Meet Our Fellows

Daisy earned her Master of Science degree in Social Policy and Data Analytics from the University of Pennsylvania and her Bachelor of Law degree in International Political Economy from Peking University. 

Her academic and professional work focuses on using data to drive public policy research and decision-making. As a Research Fellow at the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, she contributed to projects addressing housing equity and neighborhood disparities. 

Currently, as a William and Hannah Penn Fellow, Daisy is working with the Pennsylvania Department of General Services on the Surplus Property Modernization project.

Andrew graduated from the University of Delaware, where he earned his Master of Public Administration degree. 

Currently, he serves as the William and Hannah Penn Fellow at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), working in the policy office and focusing on PFAS and other environmental health projects. 

Prior to joining DEP, Andrew worked with the Grant Assistance Program in Delaware, a state-funded initiative that provides free technical grant assistance to local governments for infrastructure initiatives and other competitive and formula grant opportunities.

Diana holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Rutgers University and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning at the University of Pennsylvania. 

She previously served as a Policy Advisor for the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, where she led high-impact initiatives design to catalyze inclusive economic growth, strengthen local economies, and develop innovative financing strategies. 

Her professional experience also includes work at Drexel University’s Nowak Metro Finance Lab, where she contributed to national strategies on urban finance and place-based investments. Diana teaches community development at Temple University’s School of Art and Architecture and planning for climate resilience at Appalachian State University, bridging theory and practice to advance transformative policy. 

As a William and Hannah Penn Fellow at the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, Diana is working in the Office of Policy on the Commonwealth’s housing action plan.

Yevgeni is serving as the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s William and Hannah Penn Fellow in the Office of Policy, where he contributes to updating current regulations addressing Pennsylvania’s 271 licensed ambulatory surgical facilities and to the development of evidence-based health policies and strategies to advance health equity across the Commonwealth. 

Prior to his service with the Department, Yevgeni served as the Supervisor of the Community Wellness Engagement Unit at the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services (DBHIDS), where he led outreach teams, managed program initiatives, built partnerships with community stakeholders, collaborated with various city departments, and analyzed program outcomes to address behavioral health needs and disparities across the city. 

Yevgeni earned his Master of Public Health degree from Drexel University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychological and Social Sciences from Pennsylvania State University. 

Brooklyn holds a Master's degree from Relay Graduate School of Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Franklin & Marshall College. 

She most recently held an executive level non-profit leadership role where she spearheaded cultural change initiatives within the organization. With a background in educational leadership and a passion for public service, she takes interest in the intersections of social systems, policy, and community need. 

Brooklyn is proudly serving as the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs’s (DMVA) first William and Hannah Penn Fellow.

As a key member of the DMVA Keystone Culture team, she will help research and create a positive and sustainable organizational culture by way of the 5-pillar, “One Team, One Mission” Keystone Culture Program change initiative. She will also explore and secure funding opportunities which support key department goals and objectives and develop an induction program to support the DMVA.

Elizabeth graduated from the University of Pennsylvania where she received her undergraduate degree in Visual Studies and Criminology and a Master of Science in Criminology. 

During her graduate studies, Elizabeth’s research involved community violence prevention, restorative justice, and a thesis project examining online crimes against children. 

After completing her M.S. degree, she worked at Loysville Youth Development Center as a Juvenile Justice Specialist and Psychological Services Specialist, supervising and providing treatment to adjudicated youth. 

Elizabeth is currently serving as a William and Hannah Penn Fellow with the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) where she is supporting research and policy within the Office of Gun Violence Prevention. 

Emily holds a Master’s degree in food and agriculture law and policy (MFALP) from Vermont Law School. 

With over a decade of experience in diversity education, food systems equity and resilience, and public policy, Emily joins the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) as the 2025 William and Hannah Penn Fellow. 

Growing up in the Midwest as the granddaughter of a farmer, Emily’s policy interests align with being a champion for sustainable agriculture, food access and security, and for marginalized farmers and producers. 

During her two-year term with PDA, she will be supporting the executive policy team, Bureau of Food Assistance, and the Pennsylvania Food Policy Council, including the development of the Pennsylvania Food Action Plan.

Morgan is a William and Hannah Penn Fellow with the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, where her work involves advancing the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by tax professionals to better serve Pennsylvanians. 

She previously served as an AI Policy Analyst at the White House Office of Management and Budget, where she contributed to the federal government’s first policies on AI governance and risk management and led efforts to expand transparency around federal agency AI use. 

As a Pennsylvania native, Morgan is excited to bring her federal experience back home to the Commonwealth and is passionate about building trust between people, government, and technology.

Morgan holds a Master’s degree in Data Science for Public Policy from Georgetown University and a Bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science from Messiah University.

Christina earned her undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Notre Dame and her Ph.D. in Genetics and Genomics from the University of Michigan. 

During her doctoral studies, she studied the cellular effects of genetic mutations implicated in ultra-rare mitochondrial diseases and completed a graduate certificate in Science, Technology, and Public Policy. 

Christina currently serves as a Governor’s Science and Technology Fellow in the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

Anna attended George Mason University where she received her M.S. in Data Analytics Engineering. Previously, she attended James Madison University, earning her B.S. in Economics and a Bachelor of Music. 

Anna’s interests include machine learning, natural language processing, and transportation policy. 

Currently, she is working as a Governor’s Science and Technology Fellow with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Bureau of Strategic Business Operations, where she is leveraging data analytics to enhance technology in the workforce.

Ebony is a dedicated leader in equitable development, public health, and community engagement. 

She currently serves as a Governor’s Science and Technology Fellow in the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development, where her work focuses on expanding access to capital, technical assistance, and resources for small businesses. 

Ebony’s leadership experience includes serving as Director of Equitable Development and Legislative Assistant for State Representative Morgan Cephas and as Director of Buttons & Bows Child Care Center. Ebony recently earned a Master of Public Health from the University of Pennsylvania. As a PennPraxis Design Fellow, she co-led community-driven urban development projects, and as a Graduate Assistant with Penn’s Center for Public Health, she supported interdisciplinary research. Prior to graduate school, Ebony served as a Health Education Specialist at Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia, delivering health education to children, families, and community members. She also worked as a Coordinator at the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) in Washington, DC, and as a White House Intern for Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Initiative. 

Ebony holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from Temple University and is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES).

John recently received a Master’s in Environmental Policy Design degree and Certificate in Catastrophe Modeling from Lehigh University. His undergraduate degree from Furman University is in Sustainability Science. John has researched and published on the intersection of emerging climate change impacts and social vulnerability throughout his education. 

While at Lehigh, he presented to the United Nations Academic Impact on scalable methods for localizing the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. 

John is currently working as a Governor’s Science and Technology Fellow with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection on environmental justice and improving the PennEnviroScreen tool.

Maya received her M.S. in Education, Development, and Community Engagement and Transdisciplinary Research on Environment and Society from the Pennsylvania State University. 

At Penn State, Maya researched human dimensions of land-use and energy transition in Central Pennsylvania and Eastern Kentucky and supported conservation districts with several educational initiatives on habitat creation and abandoned mine drainage. 

Previously, Maya worked for schools, nonprofits, and research institutes, contributing to inclusive education and community-informed rural development strategies. 

As a Governor’s Science and Technology Fellow at the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Maya is supporting the Untold Stories project by helping the agency broaden its scope to include underrepresented histories on public lands, fostering deeper connection and belonging among the diverse visitors to Pennsylvania’s parks and public lands. She is also developing an accessible, centralized internal database to organize and share stories agencywide.