Two BUSSW Students Named 2026 Rappaport Public Policy Fellows
From group homes to reentry programs, two students from Boston University School of Social Work (BUSSW) are digging into some of Massachusetts’ most pressing child welfare and criminal justice challenges.
Rachel Dooley, PhD student, and Anthony Mejia (SSW ‘27) have been selected for the 2026 Public Policy Summer Fellowship through the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston at Harvard Kennedy School. The competitive 10-week program pairs graduate students from universities across the region with public sector agencies to lead independent civic research projects.
The fellowship’s goal is to improve the governance of Greater Boston by developing emerging leaders and generating practical policy ideas. Each fellow receives a stipend to support their placement, and all fellows participate in weekly seminars and meet regularly with peers across the Rappaport program.
Dooley will be placed with the Massachusetts Office of the Child Advocate, where she will examine the educational experiences of youth living in group homes across the state. Her research will center on interviews with staff about the barriers young people face in staying on track academically while in out-of-home placement.
Mejia will work with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, focusing on reentry coordination for individuals leaving state Department of Correction facilities under parole supervision. His project will examine how oftenpeople leaving incarceration are connected to reentry supports like housing, behavioral health treatment, and employment assistance, and where gaps in that coordination persist.
To see the full list of 2026 Rappaport Public Policy Fellows and their placements, visit the Rappaport Institute’s Current Fellows page.
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