Congressional Progressive Caucus Fellowship

In 2007, AUNE's Advocacy for Social Justice and Sustainability concentration launched a first-of-its-kind fellowship in cooperation with the 80-plus member US Congressional Progressive Caucus. Antioch University New England's Fellowship allows at least one ASJS student or alum to work in Washington, DC, for the Caucus and its members every summer. As the Fellowship entered its fifth year, CPC co-chair and Representative Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ), ranking member of the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, said, “We are pleased to see this partnership continue. Antioch University New England’s Advocacy for Social Justice and Sustainability program Fellow will help caucus members address a wide variety of urgent public policy challenges, from the local to the international levels.” AUNE is the only academic institution in the country to host this type of learning and professional development opportunity with the CPC.

Fellowship Recipients

Kendra Ulrich - 2011
Ulrich is the New Hampshire organizer for the Safe and Green campaign, focusing on the responsible decommissioning of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, scheduled for March 2012. She is slated to graduate from AUNE in May 2012, with an MS in Environmental Studies and an ASJS concentration.

Before coming to AUNE, Ulrich spent four years as a full-time grassroots organizer for environmental justice issues. As part of her work with a nationwide network of environmental nonprofits, she provided leadership and campaign support to organizations in several states and worked on direct-polluter pressure campaigns as well as state and federal environmental initiatives.

Ulrich grew up in the Cleveland, Ohio, area and is a 2006 graduate of Ohio State University, where she studied political science and women's studies. She is committed to creating a sustainable society and ensuring environmental equality for all people. (Read the full news article about Kendra)

Read Kendra's Hill journal entries.

Wendy Stott - 2010
Wendy hails from Cape Girardeau, Missouri. She is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, where she studied anthropology and philosophy. After graduating in 2005 she worked as a case manager for Child Protective Services in Phoenix where she managed an independent case load of children in out-of-home care. She left Phoenix to come to AUNE to study environmental advocacy and organizing. During her graduate studies at AUNE, Wendy has led projects to appeal human rights violations resulting from hardrock mining in Nevada to the United Nations and to document the impact on biodiversity of major hardrock mining operations worldwide. She has also served as the project point person for the Antioch New England Institute Cool Monadnock, Neighbors Helping Neighbors project, in partnership with Clean Air-Cool Planet. After completing her Progressive Caucus Fellowship in August 2010, Wendy is now working with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

“Serving as the Fellow for the Congressional Progressive Caucus was the kind of opportunity that comes along only once in a lifetime. During my time on Capitol Hill I was able to work closely with the executive director of the Caucus to not only learn a great deal about the inner workings of our legislative branch but also work hard to further the goals of the CPC. I had the chance to observe many congressional hearings and meetings, draft and edit letters and progressive principles on behalf of the Caucus~and work on a wide variety of legislative issues such as immigration, the Debt Commission, jobs, environmental protection of national parks, and more. Thanks to the comprehensive education and practical experience I gained at AUNE and the CPC Fellowship, my professional path as a progressive advocate and organizer is well underway and I can proudly say that I wake up every day with the tools that I need to be the change that I want to see in the world. Serving as the CPC Fellow is one of my proudest accomplishments, as I am sure it is for my predecessors and will continue to be for my successors.” —Wendy Stott, 2010 CPC Fellow

Read Wendy's Hill journal entries.

Christeallia Amorosi - 2009
Christeallia is the third Antioch Congressional Progressive Caucus Fellow to work with Representative Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ,), who has taken on co-chairmanship of the Caucus and also chairs the U.S. House of Representatives' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands. On behalf of the Caucus, Rep. Grijalva noted that, "We welcome the continuation of this partnership as it enters its third year. Antioch University New England’s Advocacy for Social Justice and Sustainability concentration graduate students are helping address a wide variety of urgent public policy challenges from the local to the international levels."

With parents in the military, Christeallia attended three high schools and graduated from Calhoun County High School in West Virginia. While there, she took every math and most of the science classes offered. She graduated in May 2001 with high honors, a member of Mu Alpha Theta, and the National Honors Society. Christeallia left the small town of Grantsville, West Virginia, to attend Pennsylvania State University to pursue a career in chemistry. Her focus changed from research in chemistry labs to the environmental sciences, and she graduated with a major in science, with a concentration in environmental courses. Through Antioch University New England’s Environmental Advocacy and Organizing program, she has been able to draw on her chemistry background and apply it to her ambition of policy change. While at Antioch, Christeallia strengthened her knowledge and experience with public policy through practicums with Advocates for Community Empowerment and in the Keene office of U. S. Representative Paul Hodes (D-NH).

“Antioch University New England and the Congressional Progressive Caucus Fellowship have been invaluable in my professional career.~ The background knowledge I gained at Antioch followed by the real-world experience in the fellowship has greatly prepared me for my work at ProgressiveCongress.org. Through this organization, I participate in strengthening the relationship between members of Congress and outside organizations.”
—Christeallia Amorosi, 2009 CPC Fellow

Read Christeallia's Hill journal entries.

Morey Burnham - 2008
Morey worked with Representative Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ,), who chaired the house subcommittee on national parks, forests, and public lands. Congressman Grijalva also served as vice chair of the progressive caucus and heads its environment task force and has been recognized as a leader in environmental conservation by the Sierra Club and Defenders of Wildlife.

Morey hails from West Hartford, Connecticut. After graduating from the University of Connecticut with a degree in English literature, Morey worked on an organic coffee farm in Hawaii, was a volunteer English teacher for Literacy Volunteers of Greater Hartford and in China with WorldTeach. He spent last summer in Belize, working with Sustainable Harvest International on sustainable agriculture and community development projects. During his studies at Antioch University New England, Morey also worked on advocacy projects for the Western Shoshone Defense Project and the New Hampshire Rivers Council.

“My experience as the Progressive Caucus Fellow was invaluable as it allowed me to observe firsthand how the advocacy tools I learned while at Antioch were implemented in a real world setting. Further, it enriched my understanding of the policy making process, which is essential to understanding how to best facilitate organizing and advocacy activities to impact policy decisions. While doing the fellowship I became interested in the disconnect between academic science and the production of knowledge, particularly ecological knowledge, and environmental policy making. This has led me to pursue a doctorate in which my research looks at smallholder adaptation to climate uncertainty, with a particular focus on how the scientific knowledge my research generates can bridge the gap between science and policy and become useful in an applied context. I consistently draw on my Congressional experience in D.C. to both inform my research and aid in my discussions about how science is understood by policy makers and how scientific work can be made more relevant to their needs.” —Morey Burnham, 2008 CPC Fellow