Meet Our PhD Students

Tierney Bamrick is a PhD Candidate at the CU Denver School of Public Affairs. Her research is focused on nonprofit organizations, sociocultural inequity, and civil society. This focus is informed by her years of work in nonprofit management and her involvement with national-level initiatives to acknowledge and address inequity in the arts nonprofit sector. Before turning to the field of public affairs, Tierney earned a bachelor’s in music from Vanderbilt University, a master’s in music from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a master’s in sociology from the University of Mississippi, where her award-winning thesis explored nonprofit organizational approaches developed by Black artist-administrators, how those approaches illuminate myriad sources of discrimination permeating nonprofit practice, and how Black leaders are creatively remaking that practice. Tierney was raised in the U.S. South and Midwest and now lives in the Denver area with her partner and their dog.

Joel Benson has worked in a number of venues, primarily with community and regional planning, economic renewal, and natural resource management. His first exposure to policy analysis was in the Peace Corps, Costa Rica as a Forestry Extension and Environmental Education Volunteer. Noting the need for integrated programming, he co-authored the Natural Resource Management Program later used in other parts of the world. After earning master's in Latin American Studies and Community and Regional Planning, he taught in a high school for a number of years and worked as a consultant with the Commonwealth of Kentucky under Governor Patton to develop new agricultural policy during its transition away from the tobacco quota system. He worked with Holistic Management International, Savory Institute, Horizon Organic Dairy, Marksbury Farm, and other organizations. Joel spent a year as a Spanish professor in small liberal arts college. Presently he and his wife own and operate the Buena Vista Roastery, and he is Special Projects Manager for Buena Vista, Colorado where Ihe served as a Trustee and Mayor.

John received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Alabama with a focus in Broadcast Journalism. He later earned a Master's in Higher Education Administration from the College of William and Mary and a Master's in Human Resource Management from the University of Richmond. 

John has worked in academic and career advising, student activities, and admissions and recruitment for institutions like the University of South Alabama, Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Richmond, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He has also worked in corporate recruiting. In his current role with the University of Colorado, John oversees the recruitment and enrollment management of students pursuing fully online academic programs. John has taught Organizational Management and Behavior at UNC Charlotte and has taught 25+ courses for Southern New Hampshire University.  

John has a wide range of research interests and has spent time examining the experience of homeschooled, non-traditional, and adult students in the college setting, comparing international models of higher education to those in the U.S., and reviewing funding models and policies that allow for free, or highly subsidized, tuition. 

John enjoys spending time with his wife, Emily, a clinical psychologist, their son Henry, and their Shetland Sheepdog (Charley), renovating their home, and exploring the world!

Anna Crawford is a PhD candidate and research assistant at the Center for Policy and Democracy. She researches abortion/repro politics and policy using theories of the policy process, representation, policy conflict, and morality policy, and she teaches a political advocacy course in the MPP and MPA programs. She has also co-authored work on the role of emotions in the policy process and serves as a 2023 Policy Research Fellow with the Colorado Media Project, investigating the role of local independent journalism within democratic societies.

In acknowledgement of her demonstrated interest in social equity issues and research, Anna is a 2023 APPAM Equity and Inclusion Fellow (one of 40 graduate scholars nationwide) and currently co-chairs CU Denver’s university-wide Institutional Equity Advocacy Council. She also sits on the board of directors for the Women’s Lobby of Colorado, a statewide gender equity public policy advocacy organization.

Anna earned her graduate certificate in public policy analysis from CU Denver, her MA in English Literature from Penn State University, and her BA in English Literature and Cultural Anthropology from Texas Tech University. She met her partner when they were both serving as Peace Corps Volunteers in Ukraine, and they now live together in Denver with their son, cats, and books.

Adam Croft is a PhD student in the School of Public Affairs. His research interests include the role of space and design in public service delivery, public lawyering as a dimension of public administration, emotional labor, and trauma-informed service delivery. While at the University of Wyoming, Adam Croft received the institution's highest graduate instruction award, the John P. Ellbogen Outstanding Graduate Assistant Teaching Award. Adam Croft was also named a Public Administration Theory Network Fellow in 2020. Prior to attending CU Denver, Adam Croft worked as the communications director for a political consulting firm in Laramie, WY called ELLA WY and for the Equality State Policy Center, a nonprofit good governance organization, as a legislative accountability coordinator.

