The Georgetown University Institute of Politics and Public Service announced its new class of fellows for the upcoming Spring 2020 semester on Dec. 16.
The fellows include Joe Crowley, who was a Democratic congressman from New York for 20 years; Lily Adams, who served as the communications director for former Democratic presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton; Kata Nocera, D.C. bureau chief for Buzzfeed News; John Rogers, who is the co-founder of Torchlight Strategies and the former executive director of the National Republican Congressional Committee; and Robert Traynham, who works as the head of public affairs for Facebook and was formerly the deputy chief of staff for the Senate Republican Conference.
Every semester, GU Politics hosts five figures from across the political landscape, offering students access to prominent liberal, conservative, and non-partisan voices in the District. Students can access these fellows in weekly discussion groups and office hours. In addition, students can apply to work directly with the fellows in small groups, known as Student Strategy Teams, that help facilitate this discussions and events.
GU Politics manager of fellows and career programming, Paula Pecorella, encouraged students to take advantage of these opportunities with the fellows, as she sees the program as a great opportunity for Georgetown students. “Their expertise and discussion topics could not be more timely, and we know how valuable they will be to our students,” she wrote in a statement to the Voice.
Online reaction to the fellows list has been celebratory, with many praising the class as one of the highest-profile yet. Crowley was previously viewed as a future leader of House Democrats, until his loss in the 2018 Democratic primary to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
In a tweet, Crowley wrote that he is “honored and excited to be a GU Politics fellow for the Spring 2020 semester!”
GU Politics has run the fellowship program since fall 2015, the same year of the Institute’s founding.
Mo Elleithee, executive director of GU Politics, expressed his excitement for the upcoming class of fellows. “The fellows will provide unfettered access for students interested in politics and public policy. Each week they’ll not only share their own experience, but also lead conversations on how the political process can work better,” he wrote in a statement to the Voice.
For all the students aspiring to be future politicians, Elleithee sees this group as valuable mentors. “If you’ve ever wanted to sit down and talk with political leaders about running for office, presidential campaigns, political reporting, or the intersection of tech and politics, this class has you covered,” he wrote.
