Dorcey Applyrs is currently a doctoral student at the University at Albany School of Public Health pursuing her Dr.PH. Dorcey holds a Master of Public Health from the University at Albany and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Delaware State University. Prior to returning to school to pursue her doctoral degree, Dorcey was employed in the field of HIV/AIDS as an advocate where she worked to improve the quality of life of communities disproportionately impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In 2005, Dorcey was hired as the Director of Programs for the Capital District African American Coalition on AIDS located in Albany, NY. In her role, Dorcey managed the development, implementation and evaluation of the agency’s programs. Dorcey later accepted a position as a Capacity Building Assistance Specialist with the Harm Reduction Coalition located in New York City where she provided technical assistance, consultation and skills-building trainings to community-based organizations and health departments in the North East region. In 2010, Dorcey successfully completed the Institute for HIV Prevention Leadership (IHPL), a comprehensive, capacity building educational program for HIV prevention program managers that integrates principles of public health prevention and strategic planning and management. Dorcey has presented at numerous conferences over the years including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National HIV Prevention Conference, the United States Conference on AIDS, the HIV Prevention Leadership Summit, the National Harm Reduction Conference, and the National African American MSM Leadership Conference on HIV/AIDS. Dorcey is placed at the New York State Council on Children & Families.

Juie's decision to pursue her Masters of Social Work at University at Albany was shaped as a result of her service-oriented upbringing and experiences as a student. While an undergraduate at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Juie majored in biochemistry. During that time, she participated in volunteer and internship opportunities with organizations such as the Red Cross, SERVE, and LeaderShape. Juie was given an Outstanding Community Impact Award 2005 by Michigan Campus Compact for making service and reflection an integral part of her life and building partnerships with communities. From 2005-2007, she was awarded an Indicorps Fellowship (similar to Peace Corps), where she initiated volunteer programs with schools in India to encourage youth to cause personal and social transformation. That experience deepened her passion to promote service and assist families. Since her time as an Indicorps Fellow, Juie has served as a Mentoring and Volunteer Specialist with the Boys & Girls Club of Schenectady, NY and as an intern with a program for expectant and parenting teens and their children at the Locke Infant Center and University of Southern California, Los Angeles. As a 2012 Fellow, she intends to apply her science acumen and grass-roots experiences to establish evaluations for workforce development with the New York State Department of Labor, Bureau of Workforce Innovations.

Jamie is currently pursuing a Masters in Social Work at the University at Albany, School of Social Welfare. Jamie graduated Cum Laude from Union College, where she majored in Psychology and minored in Philosophy, augmenting her studies of child development, human behavior, cognition, and social relationships with logic and reasoning. Throughout her undergraduate experience, Jamie interned at Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey, Court Appointed Special Advocates, and Prevent Child Abuse New York further igniting her passion to create a culture of protection and safety for our nation's children. Jamie's passion for providing a voice to those who are unable to adequately advocate for themselves led to her employment at Prevent Child Abuse New York. In her capacity as the Senior Helpline Associate, Jamie helped to strengthen families throughout New York State by connecting them with resources and providing the necessary information to successfully navigate the child welfare system. This past summer, Jamie was honored to be selected by the US-Africa Partnership for Building Stronger Communities to travel to South Africa. There, she focused on multidisciplinary and multicultural collaboration, social justice and participatory learning. Jamie aspires to continue to advocate for women and children at both the individual and policy level in New York State. In her placement at the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Division of Child Care Services, Jamie is expanding her knowledge of government regulations and developing the skills necessary to establish effective policies that support women and children.

Emily K. Hoops is a 2009 graduate of the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy at the University at Albany. She received a Master’s Degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Health Care Policy. Emily also holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree, having double majored in Human Biology and Political Science as a Presidential Scholar at the University of New York at Albany. Prior to working for two years in the private sector as a credit analyst, Emily was a Graduate Scholar at the New York State Assembly where she worked to promote legislative bills including a ban on text messaging while driving, a ban on trans fats in restaurants and calorie menu labeling for chain restaurants. Emily has also worked as a graduate assistant at Rockefeller College, a student assistant at the New York State Department of Criminal Justice’s Office of Justice Research and Performance (DCJS OJRP) and interned for Sen. Chuck Schumer. Emily is placed at the New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Maternal and Child Health.