Julia Cummings, PhD candidate and lecturer in the University of Colorado Denver's School of Public Affairs, excels in helping public organizations and causes establish and achieve their communication and marketing objectives. Her research interests focus on how political narratives and imagery impact public opinion, civic engagement and voting behavior. She takes a collaborative approach to directing complex marketing and communications initiatives with proven ability to seek diverse and authentic stakeholder input. She earned an MBA with a marketing emphasis from CU Denver and a BA in Humanities, magna cum laude, from CU Boulder. She has worked at CU Denver since 2007 as the School of Education & Human Development's marketing and communication director. Her previous work experience includes marketing and public affairs roles at the Smithsonian Institution, National Audubon Society and the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. In her personal time, she volunteers for political campaigns and Jefferson County School District. 

Sign up for my class: PUAD 4003: Strategic Communications for Public Engagement, taught each Spring.

Shihao Dai is currently pursuing a PhD, with a primary focus on research in the fields of local economic development, economic impact analysis, sports economics, and stadium finance. At the University of Colorado Denver, Shihao serves as the MPA program assistant and offers tutoring in economics, public budgeting, and statistics. He holds a master's degree in Public Administration and a bachelor's degree in Economics, both earned at the University of Colorado Denver. In his free time, Shihao enjoys exploring the world with his family through activities such as hiking, skiing, and piloting.

Allegra Fullerton is a PhD student, Research Assistant, and Instructor at the Center for Policy and Democracy. Her research focuses on three main topics; emotions, policy processes, and democracy. She specifically examines how these three areas intersect, how policies change, and how people engage in policy processes. She is also the student coordinator for the Conference on Policy Process Research, Building Democratic Communities, and an instructor at SPA. Prior to her time at CU Denver SPA, she attended Arizona State University where she was a graduate research assistant with The Center for Urban Innovation and a policy analyst with The Center for the Future of Arizona. Outside of her work at ASU, she was a community organizer who helped lead a successful ballot referendum and later state-wide ballot initiative.

Nimol Hen is a second-year PhD student in the School of Public Affairs and a lifelong learner and educator. In her current role as Executive Director of Academic Advising at CU Denver, Nimol’s professional interests and efforts center on enhancing the student experience with advising, guiding students’ personal and intellectual growth, and supporting degree attainment for all students. She has worked with administrators and faculty across academic disciplines to lead campus-wide initiatives focused on identifying and removing barriers to student success and degree completion. Before this assuming this role, she worked as a frontline advisor and advising director. Her research interests include equity issues in higher education and education policy, and she is also interested in the refugee experience relevant to civic engagement, representation, and public service. She previously served on the Board of Directors for a nonprofit organization called Children’s Future International, which provides educational programming, mental health, and nutrition to hundreds of children and families in rural Cambodia. Nimol earned a master’s degree in public administration from CU Denver. 

Nathan Jeschke is a graduate of Wayne State University, where he received a Bachelor of Public Affairs. He has worked on two NSF funded research projects studying policy learning after Hurricane Harvey and the relationship between drinking water and public health systems. Nathan intends to focus on leveraging theories of the policy process to study environmental governance and natural hazards.

Andrea Kuwik currently works as a policy analyst with the Bell Policy Center, a research, policy, and advocacy organization committed to ensuring economic mobility for every Coloradan. Prior to joining the Bell, Andrea worked on a broad range of policy and advocacy issues in Colorado, Missouri, and Ohio. Andrea began her career in the direct social services field and has worked with individuals experiencing chronic health conditions and homelessness, as well as communities impacted by natural disasters. She received a Master of Social Work from the University of Denver, a Master of Public Administration from the University of Colorado, and a bachelor’s degree in political science, history, and economics from the University of Pittsburgh.

