GWIPP Research Assistants

The following is is list of GWIPP Research Assistants. Click on the name to send an email to that individual.

Pamela Blumenthal
Pamela Blumenthal is a PhD candidate with a concentration in social and urban policy. She has participated on research on the effect of state policy on the well-being of city residents and the causes of "weak cities." She received her B. A. from Cornell University, her J. D. from University of Michigan Law School, and her MPP from George Washington University.

Kelly Brown
Kelly Brown is a second year Master of Public Policy student concentrating in the area of urban policy. Since joining GWIPP in November 2006, Kelly has participated in projects that research national trends in local school bond referenda and property tax expenditure limitations. Currently she is working with Julia Friedman, Research Faculty, on a project looking at major federal policy changes over the last decade that have impacted D.C.'s budgetary environment. Prior to coming to GWU, Kelly worked as a policy anaylst and community organizer in the San Francisco Bay Area for various non-profit organizations including Greenbelt Alliance and the Nonprofit Housing Association of Northern California. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Community Studies, with a focus on urban planning and housing, from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Victoria Bruce
Victoria Bruce is a second year Master of Public Policy student concentrating in the area of social policy. She is currently part of the research team evaluating state government performance in their use of information on the Government Performance Project (GPP). She received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from University of California, Santa Barbara.

Mariglynn Collins
Mariglynn Collins is a PhD student in Public Policy with interests in social policy areas. Before coming to GWU, she worked with Georgia's Department of Family and Children Services as a case manager for foster children. Mariglynn has a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Miami University and a Masters of Public Administration from Georgia State University. Her specific interests include child welfare, poverty, urban housing, health care and child care issues.

Katrina Connolly
Katrina Connolly is a PhD student in Public Policy concentrating in urban policy with particular interest in urban issues in developing countries. Currently she is working with Professor Michael Wiseman on researching the interface between the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Supplemental Security Income programs. She received her B.A. in International Studies from Emory University in 2003.

Kate Coventry
Kate Coventry is a PhD student in Public Policy concentrating in urban policy with a specific interest in the non-profit sector. Before coming to GWU, Kate worked as the Development Director for the Eastern Choral Society. Kate received her MPP from GWU last year. At present, she is working with Garry Young to finish bicycling project , sponsored by Robert Wood Johnson, and working with Joe Cordes on a project about nonprofit use of cost benefit analysis.

Leah Curran
Leah Curran is a Doctoral Candidate and Research Assistant at the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Administration.  While working as a Research Assistant, Ms. Curran has participated in several research projects including: assessing the impact of indexing social programs for geographic cost-of-living differences; measuring revenue-raising disparities and equities within metropolitan areas; understanding the impact of state policy on city performance; and analyzing how formerly manufacturing-dependent regions have responded to declines in the manufacturing sector.  Ms. Curran's dissertation research is focusing on the construction of gender and sexuality in abstinence-only and comprehensive sex education curricula.

Sean Fox
Sean Fox is an MPA candidate at the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration concentrating in Nonprofit Management.  Sean is currently working with GWIPP Associate Director Garry Young to examine the breadth and scope of Community-based Foundation evaluation in the District
of Columbia and beyond.

Mackenzie Hawkey
MacKenzie Hawkey is a second year Master of Public Policy candidate concentrating in national security. Her current research involves evaluating the use of information in state governments as part of the Government Performance Project (GPP). Prior to enrolling at GWU, MacKenzie worked in communications and development at the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership in Washington, D.C., where she motivated hunters and anglers to become involved in conservation. MacKenzie received her Bachelor of Arts in English and political science from Williams College.

Ana Karruz
Ana Karruz is a third-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.

Charlotte Kirschner
Charlotte Kirschner is a Ph.D candidate in Public Policy concentrating in national security with a specific interest in homeland security and terrorism. Her current research involves working on a GWIPP a property tax project in partnership with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. She has also worked on the Government Performance Project and on a project for the Homeland Security Institute estimating the economic impacts of homeland security measures. Before coming to GWU, Charlotte worked for the Administrative Offices of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court conducting macro-level policy research and managing the caseload statistics system. Charlotte received her Master of Social Service from Bryn Mawr College and her B.A. in Psychology and Women’s Studies from Syracuse University.

