Cordelia Van der Veer

The Ohio Education Research Center — a collaborative of the John Glenn College of Public Affairs and CHRR — offers the Public Sector Data Science Internship Program for students interested in exploring careers in policy research and evaluation. This year, we were very excited to host three interns at state agencies across Columbus. Continue reading to learn more about the work they accomplished this summer. 

Our next intern of the week is Cordelia Van der Veer. From Toledo, Ohio, Ms. Van der Veer is a second year majoring in Public Policy Analysis and Political Science. This summer, she has been working with Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities, a state agency that empowers Ohioans with disabilities through employment, disability determination, and independence. Her project focuses on analyzing apprenticeship data to match OOD participants to potential programs. Her reflections on the internship are shared below: 

My name is Cordelia Van der Veer, and I am an incoming 2nd year majoring in public policy analysis and political science. This summer, I am working for Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD). I chose the PSDS internship because I wanted to learn more about programming and data analysis related to public policy questions. 

Using Tableau, Excel, and Python, I analyzed apprenticeship data to match OOD participants to potential programs. Currently, OOD does not have a process for their participants to connect with apprenticeships, and people with disabilities are largely underrepresented in apprenticeships. I created a system for OOD vocational rehabilitation counselors to see which participants have an occupational goal aligned with an apprenticeship program. I also used a machine learning cluster analysis algorithm to categorize apprenticeship participants into groups. 

Besides learning new skills, one of the most rewarding aspects of the internship has been working with a wide range of people, including OOD employees, OERC researchers, and other interns. It is exciting to see government agencies and the university collaborate to make policies more effective. I also enjoyed learning about the career paths of previous interns during the Friday guest speaker/seminar series. The most challenging aspect of the program was the self-led nature of my project. I had to come up with my own solutions to issues and use self-discipline to meet deadlines. 

I would recommend this internship to others interested in policy and data analysis! My advice to future interns: don’t be afraid to ask for help from mentors at the OERC and come prepared with questions for the Friday guest speakers.