Erika received her BA in Political Science with a certificate in Community Leadership from the University of Colorado Boulder. She continued her education at Vanderbilt University, receiving an MEd in International Education Policy and Management. She has been working here at CU Denver as the Executive Director for Student Success Initiatives. Previously, she was the Assistant Director of the Office of Active Citizenship at Vanderbilt University where she coordinated community service and international service-learning courses for Vanderbilt undergraduates. She is passionate about improving success for students in higher education, especially through analyzing policies and practices that disadvantage students. Both her research and professional work are at the intersection of inclusive university policies, technological innovations, and streamlined service provision to facilitate equitable student success outcomes. Her current research is on nudging in higher education settings and the ethics of using data analytics for student success outcomes.

Betsy Smith is a PhD candidate interested in environmental policy. Specifically, Betsy is concerned with participatory government processes, public perception of policy changes, and risk perception and management. She received her BA in Sociology from the University of Michigan (2016) and her MPA from Montana State University (2021). Betsy began working in research in 2014 and has worked with Michigan’s Institute for Social Research and Montana State’s Human Ecology Learning and Problem-Solving Lab. Her work has examined topics such as risk perception in public land comments, Australian Hendra virus risk narratives, perception of farmer education programs, and green infrastructure participation in Detroit. Additionally, Betsy has worked in conservation and education with the Bureau of Land Management and the US Forest Service.  

Crystal Soderman is a graduate of the Master of Public Administration program at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and is a third year PhD student with CU Denver's School of Public Affairs. Her research interests fall within the area of energy and climate policy, specifically aligning with the following broad themes: energy justice, the impact of societal/cultural values on energy and climate policy, and the policy process associated with adoption of energy and climate policy. Of particular interest to Crystal are the narratives that surround energy and climate policy and their impact on the policy process.

Aislinn Walsh works as the Performance and Accountability Analyst for the Colorado Charter School Institute (CSI), a statewide charter school authorizer serving 18,000+ PK-12 students across Colorado. At CSI, she analyzes the performance of her portfolio of charter schools and interprets school-level, district-level, and state-level education data to evaluate programming, support schools, and guide strategic initiatives. Before moving to Colorado, she worked as a data consultant for the Unified School District #2, a school district in Connecticut dedicated to serving students in the foster care system, and as a graduate intern with the Connecticut Department of Children and Families' Office of Performance Management. She received a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, a Graduate Certificate in Public Financial Management, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology, with a minor in Public Policy, from the University of Connecticut. She cares passionately about ensuring equitable access to high quality public school options for all students and is looking forward to continuing her academic career at the University of Colorado Denver.

Amy Wheeler is a 20-year law enforcement professional, currently at the rank of sergeant with a municipal department. She is interested in evidence-based policing reforms. As a practitioner, she values the experience of police professionals, and as a researcher, she values scientific inquiry to identify challenges and evaluate changes. Amy is interested in providing research for policy makers to create reforms designed to increase the legitimacy of policing in the United States.

Hope Yohn graduated from Regis University with a BS and MS in Criminology. She also has extensive management experience and is a Training, Learning, and Organizational Development professional, informing her passion for organizational behavior and effective management. She hopes to research the organizational culture of criminal justice institutions, including organizational barriers to employee wellness, crime prevention, rehabilitation, and effective policy implementation. Hope volunteers as a victim advocate for a local police department and facilitates trauma-informed workshops on nonviolent conflict resolutions in prisons and community groups with the Alternatives to Violence Project.

Jill Yordy is a doctoral student in the School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado Denver. Her research interests include democracy, public participation in policy processes, and civic engagement. She also works as a research assistant with the Workshop on Policy Process Research studying the characteristics of policy conflicts. Prior to starting the PhD program at the University of Colorado Denver in 2018, she worked as a practitioner both in the non-profit sector and in state government. She has worked in leadership positions for environmental and civic engagement non-profits, state legislative and presidential political campaigns, and as a state legislative aide. Jill holds a B.A. in Anthropology from Luther College.