Manish Kumar
Manish Kumar is from India and is a candidate for PhD in Public Policy and Administration at SPAAA, working on the institutional modeling of public private partnerships in case of water supply and sanitation services for developing countries. He completed the Masters in Public Administration program from JFK School of Government, Harvard University, and was nominated by the University as a Mason Fellow for demonstrating leadership on policy issues while in India. He has work experience of more than 15 years as a member of the Indian Administrative Service and as a Consultant to the World Bank, Washington DC. Kumar also has an engineering degree from one of the most reputed institute of technology in India.

Saurabh Lall

Alice Levy
Alice Levy is PhD student with a concentration in public budgeting and finance. She is the lead research assistant for 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. Alice's research interests lie in performance budgeting, specifically in the role of performance information in the Congressional budget process. She has a masters of public policy from the George Washington University and a BA from University of Maryland, College Park.

Lisa Lowry Lisa Lowry is a first year PhD student specializing in urban policy. She received her Master's in Public Administration from Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC and her B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis majoring in Anthropology. She is especially interested in the changing uses and perceptions of public spaces. She has just started working with GWIPP on research project examining how different cities have reacted to a loss of manufacturing jobs and what policies have been the most successful in dealing with these changes.

Robin McLaughry

Jessica Menter
Jessica Menter is a second year Master of Public Policy student concentrating in the areas of business government relations and international development. She is currently part of the project lead by Associate Director Dr. Garry Young, researching trends in local level elections throughout the 50 states. Prior to joining GWIPP, Jessica worked for the non-profit organization the Washington Scholarship Fund. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the College of William and Mary in Government and Art History.  

Lori Metcalf
Lori Metcalf is a PhD Candidate concentrating in the area of budgeting and public finance. Currently, she is working with Profs. Wolman, Bell, Brunori, and Cordes on a GWIPP property tax project in partnership with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. Her research also includes a state tax expenditure project with Prof. Brunori and the PEW Center on the States. Previously at GWIPP, Lori worked on the Government Performance Project 2005, a collaboration between PEW Charitable Trusts, Governing Magazine, GWU, and four other universities. Lori received an MPP from GWU in May of 2005 and before that worked at various non-profit organizations in DC and Louisville, KY, including Population Connection, OMB Watch, Bread for the World Institute, and the Presbyterian Church (USA). She obtained a B.A. in English and Spanish at the University of Louisville. Her specific interests include tax policy, gender and social policy, and government performance and evaluation.

Ethan Pollack
Ethan Pollack is a second year Masters of Public Policy student, studying environmental policy and budget & finance.  He is currently working with Professors Wolman, Bell, Brunori, Atkins and Augustine on a property tax project in partnership with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.  He has also worked with Professor Young on a project studying DC representation in Congress.  Prior to attending GWU, Ethan worked for a reading education company in the San Francisco Bay Area.  He hold a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA.

Meghan Salas
Meghan Salas is a PhD student concentrating in the area of urban policy. She is currently working with Dr. Garry Young to investigate national trends in school bond referenda. Prior to coming to GWU, Meghan was a research associate at the Urban Institute evaluating 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.

Janet Stephens
Janet Stephens is a second year MPP, concentrating in Urban Policy. Prior to starting at GW, Janet spent a year working with the New Orleans Mayor's Office of Economic Development and in personal finance with an independent financial advisor. Janet is currently working with Hal Wolman and crew at the GWIPP on what happens to industrial regions when manufacturing jobs disappear. She holds a B.S. in Economics from Tulane University.

Bing Yuan
Bing Yuan is a PhD student in Public Policy, with a focus on urban policy and public finance. She is currently working with Professors Wolman, Bell, Brunori, Atkins and Augustine on a GWIPP property tax project in partnership with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. She is also working with Professor Bell on a GWIPP-Lincoln project on area-based property tax. Bing has worked previously on several GWIPP projects sponsored by the National Association of Realtors, examining differences between state and local fiscal structures and significant trends that have impacted the evolution of state and local government finances. She received her B.A. from Beijing Foreign Studies University and her M.A. in Political Science from Rice University.