News
Announcing the Class of 2021 Wilder Fellows
By Briana Williams
The Wilder School is pleased to announce the 2021 cohort of the Wilder Graduate Scholars’ Fellowship Program which includes a talented and dynamic class of eleven students from diverse backgrounds and programs.
Launched in 2006, the Wilder Fellowship has continued to serve as a valuable connection between state agencies, nonprofit organizations and the school's exceptional master’s students. The 2021 cohort represents the school’s public administration and urban and regional planning programs.
“As Dean Gooden catapulted this dynamic fellowship experience for our graduate students over fourteen years ago, the momentum for career advancement and graduate education continues to flourish,” said Shajuana Isom-Payne, assistant dean of student services, which administers the program.
“As Dean Gooden catapulted this dynamic fellowship experience for our graduate students over fourteen years ago, the momentum for career advancement and graduate education continues to flourish,” said Shajuana Isom-Payne, assistant dean of student services, which administers the program.
“This fellowship is a significantly impactful flagship program of the Wilder School that fosters the success of our next generation of leaders in public policy. The Wilder Graduate Scholars’ Fellowship has produced over 145 fellowships awarded providing funding for graduate education exceeding $4 million.”In the wake of COVID-19, last year’s fellows worked remotely and attended professional development virtually via Zoom, but this year’s cohort will return in-person. Fellows will receive one year of tuition assistance and a generous stipend during the academic year in exchange for 20 hours of professional service with their host nonprofit or government agency. Fellows will gain the opportunity to learn and apply their skills in assisting with special projects and provide program support to organizations that advance the public good.
The Wilder Graduate Scholars’ Fellows are supported by the generous contributions of the 2021 host agencies which include the Virginia Department of Corrections, the VCU RVA Eviction Lab, Housing Opportunities Unlimited, the Wilder School’s Performance Management Group and Survey Evaluation & Research Laboratory.
“Even with the excitement of returning to direct on-site experiences for our graduate students, university guidelines regarding staying safe for off-campus experiences remain a key focus to ensure the safety of our students,” said Isom-Payne. “Along with the university requirement for all students to be vaccinated, masks are highly encouraged while indoors at the fellowship site, and each Wilder Fellow and sponsoring agency has reviewed and will be adhering to the health & safety protocols recommended by the university. Our sponsoring agencies and students were eager to return to an onsite fellowship experience.”
The Wilder Graduate Scholar Fellowship program is nationally recognized and the cornerstone of the Wilder School graduate student experience. The program showcases the exemplary programming of the school’s student services units and the extraordinary student body of our nationally ranked school of public affairs.
The 2021 Class of Wilder Graduate Scholar Fellows and their host organizations include:
- Whitney Hubbard Brown of Richmond, Va., a second-year master’s student in Public Administration, has been appointed to Housing Opportunities Unlimited. Brown holds a B.S. in Science from Penn State University with a focus on legal studies, government services and public policy and recently served as a Virginia Governor’s Fellow and was appointed as special assistant to the Secretary of Administration. Whitney is also assistant junior varsity and varsity basketball coach at her former high school, Maggie L. Walker Governor's School.
- Sarah Delaney of Richmond, Va., a second-year master’s student in Public Administration, has been appointed to the Wilder Performance Management Group. Delaney holds a B.A. in English Literature and Creative Writing from Colorado College and currently volunteers with ReEstablish Richmond as a Swahili interpreter for refugee families who have recently relocated to the greater Richmond area. In her free time, Sarah enjoys running, hiking, skiing and exploring the James River with her Black Lab, Koto.
- Tessa Demarest of Virginia Beach, Va., a first-year master’s student in Public Administration, has been appointed to the Virginia Department of Corrections, Strategic Planning Research Unit. Demarest holds a B.A. and B.S. from Virginia Commonwealth University and hopes to work for the public or nonprofit sector as a policy analyst in education reform, housing reform or environmental justice. Tessa also enjoys gardening at home and as a volunteer at the VCU Living Learning Garden.
- Maria Dougherty of Louisville, Ky., a second-year master’s student in Urban and Regional Planning, has been appointed to the RVA Eviction Lab. Dougherty holds a joint degree B.A. in English from William and Mary and the University of St. Andrews). Maria’s academic interests include climate change mitigation, social justice and community engagement. She hopes to work with a city planning department focused on urban design and sustainability initiatives. Maria’s hobbies include swimming, rock climbing, writing poems, painting, ice skating, fire dancing, traveling and more.
- Colin Dwyer of Culpeper, Va., a first-year master’s student in student Public Administration, has been appointed to the Virginia Department of Corrections Health Services Unit. Dwyer holds a B.A. in Communication Studies from Roanoke College and intends to work in state government with a particular interest in health-related public policy. Colin spends much of his free time cycling, but also plays the guitar, banjo and piano.
- Noah Holmes Foster of Fredericksburg, Va., a second-year master’s student in Urban and Regional Planning, has been appointed to the VADOC, Statistical Analysis and Forecast. Foster holds a B.S. in Urban and Regional Studies from the Wilder School at Virginia Commonwealth University and hopes to gain experience working in both public and private sector roles, helping underserved communities reach their full potential. Foster’s interests include equitable food-oriented development, pedestrian-oriented design and anti-displacement policy. Noah currently serves as the community outreach coordinator for the Urban and Regional Planning Student Association.
- Samuel Montana of Fredericksburg, Va., a second-year master’s student in Public Administration, has been appointed to the Virginia Department of Corrections, Special Project Research. Montana holds a B.A. in Sociology and Media Studies from Radford University and aspires to work as a public servant for government bodies and departments to help better the lives of American citizens. Montana recalled being most proud of working on the Peaceline Project for the Radford City Women’s Resource Center, in which regional data was compiled and cleaned to help the center provide care and support to local women.
- Kerry Ramos of Kensington, Md., a first-year master’s student in Urban and Regional Planning, has been appointed to the Virginia Department of Corrections,Chief of Corrections Operations. Ramos holds a B.S. in Geographic Science and B.S. Urban Ecology and Spatial Analysis with a minor in Environmental Studies from James Madison University. Ramos’ professional interests include transportation, sustainability and wildlife management and hopes to help cities become the best versions of themselves. Ramos recently served as planning intern for the Greater Richmond Transit Company.
- Aarti Rijhwani of Springfield, Va., a first-year master’s student in Public Administration, has been appointed to the Wilder School Survey Evaluation and Research Laboratory. Rijhwani holds a B.A. in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University and aspires to become a policy analyst for a federal agency. Aarti currently serves as secretary of Metro Richmond Area Young Democrats.
- Carl Warf of Nokesville, Va., a first-year master’s student in Public Administration, has been appointed to the Virginia Department of Corrections, Chief of Corrections Operations. Warf holds a B.A. in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University and top professional interests include public administration, global, national security and foreign policy and domestic financial markets. Carl is a member of the VCU Public Administration Student Association, as well as a contributing writer for the VCU Pre-Law Society Legal Blog.
- Hannah Woehrle of Rockville, Md., a first-year master’s in Urban and Regional Planning, has been appointed to the RVA Eviction Lab. Woehrle holds a B.A. in Communications and Digital Studies from the University of Mary Washington and hopes to pursue a doctorate degree in an Urban Geography Ph.D. program. Hannah aspires to teach at the undergraduate level as well as help develop accessible youth programming in urban environments.
Applications for the 2022-2023 academic year will open from January 18 - March 15.
Questions? Please email wilderfellows@vcu.edu or call the Office of Student Success at 804-827-2791.