Interns

Elizabeth Yirava is a third-year student majoring in Statistics and Public Policy Analysis. This summer, she worked with the Ohio Housing Finance Agency to create maps based on Ohio Department of Education data to assist with the allocation of housing tax credits. Elizabeth also worked with CHRR to create a dashboard and visualizations for the Higher Education Employment Data. Her dream career is working with public and education data.

Cordelia Van der Veer is a second-year student majoring in Public Policy Analysis with a minor in Political Science. This summer, she worked with Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) to analyze apprenticeship data and match OOD participants to potential programs. Her dream career would be working as a Policy Researcher or to be a Professor.

Zaida Jenkins is a second year Master of Public Administration Student at the Glenn College. This summer, she worked with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to analyze data on their Comprehensive Case Management and Employment Program (CCMEP) focused on enrollment trends and participant demographics. Her dream career is to be a Local Government Official.

Tiana Stussie recently completed her bachelor's degree in Public Policy Analysis with a minor in Public Health and will be pursuing an additional minor in mathematics. Throughout her undergraduate career, she researched the role social and economic policies have on health outcomes. Ms. Stussie interned with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to analyze the dynamics of the labor market using Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey data.

Qiqi Ding is a fourth-year Economics major and Math minor from Zhejiang, China. She was a volunteer of AIESEC Cambodia and worked for the Cross-National Equivalent File on COVID-19 policy collection. Ms. Ding interned with the Ohio Department of Higher Education analyzing their facilities data.

Ian Montgomery is a third-year Economics Major and English Minor from Columbus, Ohio. He has previously worked in marketing at Sycamore Growth Group as well as in tax at Nationwide Insurance. In his free time, Mr. Montgomery enjoys being involved with fundraising efforts in Central Ohio. Mr. Montgomery interned with the Ohio Department of Education on a project to identify positive outlier schools.

Sarah Stouffer-Lerch is a fourth-year Public Policy Analysis major from Madison, Wisconsin. Prior to this role, Ms. Stouffer-Lerch has conducted research on historical housing policy at various cultural heritage institutions. Ms. Stouffer-Lerch interned with the Ohio Housing Finance Agency to analyze trends and funding patterns in their Save the Dream program.

Evelyn Arrey is a second-year Ph.D. Fulbright Student from the ISE Department with an Industrial Engineering major. She is a faculty member at Universidad Catolica del Norte in Chile. In her past experience, she has worked as a research assistant, data analyst, and teaching assistant. Ms. Arrey interned with Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities analyzing co-enrollment data in Ohio workforce programs.

Jarod Wade is a rising senior from Cleveland, Ohio majoring in Public Policy Analysis at Ohio State’s John Glenn College of Public Affairs. Jarod is a passionate LGBTQ rights advocate and has dedicated time to create inclusive spaces for people with disabilities within the Residence Halls at Ohio State. He will be analyzing data for the Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities office this summer to better understand employment disparities in Ohio.

Stacy George is an incoming third year student from Canton, Ohio. At Ohio State, she is studying Public Policy through the John Glenn College of Public Affairs and Economics within the College of Arts and Sciences. Ms. George has a background in qualitative data research centered around the study of community identities within Ohio and abroad. This summer she will be analyzing data for The Ohio Housing Finance Agency to understand the effects of low-income housing on neighborhoods.

Aaron Kelley is a rising fourth year student at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs, pursuing a double major in Public Management, Leadership, and Policy and Political Science, with a specialization in Political Analysis. He is originally from Akron, Ohio. This summer, Aaron will be working with the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services, tracking the outcomes of various pathways taken by veterans in Ohio following their separation from the military.

Natalie Hurst is a rising senior in Ohio State’s Honors College studying Public Policy Analysis with a minor in Molecular Genetics. As a first-generation college student who grew up in a rural village with less than 1,000 people, Ms. Hurst is passionate about connecting fellow low-income and minority students with career and higher education opportunities. She currently holds roles at I Am My Brother’s Keeper-Columbus, the Women’s Fund of Central Ohio, and the OSU Chapter of College Mentors for Kids. In the past, she has conducted stem cell research at Ohio State, Stanford, and Harvard University. She is exceedingly excited to conduct policy research at the Ohio Department of Education this summer studying the College Credit Plus program.

Benjamin Stone is a rising senior majoring in Economics and Public Policy Analysis at Ohio State University. Born and raised in central Ohio, he has experience working as a research assistant on both the Education Governance and Accountability Project through the John Glenn College, and the Government Financial Health over Time Project through the Sociology Department in the College of Arts and Sciences. This summer, Benjamin will be interning with the Ohio Department of Higher Education as a data analytics intern to study the College Credit Plus program experience and how it impacts college enrollment and completion.