and Archaeology and then went to work for a year at my old middle school as a special education aide. I returned to school and earned my MA in Medieval Studies (an interest I have always had) from Fordham University. Following the year-long MA program, I began work at Fordham University as the assistant to the dean of freshmen and have worked there these past two years. It was this work that piqued my interest in administration and at this point, although it may be subject to change, I am interested in education policy and administration. After having lived in New York City for the past three years, I am excited to return to my more rural roots.

Jeff Hofer
	I was raised in West Chester, PA, and attended St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia. After graduating with a BS in Psychology, I served as a volunteer Educational Specialist for two years on a reservation located in Central Washington. Over the past five years, I have been a social worker, primarily in housing and homelessness advocacy, and done short-term volunteer work in Guatemala.

Elissa Holmes

I am from Lincoln, NE, where I graduated from the University of Nebraska Lincoln with majors in Communication Studies, International Studies, and Spanish. After graduating, I spent a few months volunteering in Peru and then worked for the Nebraska Department of Labor as a Program Coordinator for the Workforce Investment Act job-training program. This past summer, I interned with Catapulta, a small business in Ecuador that trains entrepreneurs to start their own businesses. I am currently in my second year of the MPPA program and am specializing in Nonprofit Management and International Development Policy. I am also working towards obtaining a Graduate Certificate in Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies.

Fran Hutchins

I am an organizer and policy consultant from Birmingham, AL (but I've lived all over -- Chicago, Paris, Montreal, LA). I work on progressive issues such as civil rights and economic justice. Most recently, I was a Policy and Planning Analyst at the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, where I coordinated research and funding projects, including the 2009 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count. I also organize for marriage equality and worked for both the No on 8 campaign in California and the No on One campaign in Maine. In 2009, I was a trainer for the Courage Campaign's Camp Courage, a program for new LGBT organizers. I am currently completing my first year of studies in the Isenberg School of Management MBA program.

Luke Johnson

I grew up down the street in Northampton, MA. I attended college at Columbia University in NYC for Psychology and I went on to work as a counselor in a therapeutic boarding school and later as a wilderness counselor for a similar program in Central America. I'm passionate about working with young people and have strived to stay involved with leadership/wilderness-based programs such as Global Routes, where I guided a group of teenagers to Nepal last summer. I am in the Dual Degree program for my MPPA and MBA. I hope to one day found my own program that will place at-risk or economically disadvantaged teenagers in international settings (wilderness or community projects).

Sarah Keister

I am from the northern suburbs of Chicago. I received my bachelor's degree with a double major in political science and sociology from Illinois Wesleyan University and currently work as the governmental affairs coordinator at a small association management firm that manages several regional medical societies in the Midwest. I am particularly interested in science, technology, and health care policy.

Mijeong Kim (Bia)

I am from Seoul, Korea. I grew up and have lived in Seoul until I came to the U.S.A. I majored Vocational Rehabilitation for the intellectually disabled people from the undergraduate school. After that, I worked for those people for three years. During the time, I studied Social Welfare because I needed to broaden my view for satisfying their wants. However, from my work and studies, I realized that Korea's public policy including welfare system is far below its economic development. And because of the weak public policy, social workers are losing their passion for their works. Although I wanted to make a change, I didn't have the knowledge and experience. So, I came to the U.S.A. where helps me achieve my goal. This is why I am here in CPPA. And this is why I am especially interested in Nonprofit Management.

Jamie Klingensmith

I am originally from Pennsylvania and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2009 with a degree in Clinical Dietetics and Nutrition and a minor in Philosophy. I moved to Raleigh, NC, last summer to complete a Dietetic Internship program at Meredith College (which I am currently finishing) and I plan to take the registration exam this summer to become a Registered Dietitian. I am looking forward to another change of scenery when I move to Massachusetts in the fall! I plan to concentrate on food science policy and am interested in policy, especially where it is related to food and nutrition, because it determines and shapes many issues. I also have interests in anything international and food interactions within the body as well as between food compounds.

