The Center offers a variety of competitive fellowships and assistantships that allow Master's candidates at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute to work directly with faculty, visiting scholars and practitioners. Students conduct original research, present at conferences, perform community based research for local nonprofit organizations, and organize "Issue Forums" for the greater Washington, D.C. community. Graduate students for the 2007-2008 academic year are: 

Maria Baldauf, Research Assistant

Sonya Behnke, Waldemar A. Nielsen Philanthropy Fellow

Pablo Eisenberg Public Interest Fellowship

The fellowship was created in 2006 to honor the work of retiring GPPI Senior Fellow Pablo Eisenberg. For over 40 years, Pablo has led and served on the board of numerous nonprofit organizations, becoming one of the most influential voices in philanthropy and the nonprofit sector as he challenged nonprofits and foundations to meet the high expectations society places on them as guardians of democracy. The dean, faculty, students and alumni of GPPI chose to honor Pablo and his lifelong commitment to social and economic justice with this endowed fellowship in his name. 

The fellowships are awarded to first-year GPPI students who, through academic pursuits as well as volunteer and work experience, demonstrate a strong commitment to social and economic justice, and the potential to play a leadership role in the public interest arena.  The award is designed to offer each Fellow a unique experience working for and being mentored by a current leader in the field.

Past fellows had placements at the following organizations:

Grace Katabaruki - Small Enterprise Education and Promotion (SEEP) Network

Alayna Stone - Center for Community Change (CCC)


Waldemar A. Nielsen Endowed Chair in Philanthropy Fellow

This endowed fellowship is named in honor of Waldemar A. Nielsen, a former Rhodes Scholar and foreign affairs writer for The New Yorker and Harper’s.  Nielsen was involved in the design and implementation of the Marshall Plan, served on the staff of the Ford Foundation, and later led the African American Institute.  He is perhaps most well known for his pioneering study of philanthropy, which provided a critical assessment of foundations and called the field of philanthropy to a higher level of accountability.

The Nielsen Fellow supports the Nielsen Professor of Philanthropy at GPPI’s Center for Public & Nonprofit Leadership.  The Fellow provides ongoing research support in the areas of public policy, philanthropy, and nonprofit leadership.

Andy Ho, MPP & MBA 2006

Amanda Horwitz, MPP 2006

Catherine O'Connor, MPP 2007