On May 17, the Policy and Research Legislative Fellows Program welcomed the third cohort of graduate student fellows. The five graduate students represent in the third cohort of this innovative, nonpartisan program represent four university colleges and four departments, and will be working with four state legislators in the Champaign-Urbana area.

Oluwakemi Adeyemi a JSD candidate in the College of Law, will work with Representative Carol Ammons (D) to implement the Family Roots Pilot Program, which Representative Ammons drafted with former PRLF fellow Jailene Aguirre. Minjoo Chong, a PhD candidate in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership, is working with Senator Paul Faraci (D) to continue the work of former PRLF fellow Mia Chudzik on Medicaid waivers for youth in Illinois while also pursuing new research related to higher education enrollment declines in the state. Laura Gray, a PhD candidate in Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Leela Bhairy, a Master of Urban Planning student, will collaboratively work with Representative Brandun Schwizer (R) on research related to rural transportation needs and solutions in his district. And Thong Trinh, a PhD candidate in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership, is working with Senator Chapin Rose (R) to research public higher education funding models.

“I’m thrilled to welcome such a talented group of fellows to this program. Past fellows have done incredible work with our local legislators, and I’m so excited to see what this third cohort achieves this year!” said Elsa Augustine, CSBS RDM and PRLF program director. To learn more about the new PRLF cohort, please see here. If you are interested in upcoming deadlines and requirements for the next PRLF cohort, see here.