Meet our PhD students

Students in the PhD in Public Affairs program at the School of Public Affairs are motivated to serve their communities through research, teaching, and practice. They receive advanced training in theories and methods related to public administration, public management, public policy, political economy, policy analysis, research design, and multi-method data collection and analysis. They conduct research on various topics such as public finance, environmental policy, non-profit management, criminal justice and criminology, education policy, public health, and social policy.

Our PhD students and faculty support one another in professional and academic excellence. One example of our supportive environment is the School of Public Affairs PhD Student Association (SPAPSA), which is a student-led association with a mission to establish a community of students who support each other through the sharing of experience and knowledge across PhD cohorts.

Our students also receive a host of opportunities for further engagement and development through conference attendance, fellowships and scholarships, and publishing with faculty. Additionally, our faculty regularly host trainings, panels, and other extra-curricular opportunities specifically for PhD students. The School of Public Affairs community creates a space where PhD students are empowered to continually learn and grow as they learn new and innovative ways of serving local, state, national, and international communities.

PhD students on the job market

Students who are on the job market have completed their coursework and preliminary exam and are in the process of defending their dissertation and applying for academic or practitioner positions.

PhD candidates

PhD candidates have completed the course requirements of the program and passed their preliminary exam. They have either completed or will soon complete their colloquium.

Karen Aarestad, MBA is an Assistant Vice Chancellor for Advancement at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and a PhD student at the CU Denver School of Public Affairs. Her research interests revolve around the intersections between the public, private and non-profit sectors – especially in relation to healthcare and the role of philanthropy in advancing medical research and community health outcomes. Prior to her current role at the University of Colorado, she worked in non-profit management and higher education fundraising for more than 20 years in the United States and United Kingdom (at the London Business School, University of Oxford and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge University). She is now responsible for strategic fundraising management and alumni relations for the five health professional schools and colleges on the medical campus (Medicine, Nursing, Public Health, Dental Medicine and Pharmacy) as well as inter-professional education initiatives.

Tierney Bamrick is interested in understanding how policy, nonprofit practice, and innovative organizational models can facilitate a more equitable arts and culture sector. Her experience in the arts sector has been varied, beginning as a professional opera singer, moving into arts administration and marketing, and most recently as a researcher focused on arts equity. She has an undergraduate degree 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. Her sociology master’s thesis was an ethnography of an emerging Black art nonprofit in the US South, wherein she documented how the group’s value-centric approaches to art- and organization-making require a break from dominant sectoral paradigms and practices, highlighting the need for asset-focused organizational models. Tierney was raised in Buffalo, New York and Memphis, Tennessee, and–after a bit of moving around the country–she and her partner (and their very cute but nervous dog) are very excited to be back in Colorado.

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.

Emily Brixey is a current Ph.D. student with research interests in public finance. Emily has presented her research at public affairs conferences including the annual conferences for the Association for Budgeting and Financial Management and the American Society for Public Administration. In the 2018-2019 school year, Emily served as the Co-President of the School of Public Affairs Ph.D. Student Association. In addition to her role as a Ph.D. student, Emily is also a policy researcher for a nonpartisan education policy research organization.

Jeff Burton brings over 20 years of experience as a senior leader and director of real estate asset management entities, with direct responsibility for affordable housing oversight activities in both the public and private sectors. A native of Wyoming, Jeff honorably served seven years with the U.S. Navy before beginning his housing career.

As the President and Founder of American Dream Development (ADA), Jeff focused on building and developing affordable housing in rural communities, specifically those impacted by Dept. of Defense Base Realignment and Closure. Over a three-year period, the organization developed more than six million dollars of affordable housing units.

Jeff’s company was chosen from numerous contractors to participate on Extreme Makeover Home Edition: Chapman, KS. ADA donated materials, helped construct a new home for an injured veteran and his family, and even rebuilt sections of town devastated by a F5 tornado.

An accomplished writer and dynamic public speaker, Jeff has written articles for: Developer Magazine, Professional Builder and Military Family Magazine. He has been an invited speaker at many conferences, including: National Non-Profit Roundtables, Colorado Housing Now, the Colorado Mortgage Banker’s conference, and the U.S. Army Housing Academy.

