MDRC is pleased to welcome two doctoral fellows and one operations intern who have joined us for the summer. The doctoral fellows are Antonieta Castro-Cosío and Megan Madison, and the operations intern is Danielle Cummings.

The fellowships and internship are supported by the Judith Gueron Fund Minority Scholars program, which seeks to engage and encourage individuals from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in the social policy research community. The fellows will receive the advice and support of MDRC’s staff in completing their dissertations. The operations intern will work closely with senior-level staff in the development and implementation of demonstrations and evaluations. All three will participate in the intellectual life of MDRC by attending seminars and project meetings.

Antonieta Castro-Cosío is a PhD student in Public and Urban Policy at the New School in New York City. Her dissertation focuses on the millions of low-income adults in the U.S. who are “unbanked” or “underbanked” and rely on so-called “alternative” financial services, including check cashers, payday lenders, pawnshops, and other high-cost options. A graduate of Tecnológico de Monterrey and the London School of Economics, Castro-Cosío has worked in international sustainable development and as a journalist.

“It is such a privilege to have this opportunity to come to MDRC to work on my dissertation, while learning from so many people who are so passionate and knowledgeable about the work they do,” said Castro-Cosío. “MDRC is such an interesting organization that, in only two weeks, I have been able to get invaluable ideas and insights for my dissertation from experts from academia and policymaking and research!”

Megan Madison is a PhD student in Social Policy at the Heller School at Brandeis University. Her dissertation, tentatively titled “Professionalization Can’t Mean Whitening,” explores the impact of the increasing incorporation of preservice educational requirements on the diversity and stratification of the early care and education workforce.  A graduate of the University of Michigan with a master’s in early childhood education from Dominican University, Madison is a former Head Start teacher and is currently consulting with the Boston Public Schools.

“This experience is so valuable,” said Madison. “This opportunity has really allowed me to treat my dissertation like a ‘job’ this summer — I wake up, come in to the office, and write without distraction. And throughout the week I have multiple opportunities to meet with people who can help me think about my topic, my research methods, and the policy implications of my work.”

The operations intern is Danielle Cummings, who is pursuing a master’s in Public Administration at New York University. A graduate of the University of Florida, she has been on research teams evaluating education, behavioral health, juvenile justice, and community development programs and has worked as a welfare caseworker in Colorado. She served in the Peace Corps in Zambia.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with some of MDRC’s talented staff members,” said Cummings. “I’ve admired MDRC’s work from afar for several years, and it’s a privilege to learn from and contribute to the CUNY Start team this summer.”