Maya Kumazawa

I grew up in Southwest Virginia and attended the University of Virginia (2008) with majors in Finance and German. While at UVA, I was very active in the performing arts and the residence life program. After graduating, I moved to NYC and worked for the last two years as an investment banker. I am excited to start on my new path at UMass Amherst in the dual MPPA/MBA program and see where these studies will take me. I am interested in continuing my business studies, but also in exploring the many opportunities in public policy. I am particularly interested in non-profits, as I am an avid supporter of the arts.

Thomas Mazzarino

I am a former Master's of Social Work candidate from New York University, and I am here pursuing my MPPA because my social work internship in downtown Manhattan demonstrated to me that I have more of a flair for the administrative side of the public sector than the counseling side. I am originally from a small unincorporated village called Baldwin on the south shore of Long Island, NY, and I received my Bachelor's of Science in Psychology from Union College in Schenectady, NY. I am certain you can see a pattern here... I've been a New Yorker my whole life and now find myself in beautiful Amherst, which I must say is quite a change from what I am used to: that is, much more quiet, rural, and friendly.

Christina Mills

I am lifelong resident of Massachusetts. I grew up in Worcester, graduated from UMass Amherst in 2005 and have spent the last five and a half years working first for the Mayor of Worcester as his Constituent Services Aide and currently for the Patrick/Murray Administration in a number of capacities, but principally running the Governor's Internship Program. I'm so excited to be coming back to my alma mater this fall, but particularly excited to be participating in the MPPA program, as I believe it will provide the perfect balance of policy study and management experience that I think is essential for effective governance.

Marcie Muehlke

I am an MBA/MPPA dual degree student. I am originally from Groton, MA, and I studied international development at Brown as an undergrad. After graduating, I moved to Hawaii where I managed a human resources grant to recruit, train, and retain great teachers for a high poverty school (see a student animation about poverty in the area). Last year, I completed most of my MBA requirements. I am currently interning (and enjoying plenty of cheese samples!) at Cabot Creamery Cooperative in Montpelier, VT.

Noeleen Nuñez

I have spent the last ten years in three different non-profits running a community organization, raising money for a national advocacy organization and leading logistics and operations for a group that supports grassroots organizations across the country in their local policy change work. Continually seeking ways to contribute on a larger scale with each next step, I decided that the significant impact I desire to be a part of will be best carried out in the private sector. As a result, I entered the MBA program at UMass last fall with the aim of going into Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability. Over the course of the year, I applied to the dual degree program with CPPA because I specifically want to address climate change in the (renewable) energy industry. I intend to play a role in the private sector that combines my interest in policy, technology and social change.

Shantel Palacio

I am originally from New York City! I got my undergraduate degree in Communication from a business school, so I also have a business background. I studied all aspect of communication - verbal, nonverbal, interpersonal, journalism, and broadcasting. I also minored in political science. I've been living and working in Amherst for about 2 years now and I found the public policy program to be a great way to combine all of my interests, which fall somewhere between education and almost everything international! I really am excited of all different areas of public policy this program offers and the range of issues I can explore.

Anshuli Patil

I stem from Mumbai, the financial and Bollywood pulse of India where I had completed my Undergraduate studies in English literature coupled with 3 years of learning German. My 6 years of work experience encompasses working at the German Consulate as a Visa officer and as an executive for Munich Trade Fairs at the Indo German Chamber of Commerce, both Non-profit organizations, that have sparked in me both a interest and a keen desire to learn more and further myself in the area of Public and Nonprofit Management.

Evan Piche

I graduated from Colorado State University in 2009 with a degree in Marketing and a minor in History. I moved to New England to work as a development officer for a not-for-profit in Hartford, CT. I enjoyed marketing, but my real passion is conservation and environmental protection. I decided to pursue Public Policy as a way to shape future environmental laws. As a resident of Colorado, I was exposed to conflicts over water rights, wind farms, and countless other environmental issues.