Elliot Zettas is a doctoral student in the PhD program in Public Affairs at University of Colorado Denver. His research interests include social entrepreneurship, nonprofit management, social equity and nonprofit finance. Elliot is the co-founder and Executive Director of Alternative Roadmap, an organization that provides social-emotional learning programs to credit deficient and at-risk high school students using age relatable instructors. As an Education Pioneer Fellow, he also helped build a work experience program for opportunity youth in Memphis, TN. Elliot holds a Master of Public Administration (2019), concentration in Nonprofit Management, from Arkansas State University, a Bachelor of Science, Individualized Degree Program- Entrepreneurial Innovation (2015), from Metropolitan State University of Denver, and is a graduate of Denver East High School (2010). 

Kayla Ahr has been involved in CU Denver since 2017, having graduated in 2020 from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences with a BA in Sociology, a minor in History, and a certificate in Criminology – and most recently in 2023, completed her MA in Sociology. Kayla is currently the Director of the Denver Metro Regional Science and Engineering Fair (DMRSEF), working as a Program Lead in the CLAS Office of Diversity, Outreach, and Initiatives.

Kayla’s early education was based in STEM and Problem-Based Learning, which shaped her career and past education's focus on the value and appreciation of the soft sciences and the importance of personal scientific identity. Through her work with DMRSEF, she is committed to developing pipeline programs that ensure a strong next generation of socially informed scientists, and it is this very spark that inspired her to pursue the same idea through the next stages of her academic journey.

Through her work within the local STEM research community, alongside work in K-12 informal education, Kayla has found a specific passion for understanding how the rapidly changing technologies students have access to in today’s world will come to change education as we know it, and what we can do to get ahead of ensuring we responsibly pave the way for a new age of digitally-literate students.

Mike Bell was born and raised in Boston, MA. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a Bachelor of Arts in Astronomy in 2005 and a second Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 2008. He would go on to graduate from George Mason University with a Master in Public Policy in 2021. Upon graduation in 2008, Mike commissioned as a Military Intelligence Officer with the Army National Guard. He deployed to Afghanistan, Qatar, and Jordan and continues to serve as a member of the U.S. Army Reserves. He intends to focus his PhD studies on how cities, counties, and towns manage utilities specifically focusing on water, electricity, and internet access.

Molly Bilker was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, where she attended Denver School of the Arts in the Creative Writing program for middle and high school. She completed undergraduate and graduate studies at Arizona State University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and a Master of Mass Communication. After her time at ASU, she moved to Pueblo, Colorado as a teacher with Teach For America and was placed at Pueblo Academy of Arts, a local middle school, as a special education teacher. While working at PAA, she earned a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction through the University of Colorado Denver. Molly still works at Pueblo Academy of Arts and intends to continue working in Pueblo while pursuing the School of Public Affairs Ph.D. program at UCD. Molly was inspired to pursue to PhD by a sense of frustration rooted in the challenges her middle school students face -- challenges that are foundationally shaped by public policy in the realms of education, poverty, and social equity as a whole. After attempting to make changes within her school and district and struggling to make much difference while feeling helpless as one teacher in the classroom in the face of overwhelming odds, Molly decided to pursue public policy as a larger-scale way to make a difference. Her research interests include social equity, empathy, and generational poverty. 

David Braz (he/him) obtained his BS in Political Science from the University of Wyoming and his MA in Communication from Texas Tech University. His MA thesis “Soft news programming: A pentadic analysis of Stephen Colbert and The Colbert Report” evaluated the use of satire and parody by Colbert and how they limited Colbert’s ability to advocate for specific policies. He has spent eight years working in higher education and currently works at the College of Arts and Sciences at CU Boulder as Faculty Affairs Coordinator. David is interested in researching system change, networks, and collaboration in higher education.

Raya Kate Castronovo

Reggie English is a recent graduate of the Master of Communication program at CU Denver. He is a law enforcement professional, currently serving as a property crimes detective and a critical incident investigation team member. Reggie is also a United States Army Veteran, formally serving as an Airborne Infantryman in the 82nd Airborne Division. As a practitioner, Reggie believes the perspective of law enforcement professionals is intrinsic to the conversation surrounding reform. His research interests focus on the area of law enforcement recruitment. He believes appropriate candidate selection will inaugurate more positive outcomes between law enforcement and the community, and he intends to produce research that will shape these outcomes. In his spare time, Reggie enjoys the great outdoors and tackling DIY home renovations.

