IOP names summer internship recipients

Harvard’s Institute of Politics (IOP) recently announced the selection of 12 undergraduate students, chosen from a poll of 184 candidates, for prestigious paid summer political internships. These students will enjoy a unique opportunity to meet with and learn from leading academics, policymakers, and politicians at high-profile organizations to further their understanding of and interest in politics and public affairs.

Under the leadership of IOP Director Dan Glickman, the Director’s Internship Program selects and funds summer interns through a competitive application review and interview process. The IOP will provide the students a stipend – $3,500 for those working in New York City and $3,000 for those working in Boston or Washington, D.C. – to help cover living expenses during the eight- to 10-week internships.

“Internships provide a critical opportunity for students to gain hands-on, real world experience in politics, public policy, and public affairs,” said Glickman. “I hope these summer experiences further engage our students and encourage them to pursue careers in politics and public service.”

This summer’s IOP internship recipients and their host organizations:

Maria Pilar Barreto ’06, Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Washington, D.C.; Mark Beatty ’06, U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, D.C.; Bryce Caswell ’07, Republican National Convention, New York; Deepa Dhume ’04, President’s Council of Economic Advisors, Washington, D.C.; Andrew Frank ’05, Democratic National Convention, Boston; Joseph Hanzich ’06, Office of Sen. Edward Kennedy, Boston; Prital Kadakia ’06, Republican National Convention, New York; Eric Lesser ’07, CNN Inside Politics, Washington, D.C.; Priscilla Orta ’05, Democratic National Convention, Boston; Catherine Owens ’05, The Albright Group, Washington, D.C.; Faryl Ury ’06, ABC News Political Unit, Washington, D.C.; and Rachel Williams ’07, Office of Sen. Chuck Hagel, Washington, D.C.

Interns for the Heritage Foundation, MTV’s Office of Strategic Partnerships, and the White House Project will be selected in the coming weeks.

Additionally, IOP awarded a total of $5,000 in funding to rising seniors conducting research for a thesis in politics or government. The recipients are Nancy Chang for “Evangelism in U.S. Foreign Policy”; Russell Leino for “Evaluating U.S. Military Intervention: The Illicit Narcotics Trade in Post-Invasion Panama”; Alexander Post for “Emergence of Institutional Infrastructure on the Left”; and Brandon Terry for “Black Nationalism.”