Empowering student leaders is essential to achieving APPAM's mission of improving public policy and management by fostering excellence in research, analysis and education. Learn more about how students can get involved in APPAM below.
The Policy Council works on behalf of thousands of APPAM members to improve public policy and management by fostering excellence in research, analysis and education. The Policy Council is the association’s main governing body, or its Board of Directors. Serving on the Policy Council is one of APPAM’s ultimate honors because of the responsibilities it confers. Policy Council leaders set the organization’s overall agenda and execute its strategic plan.
Two seats for student members of APPAM are available on the Policy Council. The two seats are staggered, and one of the current two students members will complete their term and rotate off the Policy Council at the end of the year. Candidates for Student Representative must be nominated and selected for the Policy Council.
Nominations:
- The student must be a current, in good standing member of APPAM.
- They need to be a student at the time of appointment, but not necessarily throughout their entire 2-year term.
- They will be a full voting member of the Policy Council upon appointment.
- APPAM covers travel costs and lodging for all Policy Council meetings. The student is expected to attend all Policy Council meetings in person.
- Only current institutional members may nominate students
- The appointee will be chosen in mid to late January and announced in conjunction with the rest of the Policy Council election results.
- Nominations must include a resume/CV and a letter of recommendation from a professor in the program, but need not be from the institutional representative.
- Nominations must be submitted to Tara Sheehan via email by Wednesday, January 14, 2026.
Current Student Representatives:
The Student Activities Committee (SAC) oversees student activities, programs, and student sessions at the Annual Fall Research Conference. It considers ways to strengthen student representation in all APPAM activities and events. The committee is responsible for reviewing student research papers and posters, hosting professional development webinars throughout the year, hosting the Fall Conference Student Mixer and professional development sessions, and supporting other student activities. The committee is entirely composed of students and includes one student member of the Policy Council.
SAC Selection Process:
Nominees who are not selected for the 2026 – 2027 Policy Council Student Representative role will be automatically considered for a position on SAC.
2025 Student Activities Committee Members :
Jordy Coutin, University of Southern California
Calaia Jackson, University of Delaware
Vishal Jamkar, University of Minnesota
Warren Lowell, Duke University (chair)
Paula Omokhomion, University of California, Riverside
Antonia Vazquez, University of Texas at Austin
Madeline Yozwiak, Indiana University
APPAM is pleased to introduce the Data Analyst committee member student leadership position in 2026. This individual will attend all APPAM Membership committee virtual meetings (approx. 6 per year, one every other month) and may be asked to attend other committee meetings as needed. Applicants will be notified in February 2026. The official term is February through December 2026.
Why Apply? This is a great opportunity for PhD student members to receive leadership & data analysis experience while working closely with the APPAM policy council. They will play a critical role in cleaning & analyzing important & confidential data for the organization. In addition to adding a leadership role to their resume, this individual will also receive the following benefits at #2026APPAM in Boston, MA, next November 5-7:
Since this role requires data analysis expertise & the individual will be working on multiple projects throughout the year, they will be compensated $30 per hour for data analysis projects (they will not be paid for attending committee meetings).
Project Examples: Tasks will be assigned in early 2026 and will center on conference submission, acceptance, attendance, and membership data. For example:
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Percentage of accepted individuals who attend the conference & how this changes by location.
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International submission rates over the last 10 years & how they compare to our international membership during the same timeframe.
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Submission & acceptance demographic breakdowns.
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Demographic trends of graced & lapsed members compared to active members.
Requirements & Expectations:
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Must be a current APPAM PhD student member in good standing throughout the 2026 year.
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Must be from an APPAM Institutional Member school with a nomination letter from a current faculty member.
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Must be proficient in Excel.
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Must be able to analyze large datasets from various databases, synthesize inferences from the data, then prepare presentations & reports for the APPAM leadership team.
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Must attend all 2026 APPAM Membership Committee virtual committee meetings (approximately six meetings/year taking place via Zoom).
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Complete all assigned tasks in a timely fashion.
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Must have strong communication, organization, time management, & data analysis skills.
Data Analyst Application Deadline: Wednesday, January 14, 2026. If you have questions, please email: [email protected].
The APPAM Annual Fall Research Conference can be an overwhelming experience, particularly for first-time attendees and students who may not know how to make the most of their conference experience and the opportunities it offers.
The APPAM Student Ambassadors Program is designed to make the annual meeting more approachable and provide a positive, welcoming experience for conference attendees.
Ambassadors are active student members who are highly knowledgeable about the association. They are willing to commit to volunteering: serving as panel chairs, Ignite Session hosts, assisting conference attendees, and serving and supporting the conference where needed.
Become an APPAM Ambassador and share your knowledge about APPAM, your graduate program, your research, and a little of your time by volunteering to help with one or more tasks during the conference.
Program Benefits:
- Opportunity to attend the APPAM Fall Research Conference.
- Waived conference registration fee.
- Opportunity to connect with a member of APPAM leadership.
- A personal letter from the President-Elect to your dean to acknowledge your contributions.
Eligibility:
- Must be enrolled in a Master's or PhD program. Postdoctoral students are not eligible for the Student Ambassador Program.
- Must be an active APPAM student member for at least two years.
- Must have attended at least two APPAM conferences.
- Willingness to serve in various volunteer roles.
Time Commitment:
- One-hour orientation before Fall Research Conference.
- Leading and speaking at one informal Ignite Chats at the Student Lounge (30 minutes)
- Facilitating a Peer Roundtable (30 minutes)
- Chairing a panel session of your choosing (90 minutes)
- Providing support to APPAM staff during the conference; this can include working at the APPAM booth, taking room counts for sessions, or directing attendees in between events (1 hour)
- The term for all Ambassadors lasts the duration of the Annual Conference
2025 Student Ambassadors
Elizabeth Aritonang
University of Texas at Austin
Blessing Asuquo-Ekpo
Jackson State University
Evan Bennett
University of Pennsylvania
Emilio Castañeda
University of Washington
Richard Dunks
The University of Texas at Dallas
Lindsay Dusard
University of Pennsylvania
Ojooluwa Ibiloye
University of Delaware
Olumayowa Idowu
Clemson University
Cade Lawson
Georgia State University
John Natoli-Henry
Florida State University
Albert Okwei
Virginia Commonwealth University
Gabrielle Sorresso
Cornell University
Victoria Wyant
University of Pittsburgh
For more information, contact [email protected]