For many years, interns have played an important role at Public Policy Associates. Through our long-term relationship with Michigan State University and the Rackham Graduate School Intern Fellowship Program at the University of Michigan, each selected intern gets experience with projects and staff expertise. Some interns have joined our staff after graduation, and others have gone on to other successful careers in academia, government, and community organizations. This month, PPA welcomes two new interns.
Maren Miriam Spolum
Maren Miriam Spolum is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Equity at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health, as well as a demography trainee in the Population Studies Center within UM’s Institute for Social Research. She earned both a Master of Public Policy and Master of Public Health from the University of Michigan. She received her BA in History, Philosophy and the Social Studies of Science and Medicine from the University of Chicago.
Ms. Spolum is interested in how changes in U.S political economy impact population health. Her dissertation research traces the historical and political conditions giving rise to neoliberalism within the U.S., and the role and impact that political philosophy, its incorporation into US political economy and subsequent policies have had in the social patterning of health inequities across the country.
Kaitlyn Zastrow
Kaitlyn Zastrow is pursuing her master’s degree in social work with an organization and community leadership concentration from Michigan State University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in social work, with a minor in interdisciplinary studies, from Saginaw Valley State University.
Ms. brings strengths in research, organization, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. Her social work background supports a thoughtful, person-centered approach to understanding complex issues and identifying practical solutions. Her areas of interest include program evaluation, public policy, organizational improvement, and community-based research. She is particularly interested in using research and evaluation to strengthen human service programs and inform effective policies and practices.