Hasansahib Pinjar

I have an MSc in Agricultural Sciences. I have been living with poor and underprivileged in underdeveloped rural areas of India since my childhood. I understand their life, their problems and hence I have been always thinking about the ways to dole out these poor peasants from the diverse problems they face. I have been working with Karnataka State Department of Agriculture as Agriculture Officer since Dec 1997. Farm Consultancy, Quality Control of Agro Inputs, Subsidy Distribution of Farm Inputs are my regular activities. Occasionally, I am involved in poll processes, supervision of Planning and Implementation Rural Development Programs.

Elham Sliman

I am of Palestinian origin and primarily grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, where I received both my undergraduate and graduate degrees in communication and journalism, and communication theory. Still relatively new to Western Mass, I am looking forward to the opportunity to learning and exchanging new ideas and perspectives outside of the communication realm. I'm interested in studying the influence that social institutions have in the development and redefinition of identity formation, gender roles, and rights in immigrant groups (specifically Middle-Eastern-American).

Jennifer Smith

I was born in Omaha, Nebraska, but have spent most of my life in Mississippi. I graduated in 1997 from Mississippi College with BS degrees in Administration of Justice and Sociology with a minor in Psychology. In the years after college I became increasingly more involved in the community and in politics. In 2004, I co-founded Unity Mississippi - an LGBTQI non-profit focusing on education, awareness, and unity among the LGBTQI/allied communities - which then created OUToberfest, the first and only event of its kind in Mississippi. I am a football fan - in particular the New Orleans Saints and the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Rachel Trafford

I was born in Montana and moved to Amherst, MA, when I was nine. I graduated in 2005 from UMass Amherst with a bachelor's degree in business and a concentration in accounting. For the next three years, I lived in Cambridge, MA, and worked for a financial consulting firm that specializes in forensic accounting and special investigations. My 2008-2009 school year was spent working solely on my MBA degree. I am not sure what area of study I want to specialize in, but I hoping that I will be able to combine my business and financial knowledge with a more meaningful understanding of politics and social/cultural elements. I spent my summer 2009 working for an upstart nonprofit in Kenya, Africa.

Peter Vickery

I was born in Swansea, South Wales. I graduated from Oxford University (Jesus College) and of the University of the West of England where I earned a post-graduate Diploma in Law. I obtained my J.D. from Boston University School of Law in 1998. As a result of his research into African-American legal history while at law school, I served as an advisor on the exhibition "The Long Road to Justice: The African American Experience in the Massachusetts Courts." Since 1999, I have been practicing law in Amherst, Western Massachusetts. I served a term (2005-07) as Governor's Councillor for the 8th District, representing Western Massachusetts on the body that reviews the Governor's judicial nominations. In addition to my work as an attorney, I have taught at several local colleges where my courses have included Legislative Drafting, Elections Laws, U.S. History, and Lawyering Process.

Yan Wang

I have an undergraduate degree in Food Science and Technology. I've spent the last four years studying in Shanghai, but my hometown is Guilin, a city famous for its beautiful scenery located in southwest China. As a rapidly developing country, China's public policy didn't match with its economic development. Ever since the melamine in milk powder issue, I realized that not only advanced technology is important but wholesome systems and public's awareness weigh much more. That's why I chose to participate in the Food Science Policy program at UMass.

Penpa Yangchen

I am Tibetan born and brought up in India. I received the Tibetan scholarship to pursue a non-degree program in US. The Program is sponsored by US State Department and administered by Tibet Fund in New York in collaboration with the Department of Education of Tibetan Government in Exile based in Dharamsala, India. I grew up in a Tibetan Settlement called Bylakuppe in Mysore, Southern India. I completed my high school from Central Tibetan School, Bachelors degree in commerce from Mysore University, India and Post graduate Diploma in Business Administration from Madras Christian College (MCC), India. For the last seven and half years, I have been working for Tibetan Government in Exile as office secretary handling administrative work and over the course of my working period, I felt the need for a sound base in Policy and administration studies to enhance my career. Therefore, I took public administration when I received the scholarship and got admission in UMass Public Policy and Administration Department. After completion of my course, I would like to go back to India and serve the Tibetan Government in Exile and Tibetan people living in and outside Tibet. I truly feel fortunate and grateful for the scholarship and its administrators for the opportunity provided to the Tibetan Refugees from India, Nepal and Bhutan.