MDRC is pleased to welcome a doctoral fellow, an operations intern, and two undergraduate interns who have joined us for the summer: Tommy Wu, Lori-Ann Clementson, Amber Jones, and Indira Sanchez.

The fellowships and internships are supported by the Judith Gueron Fund Scholars program, which seeks to engage and encourage individuals from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in the education and social policy research communities. All fellows and interns participate in the intellectual life of MDRC by attending seminars and project meetings. Doctoral fellows receive the advice and support of MDRC’s staff in completing their dissertations.

Doctoral Fellow

• Tommy Wu is a Ph.D. candidate in Sociology at the City University of New York Graduate Center, with a special interest in labor organizing issues, particularly among immigrant populations, as well as social justice and policy. He holds an M.S. in Urban Planning from Columbia University and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Institute of Technology at Carnegie Mellon University. Tommy’s dissertation investigates the changing nature of paid work in today’s economy and its impact on low-wage worker organizing and labor policies, using as a case study the Chinese restaurant network and the migratory and labor pattern changes it has undergone in recent decades. He is fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese Chinese.

Operations Intern

• Lori-Ann Clementson is an M.A. candidate in Sociology and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, and a former Education Coordinator for Success Academy in Harlem, NY. Her graduate school focus is education policy. At MDRC she will help in launching MDRC’s evaluation of the NYC-based P-Tech 9-14 model, a new K-12 education project working with high schools as they collaborate with local colleges to provide students with an opportunity to earn a high school diploma and college credential and prepare for the workforce. She will also work with MDRC's Operations Work Group helping to build up our training and technical assistance resources.

Undergraduate Interns

Our undergraduate interns, Amber and Indira, will be with us until August 11, working on a variety of projects across all five policy areas, including ExCEL, STED Chicago, Text Ed, Rent Reform, P-TECH, FLASH-V, VIQI, and the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). They will also be supporting Crystal Byndloss in her duties as director for outreach, diversity, and inclusion.

• Amber Jones is a rising senior at the University of Pittsburgh, pursuing her bachelor’s degree in social work. Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, Amber recently returned from five weeks in Cape Town, South Africa, where she studied education and worked in a local school.

• Indira Sanchez is a rising senior at Claremont McKenna College, pursuing her bachelor’s degree in psychology. Born and raised in New York City, Indira is an active participant in the Diversity and Inclusion Board of the student senate of her college.