Rockefeller CLPS Interns Study Environmental Justice Policies
ALBANY, N.Y. — Three Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy undergraduate students are spending the Spring 2021 semester interning with the Center for Law & Policy Solutions (CLPS) at the Rockefeller Institute of Government. The six-student cohort composed of undergraduates from SUNY Empire State College and UAlbany include Rockefeller political science majors Genevieve Bombard, Catherine Reed, and Imari Roque.
The team of interns will spend the semester examining research topics related to the history of environmental justice policy in the United States and consider current examples of state and local policies designed to address environmental justice issues. At the end of the semester, they will present their findings to policymakers, researchers, and the public in a formal report and presentation.
“The Center for Law and Policy Solutions research internship program has been very successful,” said Laura Schultz, director of research of the Rockefeller Institute of Government. “With this sixth cohort of students, we are excited for new CLPS Director Laura Rabinow to carry on the tradition of overseeing excellent research while providing valuable professional learning experiences and networking opportunities for undergraduate students.”
“I’m eager to get to know these students and work with them on such an important research topic,” said CLPS Director Laura Rabinow. “The confluence of the COVID-19 pandemic, increasingly frequent and devastating weather events, and recent social justice movements has brought to light environmental health disparities that policy can and should work to address. With this group, I look forward to advancing our understanding of environmental justice policies and the positive impacts they can have.”
About Rockefeller College’s Spring 2021 CLPS Research Interns:
Genevieve “Evie” Bombard is majoring in political science and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies at the University at Albany. Bombard is a member of the Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Teaching Collective, through which she is conducting research and developing lesson plans based in feminist pedagogical principles. Bombard has worked in food and customer service, where she has developed skills to navigate sensitive situations with empathy and a focus on resolution. Prior to her studies, Bombard was an active member of her hometown community as a member of the Gay Straight Alliance, an organizer for events on gun violence, and an intern at the Schodack Town Hall.
Catherine Reed is majoring in political science at the University at Albany. Reed is a member of the Presidential Honors Society and the Students for Sustainability Club. Most recently, Reed interned in Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s Albany district office supporting constituent services and public events leading up to the pandemic. While at the University at Albany, Reed also worked for the Mancabelli Law office near Buffalo, where she has conducted legal research and assisted in various projects to increase practice efficiency, including those related to Women’s Business Enterprise certification.
Imari Roque is majoring in political science and minoring in Latin American and Caribbean studies at the University at Albany. Through her studies, she has contributed to research on the impacts of immigration policy on second generation children. Roque previously interned for the New York City Department of Education working in school counseling and guidance at the Bronx Academy for Software Engineering. In addition to her studies, Roque is a member of the Phi Alpha Delta law fraternity, the Student Association Elections Commission, and the Serendipity Women’s Acapella Group. Roque has been awarded scholarships by Comité Noviembre and the New York League of Puerto Rican Women, Inc.
Click here to learn more about the Center for Law & Policy Solutions internship.