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.

Leigh D. Espy is a PhD candidate at the University of Colorado-Denver's School of Public Affairs. Her primary research interests include the ways story, storytelling, identity, and pop-culture influence and illustrate public administration theory and praxis. She is also interested academically and professionally in issues associated with environmental policy and organization theory. She frequently acts as a mentor, both formally and informally, for students and professional colleagues, has presented her research at several national conferences, and provided peer-review for multiple journals. Leigh has over twenty-eight years of federal and state government experience in a range of administrative, resource management, and emergency response programs. She envisions working as a pracademic, weaving together both her professional and academic interests after earning her PhD. Leigh holds a Master's in Marine Affairs from the University of Washington's School of Marine Affairs and a Bachelor of Arts from the College of William and Mary in Virginia.

Erik Fuller is a sixth-year PhD student in the School of Public Affairs. His research interests center on governance and equity questions in the area of education policy. During his time at SPA, Erik has conducted research within the university, under the Center for Education Policy Analysis and the Buechner Institute for Governance, and for the state's Education Leadership Council. Erik holds an M.A. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Colorado Denver and spent 15 years as a classroom teacher in metro-area public schools before joining the PhD program.

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.

Sarah is a PhD student at the School of Public Affairs, and her research interests include the policy paradigms and public values that shape the K-12 public education system and create tensions between different levels of the system. She has a BA from the University of Michigan and worked as an elementary school teacher for three years. Sarah currently works as the Director of Policy Research and Strategic Initiatives at KnowledgeWorks, where she supports the organization’s state policy work through deep dives into state education policies and national scans around K-12 education trends.

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.

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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.

Aerang Nam is a PhD student and research assistant in the School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado Denver. Her research interests center on environmental and energy policy, including nuclear energy and renewable resources, polarization and conflict, and behaviors of policy actors. She is particularly interested in discourse networks, narratives, and emotions in the policy process. She currently serves as Co-President of the School of Public Affairs PhD Student Association. Prior to joining the doctoral program of the University of Colorado Denver, she worked as a finance and accounting analyst at Korea Electric Power Corporation. She is a certified Data Processing Engineer in Korea. Aerang holds a Master of Public Policy from Seoul National University.

Stephanie Puello is a fourth-year PhD candidate at the University of Colorado Denver’s School of Public Affairs. She is broadly interested in studying how state mechanisms yield and reinforce patterns of inequitable outcomes and democratic backsliding. She is also interested in public engagement in civic affairs and the role of public opinion in public policy. Her dissertation examines state voting rights restoration laws for citizens with prior felony convictions, proximal voter turnout, and the moderating role of local election officials. Stephanie is a 2022 American University Summer Diversity Academy Fellow, 2022 and 2019 Pforzheimer National Civic League Fellow, 2020 APPAM Equity and Inclusion Fellow, and 2019 Public Administration Theory Network Fellow. She served a two-year term as a Mayoral-appointed Commissioner with the City & County of Denver’s Women’s Commission and is an AmeriCorps VISTA alum. She earned a Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Denver and an undergraduate degree in Political Science from Florida International University.

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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.

Kristin Wegner is a PhD candidate in the School of Public Affairs. Her dissertation focuses on energy policy in cities in the United States. She has a B.S. in Civil/Environmental Engineering from Purdue University, an M.A. in Environmental Leadership from Naropa University, and studied in Colombia, South America as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. She has 15 years of experience leading technology innovation and research programs in more than 100 countries.

Josh Young is a PhD student at the School of Public Affairs (SPA). Additionally, he is a 2016 graduate of the Executive Master of Public Administration program and an occasional adjunct instructor at SPA. His professional research interests concern the administration of science organizations and research infrastructure. In addition, he is the executive director of Phoenix Bioinformatics, a nonprofit focused on providing sustainable funding models for research infrastructure. Prior work experience includes community services for an atmospheric research organization and managing the program office for an interagency committee focused on ocean observations. Earlier work experience included the fields of coastal zone management and wildlife management. In addition to the MPA from SPA, he has a Master's in Environmental Science from the College of Charleston and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Lees-McRae College.