Erik Estrada is from Boulder, Colorado. He graduated from the University of Colorado-Boulder (B.A.), the University of Colorado-Denver School of Public Affairs (M.P.A.), the University of Denver College of Law (J.D.) and the Boston University School of Law (LL.M.). He is interested in the intersection between the nonprofit, government and for-profit sectors, with a focus on nonprofit organizations, which is why he's pursuing a PhD at the School of Public Affairs. To date, most of his scholarship has focused on philanthropic organizations, including an academic text published by Rowman & Littlefield on nonprofit law and finance. Upon graduating from the University of Colorado-Boulder, Erik bicycled across the United States to raise funds and awareness for people with disabilities. Since that life-changing experience, Erik has been involved with various nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. Erik lives in Louisville, Colorado, with his wife, Sara, and their two kids, Carolyn and Camden.

Noah Huber's career has been guided by a commitment to meaningful public service. Born in Brazil to an American mother, Noah spent his early years navigating diverse cultural landscapes—an experience that galvanized his views on the importance of effective and humane governance. After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Arizona and a Master of Science from CU Boulder, he became Deputy Building Official at CU Boulder, where he champions the resilient, adaptable, and ethical delivery of public services. Now, as a PhD student in Public Affairs, Noah's research focuses on how public administration can incorporate innate and instinctive features of human behavior to advance the cornerstones of public service: equity, efficiency, efficacy, and economy.

Katie Imhoff is a current PhD student and 2024 graduate of the Master of Public Administration program at the University of Colorado Denver’s School of Public Affairs (SPA), where she also serves as the Director of Development for the School. She earned her BA at Wake Forest University, where she studied Politics & International Affairs and Religion & Public Engagement, sparking her enduring interest in understanding how beliefs influence coalitions and policy decisions. Katie’s research focuses on identity-focused policy advocacy, aiming to contribute to inclusive and effective policymaking for marginalized communities. With a background in international development and nonprofit fundraising, Katie’s professional work and academic research focus on building partnerships that support CU Denver’s efforts to become an equity-serving institution. Born and raised in Denver, she is a 200-hour certified yoga teacher, powder day skier, and arts enthusiast who loves spending time outdoors with her pup Finn, exploring used bookstores, and enjoying local restaurants.

Seth Kelly was born and raised in small-town Iowa and graduated from Luther College in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts in History. He composed his senior thesis on his grandfather’s oral history of World War II conscription and service as a supply truck driver. After serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA for a year Seth then coached college cross country and track and field and worked in various roles in running specialty retail. He moved to Colorado in 2011. He graduated from CU Denver School of Public Affairs Accelerated MPA program in 2019 and has since worked as a budget analyst for the City and County of Denver and Jefferson County. Seth looks forward to the forthcoming academic journey of the PhD program and plans to explore interests in public policy and evaluation and public finance. He lives in Lakewood, CO with his wife Erin and young son Henry.

Melat Kiros is originally from Aurora, Colorado. She graduated from Washington College with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics in 2018 and from Notre Dame Law School in 2022. Before starting at the School of Public Affairs PhD program at CU Denver, she worked as a securities regulation attorney in New York and as a communications director for a U.S. congressional campaign in Colorado's 4th District. Melat is interested in studying the efficacy of reparations, universal basic income, and regulatory reform in achieving social, economic, and environmental equity.

Rick Mahoney was born and raised in northern Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. He attended Radford University and received a BS in Recreation, Parks & Tourism, after which he moved to Denver, Colorado, and completed his MBA at the University of Colorado Denver. Rick's primary focus in the PhD program is nonprofit governance and edification. While being the co-founder of a small nonprofit, Rick is interested in researching NPO efficacy in their role in solving societal problems. He wants to develop a framework for understanding and addressing the nonprofit industrial complex. He has worked in various industries and positions throughout his career, most recently as a business analyst, developing operational insights and building automation.

