The Congressional Hunger Center is proud to announce the 19 members of its 27th Class of Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellows. These dedicated young leaders will spend the next 11 months working to end hunger in the U.S. through community-based initiatives and federal policy.
Each year the Emerson Program selects a cohort of 16 to 24 inspired emerging leaders. Following orientation and training, fellows typically relocate to communities across the country to be placed with community-based organizations addressing hunger at the local level. Due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic most fellows in the 27th Class will contribute to their host organizations this fall through remote work.
The current class was selected by Emerson Program staff and a panel of fellowship alums. Fellows in the 27th Class bring a diversity of skills and experience to the program, including internships with local, state, and federal government, service as AmeriCorps members, and work with community-based organizations in advocacy, education, research, and direct service.
Since the inaugural class convened in 1994, Emerson Fellows have been at the forefront of efforts to end hunger in the U.S. through research and implementation of new initiatives and solutions, and by building bridges between federal policy and local approaches. To date 497 Emerson Fellows have served in communities in 47 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia, adding essential capacity and support to nearly 200 host organizations.
The Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship is made possible with support from USDA, as well as the Kroger Company Foundation, PepsiCo, and the generous contributions from supporters like you.
| Fellow | Alma Mater | Placement | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joel Anderson | Washington Univ. in St. Louis | Indigenous Food & Agriculture Initiative | Fayetteville, Ark. |
| Kate Blankinship | Univ. of Chicago | Alabama Arise | Montgomery, Ala. |
| Riani Carr | Wake Forest Univ. | Chicago Food Policy Action Council | Chicago, Ill. |
| Olivia Chan | Johns Hopkins Univ. | Indigenous Food & Agriculture Initiative | Fayetteville, Ark. |
| Nancy Chang | Stanford Univ. | Food Lifeline | Seattle, Wash. |
| Cara Claflin | Univ. of Minnesota - Twin Cities | Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon | Portland, Ore. |
| Max De Faria | Clark University | California Association of Food Banks | Oakland, Calif. |
| Tony Eskridge | Rhodes College | Pittsburgh Food Policy Council | Pittsburgh, Penn. |
| Ally Hardebeck | Johns Hopkins Univ. | Oregon Child Development Coalition | Wilsonville, Ore. |
| Curtis Hills | Univ. of Mississippi | Alabama Arise | Montgomery, Ala. |
| Lexie Holden | Univ. of Chicago | Native American Agriculture Fund | Fayetteville, Ark. |
| Sara Maillacheruvu | Univ. of Chicago | Native American Agriculture Fund | Fayetteville, Ark. |
| Janiah Miller | Northern Kentucky Univ. | Pittsburgh Food Policy Council | Pittsburgh, Penn. |
| Michelle Nikfarjam | Univ. of Massachusetts - Amherst; Univ. of Oregon | Project Bread | Boston, Mass. |
| Rocio Perez | Univ. of California - Davis | California Association of Food Banks | Oakland, Calif. |
| Leslie Rios | St. Edward's Univ. | Houston Food Bank | Houston, Texas |
| Xavier Roberts | Univ. of Virginia | Washington Food Coalition | Seattle, Wash. |
| Jacquelyn Sullivan | Guilford College | Project Bread | Boston, Mass. |
| Niisoja Torto | Duke Univ. | Chicago Food Policy Action Council | Chicago, Ill. |