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).

PhD students

These students are currently completing the course requirements for the PhD program and have not yet taken their preliminary exam.

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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.

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 life seems to have been written according to bumper sticker, "not all who wander are lost”. Born in Brazil in the 1970s to an American mother, Noah was seen as a foreigner both in his birthplace and upon returning to the United States in 1989. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Arizona and a Master of Science degree from CU Boulder. Currently, Noah works at CU Boulder as the Deputy Building Official, where he has developed a deep conviction that public services must be engineered to be resilient and adaptable to serve the public good effectively. In his pursuit of this goal, Noah has turned to the Doctoral Program in Public Affairs, which he sees as a synthesis of his past and present life lessons and a clear path to serving his community and country. When not working or studying, Noah can be found at home in Longmont, Colorado, with his partner and their three children, all under 10 years old. The family moved to Colorado sight-unseen in pursuit of quality time in the backcountry of the Rocky Mountains. They are fortunate to have found a little piece of their dreams here on the Front Range.

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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.

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.

Joe Peters is an attorney with the Colorado Department of Law, providing general counsel services to the Department of Education, State Board of Education, and Charter School Institute. He previously worked at the Colorado Supreme Court, U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, the IRS Office of Chief Counsel, the Colorado General Assembly, and various political campaigns. Joe graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder (BA, 2004), the George Washington University (JD, 2010), and the University of Colorado at Denver (MPA, 2018). Outside of work, Joe co-chairs the Colorado Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society, leaves the country as often as he can afford, and attempts to keep up with his way-too-active wife and dogs.

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.

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!

Kristian Schmidt is from Dover, Delaware. He is a proud graduate of Delaware State University, an HBCU. He earned his undergraduate degree in journalism. Kristian went on to earn his first master’s degree in Secondary Education. He taught American History, Civics, and Geography at Cape Henlopen High School, located in the coastal town of Lewes, Delaware. Kristian was first introduced to policies that profoundly impacted teachers and students. He pursued a second master’s degree at the Joseph R. Biden Jr. School of Public Policy on the campus of the University of Delaware. While serving as a research and teaching assistant, he earned his master’s degree in Urban Affairs and Public Policy. His research interests include housing policy, education policy, and social justice. His thesis focuses on the former Home Owner’s Loan Corporation practice of redlining and the impact on social vulnerabilities in Richmond, Virginia. He plans to use similar research methods to analyze residential policies and their potential effects on health outcomes and public education.

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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.

Betsy Smith is a PhD student 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.

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.

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.

SPA-Portrait-PhD-Student-Yohn-Hope-08-2022-300x300

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.

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Recent PhD placements

Pawinee Chuayprakong
National Institute of Development Administration, Thailand

Daniel Costie
Eastern Oregon University

Ida Drury
University of Colorado Anschutz

Vanessa Fenley
Focus Strategies

Nuriel Heckler
University of Nebraska Omaha

Sojin Jang
The University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Jihye Jung
Hainan University-Arizona State University International Tourism College

Jennifer Kagan
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Juniper Katz
University of Massachusetts Amherst

Alan Kennedy
William & Mary

Alexis Kennedy
Colorado State University

Sojeong Kim
Soongsil University, South Korea

Samantha Larson
University of Wisconsin OshKosh

Sean McCandless
University of Texas at Dallas

Kristin Olofsson
Colorado State University

Alex Osei-Kojo
University of Tennessee

Kyudong “KD” Park
Kwangwoon University, South Korea

Samantha Temple
Colorado School of Mines

Maren Trochmann
College of Charleston

Laura Wolton
Oregon Legislative Policy Research Office

Jongeun You
Northern Michigan University

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Aerang Nam

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Crystal Soderman

Aislinn Walsh

Kristin Wegner

Joshua Young

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Molly Bilker

David Braz

Reggie English

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Emma Scheetz

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Betsy Smith

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