Megan Parker is from the bucolic town of Meeker, Colorado, located on the western slope where her family operated five hundred head of beef cattle. She completed her undergraduate in criminal justice at the University of Colorado Denver with a minor in sociology and legal studies. She received her Master's in criminal justice from SPA, conducting research with Dr. Mary Dodge, analyzing the cogency of deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs) in white-collar crime corporate misconduct cases. Additionally, she contributed to a research project with the Urban Institute on the Social Impact Bond (SIB) housing program. She is currently an instructor for SPA. Her primary interest is in the field of white-collar crime, specifically, understanding how white-collar crime influences societal institutions at government, corporate, and individual levels. The Ph.D. program will enhance her knowledge of how government constraints and policies regulate corrupt organizations and how judicial decisions are rendered when corporate and government entities engage in misconduct. Lastly, she aims to explore how prodigious institutions are structured and operated to ensure policy advancements decrease the conditions that have permitted misconduct to burgeon within these entities. 

Jamie Pratt grew up on the small coastline of New Hampshire and completed a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs and Peace and Reconciliation at the University of Maine. Her passion for conflict resolution and international peace processes led her to move to San Diego, California where she completed her master’s degree in Peace and Justice at the University of San Diego. While living in San Diego, Jamie worked for Junior Achievement, a youth-centered financial literacy nonprofit, and the International Rescue Committee’s refugee financial literacy department. After graduating with her master’s degree, Jamie moved to Boston and began her career in Student Affairs at Northeastern University. Currently, Jamie resides in Westminster, Colorado and works in Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution at CU Boulder. Jamie’s lifelong goal of teaching and educating at the university level has fueled her interest in the Public Affairs PhD program. Jamie’s research interests live along the intersection of gender, violence, and power structures in communities. Specifically, Jamie is intrigued by the importance of engaging masculinities for feminist peace. In her free time, Jamie loves to hike with her rescue dog Maple, and explore Denver and surrounding areas, as she is a new transplant to Colorado!

Trenten Robinson was born and raised in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as a proud alumnus of Widefield High School. Trenten went on to pursue his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science before completing his Master of Arts in Public Policy and Administration, both through Colorado State University in Fort Collins. During his graduate program, Trenten discovered a love for state and local government and has since served in municipal governments across the State of Colorado as well as the Colorado General Assembly. He has spent the last two years working out of the City Manager’s Office in Commerce City, Colorado, wherein he has helped create the “Center for Innovation”, a process improvement and change management consulting firm focused on innovating government processes and services. Trenten will continue to serve in local government while pursuing his Ph.D. before transitioning to teaching and research to support future public servants. Trenten’s research interests include local government management and policy, K-12 education management and policy, organizational theory and leadership, employee motivation and education, workforce development, and personnel management.

Ben Scanlan is from a small suburban town located 20 miles south of Boston, Massachusetts. He completed his undergraduate education at the University of New Hampshire, receiving BAs in Psychology and Justice Studies. His involvement in UNH’s Legal Socialization Lab inspired his interest in academic research.

He moved to Denver in the summer of 2022 to enroll in the University of Colorado Denver’s Master of Criminal Justice program. Living in an urban environment introduced Ben to a wealth of new experiences and led him to become interested in studying the unhoused population and houselessness, more generally. As an MCJ student, he developed collaborative relationships with faculty members including but not limited to Dr. Mary Dodge and Dr. Sheila Huss. The guidance Ben received from his faculty mentors encouraged him to carry out his original research ideas, join ongoing projects, serve as a guest lecturer, and present at an academic research conference.

Ben’s chief goal as a Public Affairs student is to build a more robust understanding of issues relating to housing insecurity by expanding his knowledge of policymaking, political economy, and the relationships between for-profit and non-profit community organizations.

