As the academic year wraps up, the Progress and Poverty Institute is grateful to recognize the five student interns who worked with us in 2025–2026. Their research, analysis, and policy chops have been essential to our work!
Emily Evers is a dual master’s candidate in Public Policy and City & Regional Planning at Rutgers University. A lifelong New Jersey resident, she is passionate about community development, affordable housing, food security, and climate resiliency. Her commitment to public service is reflected in her internship experiences at the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the Governor’s Policy Office, and the Department of Treasury, where she has gained valuable knowledge and experience in developing just, equitable policies for all. She currently works as a Government Affairs Analyst at McCarter & English. In her free time, Emily enjoys hiking, gardening, reading, and cooking!
Jake Papa is a master’s student in public policy from Hamilton, New Jersey, concentrating in environmental policy and sustainability at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers-New Brunswick. He currently interns at the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, while his prior experience includes managing outreach and public information projects related to sustainable development, including proposing a county-wide sustainability newsletter and green purchasing policy. His interests lie in public sector climate action, utility policy, and sustainable planning. Jake received the Progress of Ideas Scholarship in April of 2025. After graduation, he plans to work in utility or environmental policy.
Emily and Jake contributed careful annotations to our forthcoming research paper on land value tax messaging and public opinion.
Alex Koskoski is a Rutgers Master’s of Public Policy student who is interested in environmental policy and energy policy. His work with PPI has also helped him foster his interest in analyzing financial data. He hopes to take a role in energy regulation or government accountability following his graduation in May 2026.
Ameya Majmudar is pursuing his Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning at the Bloustein School, Rutgers University. He is a former systems engineer, then grassroots climate organizer and landscaper. His interest is in the intersection of sustainable, democratic economy and land use, particularly at the regional scale. In the future, he would like to contribute to technical policy writing and long-range planning, and also to continue working communally in the soil
Alex and Ameya jumped in to support PPI’s Maine policy work this year.
Andrew Zuppardi is an ambitious planning student from Staten Island who is highly interested in community engagement, climate resilience, land use, and zoning. He has 5 years of experience using GIS as well as a strong skillset in research and data analysis. He has been proud to have worked on community-focused internship opportunities on Staten Island with New York State Assembly District 61 and the St. George Civic Association. He is graduating this May and hopes to incorporate community engagement into planning to ensure that the public receives clear benefits from green spaces and climate resilience efforts. He is grateful for this scholarship which will allow him to pursue job opportunities in the public and non-profit sectors.
Andrew helped us organize our Gaffney collection.
Thank you, Emily, Jake, Alex, Ameya, and Andrew! We’re excited to see where you go next!
