GWIPP Research Assistants
Kristin Broughton is in her first year of the Master of Public Policy program at George Washington University. She is currently working on the Significant Features of the Property Tax project, an ongoing research project for the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. Prior to joining GWIPP, Kristin worked in Government Grants at Planned Parenthood. She earned a B.A. in English from Macalester College in 2006.
Trevor Chamberlin is a first-year PhD student in the Political Science department. He serves as an RA for Dr. Garry Young, currently working on a project regarding U.S. House members representational allowances. He received BA from Davidson College in 2005.
Dan Coogan is a PhD student with a concentration in Race, Ethnicity, and Public Policy. He conducts property tax relief research for GWIPP's project with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. He received his BA in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland, and his MPP from George Washington University.
Matt Darst attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He double-majored in Economics and Political Science. He is currently contributing to GWIPP’s DC Economic Competitiveness project and GWIPP’s ongoing project with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. For both of these, he is completing literature reviews, collecting and analyzing data, and providing feedback on the methods used in precedential research so that GWIPP’s researchers may improve upon those methods. He is working with GWIPP Director Hal Wolman on the DC Competitiveness project, and Charlotte Kirschner on the Lincoln project, while also completing his second year of coursework in GW's Economics PhD program.
Sarah Ficenec is a first year PhD student specializing in Urban Policy. She is working with Dr. Hal Wolman on a project concerning regional economic resiliency. Sarah most recently worked as Associate Director for Policy and Communications at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress and remains affiliated with the Center as a Senior Fellow for Urban Policy and a mentor in its Presidential Fellows Program. She has a Masters in Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts in economics and history from Creighton University.
Diana Hincapie is a PhD student with a concentration in urban and social policy. She is currently working with Drs. Hal Wolman and Garry Young on a project regarding fiscal illusion of the property tax. Before joining GWIPP, she worked as a Junior Professional Associate at the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Unit of the World Bank. She also worked as a Teaching Assistant and as a Research Assistant at the Center of Economic Development Studies (CEDE) from Los Andes University in Bogota, Colombia. Diana earned a Master’s Degree in Economics with a concentration in Public Policy and Social Economy and a B.Sc. in Economics from Los Andes University, Bogotá, Colombia.
Ana Karruz
Ana Karruz is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in Public Policy at the George Washington University. She is currently working with Dr. Dylan Conger to investigate the implications of high school course availability and course-taking for achievement, graduation, and post-secondary enrollment. Ana is studying in the United States under the auspices of the Brazilian Ministry of Education (Capes) and the Fulbright Program.
Dillon Kiel is a first year MPP candidate. He is currently working on the Significant Features of the Property Tax project, an ongoing research project for the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. In addition to his work with the GWIPP team, Dillon works at the US Department of Labor, helping set prevailing wages under the auspices of the Recovery Act. He earned his B.A. in globalization studies from the University of California, Irvine.
Jeremy Larrieu is an Economics PhD candidate with concentrations in Econometrics and Industrial Organization. He is working on evaluating the impact of State solar incentives on the installation and adoption of solar energy in the U.S, and various other projects for Dr. Andrea Sarzynski. Prior to coming to GW, Jeremy worked as a senior analyst for a Washington D.C. consulting firm in energy markets. He obtained an M.A. in applied economics from Johns Hopkins University, and a B.A. in economics from the University of Virginia.
Alice Levy
Alice Levy is PhD student with a concentration in public budgeting and finance. She is the leading student research assistant for the Washington DC Chief Financial Officer's project on economic development in the city. She has also served as a lead research assistant on the Government Performance Project, a collaborative effort between the Pew Center on the States, Governing Magazine, and four other universities to assess the management capacity of state governments. She has a masters of public policy from the George Washington University and a B.A. from University of Maryland, College Park.
Parisa Manteghi is a Master of Public Policy candidate. She is currently working with Dr. Hal Wolman and Dr. Garry Young on examining policy diffusion in the states. Prior to GWIPP, Parisa worked on Capitol Hill for Senator Russ Feingold as well as the Senate Committee on Health Education, Labor and Pensions. More recently, she has been working on tax policy at the Department of the Treasury. She received her B.A. in Political Science and English from the University of California, Davis in 2007.
Melissa McShea is a second-year Master of Public Policy student with concentrations in budgeting & public finance and labor market policy. Melissa is working with David Brunori and Michael Bell on a project for the National Education Association that examines the structure of state and local taxes in New Jersey. Before coming to GW, Melissa was a financial economist at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. She earned an M.A. in economics from GW and received her B.A. in economics from the University of Virginia.
Shaleah Patzer is a first-year Ph.D. student in Public Policy and Administration at the George Washington University. She is working with Dr. Young on a grant to study property values and multi-modal trails in Montgomery County, MD. She received her BA in International Relations from American University in 2007 and her Masters of Public Health from the University of Maryland in 2009.
Daniel Ramsey is a MPP student with a concentration in budgeting and public finance. He is currently contributing to the Significant Features of the Property Tax project, where he provides research support in the areas of effective tax rates and limits on taxation. Prior to joining GWIPP, he worked in state and local government as a research assistant and as a budget officer for a non-profit organization. He graduated from California State University, Fullerton in 2009 with a B.A. in Political Science.
Meghan Salas Atwell
Meghan Salas Atwell is a PhD candidate concentrating on the area of urban and social policy. She is currently working with Dr. Dylan Conger to investigate time to English proficiency trends for non-native speakers in New York City public schools. Prior to coming to GW, Meghan was a Research Associate at the Urban Institute. She evaluated juvenile justice, behavioral health, and prisoner re-entry programs. Additionally, she spent one year as a Research Fellow at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. She obtained a B.A. in economics from Kenyon College in 2002.
Rebecca Shwalb
Rebecca Shwalb is a Master of Public Policy student concentrating on the area of social policy. She is currently working with Professor Michael Wiseman on several projects concerning welfare policy and reform in the US and the UK. She received her B.A. in Sociology from the University of Virginia in 2003.
Trevor Simon is a first-year Master in Public Policy student concentrating in Social Policy. He is working for Dr. Garry Young on assessing the fairness of DC’s lack of representation in Congress as it applies to educational earmarks. Prior to coming to GW, Trevor started his own grassroots public policy nonprofit and has worked in international business education, as well as in health policy. He received a BS in Mathematics from Union College in 2006, and earned a BA in Political Science as well.
Travis St. Clair is a PhD candidate with a concentration in urban and social policy. He is currently working with Professor Wolman on a project regarding regional economic resilience. He received his B.A. in Chemistry from Harvard University and an Ed.M. from Harvard's Graduate School of Education.