Fischer headshot

Emerson Fellow

Cody Fischer

14th Class, 2007-2008

Cody graduated with honors and departmental distinction from Saint John’s University in 2007 with a degree in economics.  He served on the student Senate, tutored Somali refugees at a local Boys and Girls Club, studied abroad in China and France, and represented students on the Saint John’s University Board of Regents.  Cody also worked as a government relations intern at CentraCare Health System, launched a non-profit business with a team of fellow Entrepreneurial Scholars, and wrote an honors thesis on the impact of trade liberalization on human development in West Africa.

Field placement: Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank

Duquesne, Pennsylvania

Cody helped restructure and develop a strategic plan for the Food Bank’s Farm Stand Project in order to improve access to fresh produce in Allegheny County’s low-income communities.  He worked to expand the project’s scope by developing goal setting and evaluation tools, mapping socio-economic and grocery access data, and coordinating with new partner organizations throughout the greater Pittsburgh area.

Policy placement: NETWORK

Washington, D.C.

Cody collaborated with Catholic social justice organizations and Catholic communities from around the country to help plan a Convention for the Common Good in Philadelphia.  He helped to facilitate pre-convention dialogues to build the Platform for the Common Good and created a presidential candidate chart framed by the principles of Catholic social teaching.

Publications