OKPOLICY.ORG
2016 SPI Participants [A-H]
Alphabetical by last name.
Carly Abbott
Twitter: @carlyrabbott
Hello! My name is Carly Abbott, and I am a senior at Oklahoma State University studying Political Science with a minor in Middle Eastern Studies. While in college I have become involved in student government through Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature, Model United Nations, and collegiate partisan organizations. Most recently, I served as an Intern for the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Carly’s wishes to one day continue her work in the Legislature by running for the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Carly will graduate from Oklahoma State this coming May and continue to Graduate School in Washington DC.
Gabrielle Allen
My name is Gabrielle Allen. I am from Piedmont, Oklahoma, and this fall, I will be a junior at the University of Tulsa, where I am majoring in math with minors in political science and women’s studies. My major policy interests include healthcare reform, education, and income inequality. I intend to pursue a Master’s degree in either public policy or policy analysis and work on political campaigns or in think tanks. In my spare time, I teach math to children and volunteer with hard-of-hearing kids.
Whitney Cipolla
Hi, my name is Whitney Cipolla! I will be a senior at the University of Tulsa studying English, Secondary Education, and Women and Gender Studies. I currently serve as the Vice-President for TU’s Student Association, as well as the President for Student Alliance for Violence Education. Additionally, I have done activism and social justice work through United Campus Ministry. After graduation, I hope to get a Master’s at TU in Women and Gender Studies, and then go to the University of Arkansas in Little Rock to pursue a Master’s in Public Service. My interests in policy include education, LGBTQ+ rights, sexual assault, and public health.
Katie David
Katie David received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Oklahoma in Norman. She has worked in child welfare, education, and mental health. Katie is in her final year of the Master of Social Work program at the University of Oklahoma in Tulsa, with a concentration in Administrative and Community Practice. She will complete her final year practicum with the Mental Health Association of Oklahoma. Katie is a member of the Phi Alpha honor society, treasurer of the MSW Student Association, and a mentor with the Tulsa YMCA’s Reach & Rise program. She lives in Tulsa with her husband and their two dogs.
Megan Douglas
Twitter: @MeganD4OK
Hi everyone! My name is Megan Douglas, and I am currently pursuing my Master’s of Public Administration degree at the University of Oklahoma- Tulsa. I have the honor of serving as the President of the Student Government Association this year, during which time I hope to positively affect change for the student body. At my day job I work with many local governments and am interested in how the state budget and policies can affect those entities. I am also interested in immigration policy and helping streamline the process to citizenship. I am very excited to meet everyone and be a part of the 2016 Summer Policy Institute!
Ellen Emeric
Hello! My name is Ellen Emeric and I am a senior at the University of Tulsa. I am currently a Sociology major with minors in Spanish and Economics, and following graduation I plan on pursuing a masters’ degree in Urban Planning. I have had the opportunity to do research in areas such as poverty, transportation, and land use, but I am excited to be introduced to policy as a way of applying social science research. I am passionate about music, graphic design, and cheese.
Emily Fanning
Twitter: @EmilyFanning2
Hello all! My name is Emily Fanning, and I am from the small town of May, Oklahoma. I recently received my B.S. in Agribusiness with a minor in Legal Studies from Oklahoma State University in December 2015. After earning my degree, my passion for agricultural policy led me to Washington D.C., where I recently concluded a five month internship with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the organization responsible for advancing the economic, political and social interest of the U.S. beef industry. This fall I will begin the Masters of International Agriculture program at OSU, where I plan to utilize my degrees to pursue a career in the areas of agricultural and international trade policy.
Danielle Finnegan
Twitter: @daniellefinny
My name is Danielle Finnegan. I am a Social Work major at the University of Oklahoma. I love animals and have one dog and two guinea pigs. I grew up in Midwest City and have an older sister and a younger brother. I currently work for the Women’s Resource Center as a rape response support staff as well as in the domestic violence shelter. Previously, I worked with juveniles with mental health disorders, past trauma and behavioral problems in both group home and residential treatment settings. Additionally, I worked for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections as a corrections officer.
Misty Foley-McKenna
Twitter: @warrior_womyn
Misty Foley-McKenna received her Master of Social Work in May 2016. She hopes to dedicate her life to working with Indigenous and/or veteran womyn. Mx Foley-McKenna possesses bachelors degrees in Womyn’s and Gender Studies and Native American Studies. She hails from Colorado Springs, CO but grew up exploring the world as a military BRAT. Mx Foley-McKenna is a citizen of the Lower Brule Sioux (Kul Wicasa Oyate) tribe of South Dakota and a veteran of the United States Air Force. She currently resided in Norman, OK where she raises two beautiful children.
Harmony Fuller
Harmony Michelle Revard Fuller is a special education teacher for Tulsa Public Schools and also a graduate student, with a concentration in Administrative Community Practice, at the Anne & Henry Zarrow School of Social work at the University of Oklahoma. Harmony is a member of the Osage Nation and is currently in the American Indian Field Unit for her foundation year practicum at OU. Her focus has been on family violence programs throughout Indian Country and she is working closely with the Native Alliance Against Violence in supporting tribal domestic violence programs in serving Two Spirit clients and their families.
Regina Greuel Cook
Regina is a PhD. candidate in Public Health at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. She has a Masters in Public Health (Health Promotion Sciences) and a Bachelors of Journalism in Public Relations. In addition to her dissertation research on obesity and legislation, she is interested in health disparities, equity, and how health is mediated and determined via the social determinants of health. She is the VP of Marketing and Community Outreach for Symbiotic Aquaponic, a social entrepreneurship focusing on sustainability and food security, and is a Zumba fitness instructor. A Muskogee native, she now lives in Norman with her three children and husband.
Steven Gross
I am nontraditional student at Oklahoma State University, majoring in Rhetoric and Professional Writing with a cognate in Political Science. While I follow a multitude of political issues, I have a particular passion for addressing issues of poverty. I worked in restaurant kitchens for ten years before returning to school, so I feel strongly about advocating for blue collar workers in our state. (I’m also a really good cook because of it.) My wife and I are expecting our first child this October. My dream is to make the world a better place for our daughter.
Sydney Hall
Twitter: @MissSydneyHall
Raised in Perry, OK, I’ll be a sophomore next semester at Oklahoma Christian University with 60+ credit hours, studying communications with an emphasis in political science. My interests include: communication and the world around it. One day I hope to apply my experiences and education to some form of government. On campus I’ve been active in Student Government, freshman experience, and President’s Leadership Council. I attend LifeChurch Edmond campus and serve on the host team. I remain curious as to what God has in store for me over the next 3-4 years as I prepare for post college life.
Aba Hammond
Twitter: @Aba_DancingQn
Aba Nhyira Hammond was born in Accra, Ghana, but has called Tulsa her home since moving to the United States at the age of 14. Aba is a graduate of Tulsa Community College (2011), Oral Roberts University (2014) and currently attending OU-Tulsa with the intention of achieving her Master’s in Public Administration/ Public Policy. Aba is an Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature Alum, current Tulsa Young (Typros) Professionals Brand Ambassador and Typros Board Intern. Aba loves to cook in her free time and loves to spend time with her family.
Faith Harjo
Nawa, halito, and hensci! Hello, my name is Faith Harjo. I am an enrolled citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and also Pawnee, Choctaw, and Cheyenne. I graduated from Northeastern State University with a bachelor of science in organismic biology with minors in chemistry and American Indian Studies. I am a science tutor and also active in my community in several Native organizations that promote culture, education, indigenous empowerment, and leadership. I support statewide endeavors to bring understanding of indigenous rights, cultures, and ideas to those who are not familiar with tribal politics and ways. I want to continue my education in osteopathic medical school to become a family practice physician and serve my native people in Oklahoma as a doctor. I enjoy spending time with my family, attending cultural events, running with my son, weightlifting, beading, and reading.
Meadow Hazelhoff
I was born and raised on the Big Island of Hawaii, and moved to Europe as a teenager. After returning to America I lived in several different states, finally settling here in Oklahoma in 2002. Living and traveling in other countries has allowed me to experience a wide variety of political viewpoints. I have always had a deeply held interest in social and environmental justice, as well as the political process. I am currently a graduate student at the Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work at the University of Oklahoma and will be graduating with a master’s of Social Work and master’s certificate in Women’s and Gender Studies in August.
Amy Herrington
Twitter: @alherri
I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from University of Central Oklahoma in May 2015. As a first year Master’s student in Sociology at Oklahoma State University, I am studying the social psychological impacts associated with food insecurity in an Oklahoma community, with the goal of gaining a greater understanding of community members’ experiences with and perceptions of their local food environment and the global food system at large. Some of my other research interests include environmental justice projects, social impacts of climate change, and social inequality. In the future, I plan to continue in research and academia as an Environmental Sociologist, with the hope of writing and curating research that will have a positive impact on social policy and societal change.
