The Hart Leadership Program is excited to announce our Patman Political Engagement Project (PEP) fellows’ summer work. As part of the PEP experience, PEP fellows receive a summer stipend to conduct politically-engaged thesis research or internships. The 2023 PEP Fellows are putting their minds to work on a diverse array of political themes.
- Elizabeth Berenguer is writing her thesis on the impact of extra-regional migration journeys on ethno-racial identity formation for Caribbean migrants, with a particular focus on Cuban and Haitian immigrants to the United States and their journeys through intermediary countries such as Mexico.
- James Gao is conducting research on how to classify environmental complaints in order to expedite American project approval to enable swifter environmental review for major infrastructure, housing, and other critical projects.
- Gianmarco Godoy is interning with the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP), a network of public charter schools, through their Federal Policy Fellowship.
- Pilar González Kelly is continuing her ongoing research into ShotSpotter, a controversial technology intended to alert law enforcement officers to the precise location of gunshots. She will specifically focus on how the implementation of ShotSpotter in Durham has impacted community-police relations within the ShotSpotter coverage area. She will also be interning full-time with Duke Law’s Wilson Center for Science and Justice.
- Zoë Macomber will spend her PEP summer as the Stanback Northeast Regional Policy, Legislation, Advocacy Fellow with Earthjustice, aiding the organization’s policy team to advocate for climate justice for local New York communities.
- Chloe Nguyen is researching the extent to which television news commentary shows used affectively polarizing rhetoric in their coverage of national politics between July 2020 and July 2021.
- Anisha Reddy is using her PEP summer to conduct research on the impact of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation on the wellbeing of LGBTQ+ students.
- Kathryn Thomas is investigating how colleges and universities can optimize early, on-campus voting locations to increase student voter turnout in local, state, and federal elections.
- Khilan Walker is spending his PEP summer interning with Sanctuary for Families, an NYC-based service provider for survivors of domestic violence and other gender violence crimes. He will be a Family Law Intern supporting attorneys providing legal services to survivors.
The Patman Political Engagement Project is made possible through the generous support of the Carrin Mauritz-Patman Foundation. Learn more about Carrin M. Patman’s legacy here.