A native of the Lower East Side, Manhattan, Beth embodies the diversity, energy and drive that reflect Manhattan's reputation of leadership. In 2010, Beth was recognized by Binghamton University for her international work and outstanding contribution to human service activities. During the 2010 New York State Legislative Session, Beth was a New York State Assembly intern for Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan. There she developed critical knowledge on the inner-workings and process of the political system. In addition, Beth has also analyzed higher education policy for emerging populations, cyber stalking and harassment legislation, and international laws in human trafficking. Her motivation to provide equal rights, access and adequate health services to underserved populations continues as her primary research focuses on chronic disease, poverty and its global health implications. Beth is currently pursuing a Masters of Public Health in Health Policy and Management at the University at Albany's School of Public Health. Her placement is at the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Division of Juvenile Justice and Opportunities for Youth where she works on developing policy recommendations for high denial and disenrollment rates for juvenile justice youth in the Bridges to Health program.

Jessica is completing the final semester for her Masters in Public Administration through the School of Management at Marist College. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology from Spelman College and a TESOL Certificate from the Graduate Institute at the World Learning School for International Training. Jessica has lived abroad and has traveled extensively throughout her educational career. She has a passion for serving disadvantaged populations and, as such, has held a variety of positions within the nonprofit sector and in higher education, including administering and teaching English as Second Language to immigrants in the United States. More recently, Jessica has been involved in community organizing and coalition-building for a statewide energy efficiency campaign. Her Masters research has focused on emergency planning/preparedness and disaster response related to vulnerable populations. A strong writer and communicator, Jessica's placement at the New York State Department of Health in the Bureau of Maternal and Child Health will focus on the redesign of Medicaid for the State of New York. She will also work on a satellite project in the Office of Health Emergency Preparedness, working closely with the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication staff to enhance critical health communications with at-risk and vulnerable populations during an emergency.

Mandy is a 2010 graduate of Rutgers School of Law – Newark who has worked to promote women's rights nationwide. In 2008 Mandy traveled to the U.S. border in Texas to volunteer at a legal clinic that provided immigration services to battered women, and she also worked at the ACLU's Women's Rights Project in New York City. In addition to these positions, she worked with Manavi, Inc. and the Boaz Community Corporation in 2009 to develop a joint legal internship. This allowed her to volunteer at both organizations by providing legal services to immigrants at Boaz, researching transnational abandonment, and expanding the network of legal resources and pro-bono attorneys in the area which Manavi could call upon for help. For the work she did at those two organizations, she was awarded Rutgers School of Law - Newark's Public Interest Law Forum (PILF) Grant, as well as a Summer Corps Award from Equal Justice Works, and upon graduation, was given the National Association of Women Lawyer's Award for her work promoting women's rights. Mandy is dedicated to increasing female representation in local, state and national government. Her placement is with the New York State Office of Assemblywoman Barbara Clark.

Jie Wang is currently a PhD student in Political Science, majoring in Comparative Politics and International Relations, with a strong interest in public policy concerning immigrants and women. After receiving her Bachelor's degree in law from Jilin University in China, Jie went to the United Kingdom to study International Human Rights Law and received her Master's degree in law at the London School of Economics and Political Science. There, she volunteered to work for two international women's organizations: the International Federation of Women Lawyers and Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. At the Center for International Development, University at Albany, Jie worked as a Senior Research Aide and provided assistance on a number of projects dealing with constituency development funds and global parliamentary development. Jie is placed at the New York State Department of Labor, Division of Labor Standards.

Ellena is currently a fourth year Doctoral Candidate in Philosophy, and recipient of the Carson Carr Graduate Diversity Scholar at the University at Albany. She's also one semester away from completing her Masters in Lean Six Sigma- Healthcare from Villanova University. In addition to her graduate studies, Ellena is also a Lecturer in Personal Identity Theory at the University at Albany. Ellena's thirst for knowledge has provided her with an enriching and diverse background. She's worked as a clinical researcher, medical writer and quality assurance consultant for numerous hospitals and medical/pharmaceutical consulting firms. Additionally, while in graduate school, she was employed as a Pharmacoeconomics Consultant, Senior Research Analyst and a Co-Investigator on an NIH Grant for an Evidence-Based Health Bioinformatics firm, located in NYC. Ellena has always been a committed advocate, educator, researcher and ethicist. She served as a Legislative Ambassador for the American Cancer Society, Families USA, Healthcare for all New York, and most recently, was a Congressional Intern in Health Policy for Congressman Tonko (D-NY). She's also served on a number of board appointed committees and was the UAPA Executive Committee's Vice President and Graduate Student Representative. Ellena holds a BA in Philosophy from Seattle University, an MS in Bioethics, with a concentration in Clinical & Research Ethics from Union Graduate College-Mount Sinai School of Medicine, as well as a Certificate of Graduate Study in Six Sigma Green Belt—Healthcare from Villanova University. Ellena's placement is with the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, Bureau of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance.