Undergraduate Research Interns Will Partner with Policy Experts to Study Prisoner Education Initiatives in New York State

Albany, NY — The Rockefeller Institute of Government has selected five University at Albany undergraduates for the spring 2019 Center for Law & Policy Solutions (CLPS) research internship, which partners students with policy experts to conduct intensive research on a topic of state or national importance.

This spring, the research interns will examine the factors that influence the effective implementation and performance of postsecondary correctional education programs. At the end of the semester, they will present their finding to policymakers, researchers, and the public in a formal report and presentation.

“The Center for Law & Policy Solutions internship program has been a tremendous success,” said Jim Malatras, president of the Rockefeller Institute of Government. “Working under the direction of CLPS Executive Director Katie Zuber, the interns conduct in-depth research on matters of law and policy that have real consequences in the lives of many New Yorkers. I’m proud to welcome this new cohort and look forward to reading their findings.”

“I’ve been privileged to work with some amazing young researchers in the CLPS internship program, and I expect no different from this new cohort,” said CLPS Executive Director Katie Zuber. “Not only does this program produce meaningful new insights into pressing issues like the opioid epidemic and access to reproductive services in New York, but it teaches tomorrow’s leaders the importance of evidence-based research and analysis in the policymaking process. I’m eager to see what these students discover in the coming months.”

The spring 2019 cohort includes (pictured above, left to right):

+ Trevor Craft, a senior public policy and administration major with a concentration in health and human services. After completing his associate’s degree at Hudson Valley Community College, he spent two years managing an online retail website before returning to UAlbany to complete his bachelor’s degree. At Hudson Valley Community College, he was awarded a Department of History, Philosophy, and Social Science Award for Excellence in Academic Writing.

+ Nicholas Gonzalez, a senior majoring in political science with a concentration in public law and a minor in communications. Gonzalez serves as a Purple & Gold Student Ambassador for the University at Albany, ethics chairman of the Student Association Senate, and a tour guide for Undergraduate Admissions. Gonzalez previously interned at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the New York State Senate for Senator Leroy Comrie, and Cooley LLP.

+ Kevin Kelleher, a junior majoring in political science with a concentration in public law. Prior to joining the Center for Law & Policy Solutions, he interned for the Queens County Criminal Court, which sparked his interest in the study of law. As a three-time member of the Dean’s List of Distinguished Students, he has completed courses in American politics, the philosophy of law, and race, law and society. Outside the classroom, Kelleher participates in Club Baseball and is a member of UAlbany Campus Recreation.

+ Myckelia Rose, a senior majoring in public policy with a concentration in law, civil rights, gender, race, and society. Prior to transferring to UAlbany, Rose worked as a resident assistant and community advisor at Onondaga Community College, where she organized programs on career development and promoted community involvement in the downtown Syracuse area. An active member of UAlbany’s student body, she has volunteered for the Poor People’s Campaign, and became a member of the Albany State University Black Alliance.

+ Ofu Takor, a senior majoring in political science with an American politics concentration and a double minor in journalism and French. She has previously interned in the Albany office of Assemblyman Robin Schimminger of the 140th District in Buffalo, as well as the National Women’s Law Center in Washington D.C. Deeply committed to the study of human rights, she has served as president of SUNY Albany’s Chapter of Amnesty International for the past three years.

The interns, guided by faculty mentors from the University at Albany, will assist researchers in analyzing, interpreting, and disseminating their research findings to key stakeholders. They will conduct independent research, prepare a policy memo, and present their findings at a forum at the Rockefeller Institute.

Previous CLPS intern cohorts have published findings on the role of drug treatment courts in New York’s opioid epidemic and access to reproductive services in New York State as questions surround the fate of Roe v. Wade.

The Center for Law & Policy Solutions is a partnership among the Rockefeller Institute, the Government Law Center at Albany Law School, the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs at the University at Albany, and the University at Buffalo School of Law. It aims to assist policymakers, community organizers, and the general public in identifying practical solutions to pressing problems at the intersection of law and policy.

Look for the Center’s findings at rockinst.org/CLPS.