Emma Scheetz is originally from Fort Collins, Colorado. She attended the University of Colorado Boulder for undergrad with a major in Economics and minors in Leadership and Statistics.  In the PhD program, she is interested in studying state environmental policy, particularly in assessing the effectiveness of policies or why people are resistant to strong environmental policies. At the University of Colorado, she was engaged with studies involved with sustainable transportation and she has an interest in the future of transportation in the United States whether that be electric vehicles or public transportation. This past year, she worked as an Americorps volunteer in the city of Seattle supporting low income and first-generation students in their journey towards college graduation. Outside of research and professional interests, she loves being outside, identifying birds and enjoying the many natural spaces in Colorado!

Griff Sickendick was born in Sterling, Colorado, where he graduated from Sterling High School and attended classes at Northeastern Junior College.  After a successful career as an award-winning Chef, he chose to go back to college.  As a First Generation and Non-Traditional Student he earned an AA in General Studies and a certificate in Criminal Justice Operations from the Community College of Aurora.  He then went on to Arizona State University where completed his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Criminology and was accepted into an honors program that allowed him to graduate with his Master of Arts in Criminal Justice and a Graduate Certificate in Corrections Management the following year.  He served as a Sergeant with the Colorado Dept. of Corrections for four years at the Denver Women’s Correctional Facility before becoming a CTE Instructor at the Limon Correctional Facility where he taught Culinary Arts for five years.  For the last three years, he has been a Captain at the Limon Correctional Facility where he oversaw educational programming.  This Fall Griff will become an Assistant Professor at the Community College of Denver where he will teach lower-level criminal justice courses. His background and experience with incarcerated students instilled an interest in researching carceral education and its effects on public safety and recidivism; as well as the intersection of public policy and how it can aid or diminish efforts to create change and opportunity through education.

Britnie Smith is originally from Browns Mills, New Jersey, but is currently based in the D.C. area. She completed her undergraduate studies at Rutgers New Brunswick where she got her BA with a double major in Political Science and Linguistics. She earned her MA in International Affairs and Policy Analysis from American University in addition to Graduate Certifications in Data Science and Social Innovation for Global Impact.

Britnie has worked across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors with a theme of combining empathy and analytics to create social equity and innovation. In the Public Affairs PhD program, Britnie would like to research the outsider systems developed by marginalized groups when they are excluded from participation in mainstream sectors. In her free time, Britnie enjoys reading, painting, and exploring the outdoors with her partner and their dog.

Jennie Szumski is originally from a small town outside of Bloomington, Illinois. She attended Indiana State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a Bachelor of Art in Language Studies in 2016. Jennie taught in public schools in Indiana until 2019, when she moved to Spain to teach English, spending two years in Sevilla and one year in Valencia. In 2022, Jennie returned to the United States to work in International Student Transition and Engagement at the University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus.

Jennie’s research interests include social equity, comparative international policy, and immigration policy, with a particular interest in international student visa issuance policies and outcomes. Jennie lives in downtown Denver, and enjoys taking her cats on walks and rock climbing.

Alex Vidal was born and raised in Tempe, AZ to immigrant parents from Mexico. After attending the local K-12 public schools he attended Arizona State University, where he received a BA in Psychology, after an extended education in the arts and social sciences. His undergraduate studies focused on health science and behavior and after graduating he began a career in human services, working as a Family Support Specialist, a Clinical Research Technician, and a Nutrition Counselor in the WIC program. Alex’s work in health and human services led him to pursue a Master’s in Public Health from Grand Canyon University and for his MPH final practicum Alex applied to and was selected for a Legislative Internship at the Arizona State Legislature. What began as an internship turned into a 5-year career at the legislature that included working as a Legislative Analyst and later as a Lobbyist for the state municipal league. After marrying his wife, Alex and his family moved to Oregon where he worked as a Policy Assistant for the Washington County Board of Commissioners for 2 years before settling in Denver. Alex currently works for the City of Denver as a Policy Analyst and Administrator in the city's Department of Excise and Licenses. He is very excited to lean into his PhD studies and to narrow his area of focus within public affairs. His main areas of interest are elections, public safety (including policing, gun control, and emergency management), regulatory affairs (including food systems, cannabis, and health insurance), and sustainable urban planning focused on improving health outcomes.