Current Students
Graduate Student Representatives (GSR)
GSRs facilitate mechanisms and spaces by which students in the program can contribute to discussions about the program and degree. In this capacity they serve as a resource to other students and the program director.
- GSRs for the 2022-2023 cohort: Christy Darley, Dawn Weimer, and Shaunice Wilson.
Current Students
Read about some of our dynamic Policy Studies students and their interests.
2022 Cohort
Sofia Anderson
Degrees
BA in Ethics and Human Behaviors, University of Washington Bothell; AAS in Liberal Arts and Sciences, Bellevue College
Research Interests
Digital Education Policy, Youth Suicide, Digital Media & Youth Growth, Women Invisibility
Snapshot
Sofia Anderson is a Washington State resident. Raised at the foot of the Cascades, she began her teaching career at seventeen through a non-profit. As an undergraduate at the University of Washington, she grew her connections and landed a role working as an educator and operational support staff at an academic institution in Seattle during and after the Covid 19 pandemic. In her last year of her bachelor’s, Sofi worked as a policy intern at a New York-based research institution. She was focused on analyzing and meeting with members of the senate and congress, alongside doctors, specialists, and scholars. Helping to focus policy research on digital education and child development. She is now taking the time to focus on her policy research through the University of Washington.
Noah Carper
Degrees
BA in Law, Economics, and Public Policy and a minor in Human Rights, University of Washington Bothell
Research Interests
Foreign Policy, Sustainable & Responsible Economic Growth and Development, Criminal Justice Reform, Affordable Housing, and Immigration Law
Snapshot
Noah Carper was born in Washington State and has spent his entire life living here. Prior to UWB, he attended and graduated from Ilwaco High School where he first learned to value the smaller community experience that UWB provides. Noah spent all four years of undergrad at UWB and has loved every second of it. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, camping, and spending time outside. His interest in the MAPS program stems from wanting to understand how policy is created and used in our everyday lives. One day, he hopes to work within policy development to help change the world one small step at a time.
Nate Samuelson
Degrees
BA in Environmental Studies, University of Washington Bothell
Research Interests
Urban Wildlife Conservation, Sustainable Development, Environmental Justice
Snapshot
I am a Pacific Northwest native and lived in the Seattle area until was 10. I moved to Europe for two years with my family while my parents worked abroad, after which we moved to Utah where I attended middle school and high school. I have been living in the Seattle area since I graduated high school in 2011. My interests in wildlife and the outdoors led me to pursue my degree in environmental studies, and my travels abroad have given me an appreciation for foreign cultures and the ways in which others interact with the natural world.
I have been working with Dr. David Stokes as a research assistant and project coordinator on wildlife studies in the Northshore area of Bothell, Kenmore, and Kirkland since 2018. In 2020 we began a camera trap study called the Northshore Wildlife Science Network (NWSN) which uses citizen scientists to monitor and record camera data. We currently have over 30 wildlife cameras deployed across our study area and have recorded over 6,000 occurrences of wildlife.
Shaunice Wilson
Degrees
BA in Public Affairs with a concentration in International Development, Seattle University
Research Interests
Equitable Development Policy with an emphasis on community-based solutions to displacement and economic development
Snapshot
Since graduating from Seattle University in 2017, Shaunice has been working in public service to support the diverse communities of King County. As a native of Renton, WA, she understood the need and felt a calling to support her community in gaining access to vital resources and support – helping them to live healthier and happier lives. During the start of the pandemic, she decided to make the switch from the non-profit sector back to the government sector; gaining insights and expanding her knowledge of the role local government plays in both providing regional services and supporting the well-being of our community – especially during a global pandemic. She hopes to take the knowledge she will obtain from her MAPS coursework and capstone project to craft policy and co-create solutions to problems related to economic development and the displacement of our black and brown communities.
Dawn Weimer
Degrees
BA in Environmental Policy with a minor in Environmental Science, Western Washington University; AA at Everret Community College
Research Interests
Environmental and Social Justice; Water Resources: Conflict, Conservation, and Quality
Snapshot
I am a native of Washington State and a first-generation college student. Having left home prior to legal adulthood, it took me some time to return to the academic world, but I knew it would play a big part in my life. In 2013 I received my GED so I could attend college. Dabbling, I took a Global Studies course while earning my AA at Everett Community College. After reading the required text: Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism by Richard Robbins, I became passionate about environmental impacts and went on to Western for my undergraduate in Environmental Policy. Post MAPS, I hope to further my academics or begin a career in public service in Environmental Planning, Conservation, Natural Resource Management, or similar.
2021 Cohort
Travis Garvin
Degrees
BA in Law and Justice, Central Washington University
Research Interests
Veterans Affairs, Green Economic and Sustainable Growth Policies
Snapshot
Travis Garvin was born and raised in Washington State. After graduating from Lake Stevens High School he attended Central Washington University completing a degree in Law and Justice. He then joined the United States Army serving in various places around the country and the middle east. After exiting the Army he worked as a security contractor where he increasingly became aware of not only Veterans issues but the issues facing the public at large. This motivated him to attend the 2021-22 MAPS program as well as continue his work with the Roy Williams foundation for veterans and first responders.