Rappaport Institute names fellows

The Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston has awarded 12 summer public policy fellowships to graduate students from seven local universities, including five students from Harvard. The fellows will spend 10 weeks working on projects for public agencies and elected and appointed officials. Additionally, they will help design and carry out a seminar series for their colleagues on key issues facing the region.

The 2007 fellows, chosen from more than 80 applicants, will work on such issues as health care reform, economic development, affordable housing, and special education. The fellows from Harvard include Rebecca Lobb (Harvard School of Public Health [HSPH]), Matthew Mayrl (Kennedy School of Government [KSG]), Audrey Morse (HSPH), Semil Shah (KSG), and Christina Weiland (Graduate School of Education).

Now in its seventh year, the fellowship program encourages graduate students interested in public policy to spend part of their professional careers in state or local government, ideally in Greater Boston. Approximately half of former fellows currently hold public-sector jobs and have remained in the region working in such entities as Boston’s budget office, the Boston School Department, the city of Somerville’s Office of Strategic Planning, and the state Executive Office of Environmental Affairs.

Based at the Kennedy School of Government, the Rappaport Institute aims to improve the governance of the region by strengthening ties between scholars, students, and public officials. The institute was founded and funded by the Jerome Lyle Rappaport Charitable Foundation, which promotes emerging leaders in Greater Boston.