Introducing CUNY ISLG’s 2026 Public Policy Pathways Interns

By Nathalie Lebròn, Senior Policy Associate

Students power the economic powerhouse that is CUNY. Our Public Policy Pathways Internship gives them hands-on experience in the public sector, developing career pathways into research, policy, data science, and government operations, as well as professional development. Meet the latest cohort.

The City University of New York (CUNY) is the country’s largest public, urban university. Each year, it serves almost 250,000 students across its community and senior colleges, students who come from every neighborhood in New York City and from cities, states, and countries far beyond. This diversity and impact make it a major economic engine.  

As a public sector-serving CUNY institution, our Public Policy Pathways Internship (PPPI) taps into that engine to give CUNY undergraduate and graduate students hands-on experience serving governments and communities, developing intentional career pathways across our research, policy, operations, data science, and legal work. 

We’re proud to introduce the fourth cohort of the PPPI. This paid summer program pairs CUNY students with our staff working in partners in the public sector, from state and local governments to community-based organizations. 

In addition to project work, the internship has intentionally designed peer-to-peer learning opportunities among ISLG interns across Institute departments and staff. Interns participate in bi-weekly, in-person convenings that cover a range of topics such as relationship building, project management, policymaking, and preparing to enter the job market. 

“As a product of CUNY, I know how meaningful it is to be exposed to the field you are pursuing. CUNY students are an invaluable asset to the work we do. They bring lived experience, creativity, and enormous potential,” said Nathalie Lebrón, Senior Policy Associate. “This internship program is about nurturing that potential by providing mentorship, guidance, and tools they can use not only during this internship but also for the workforce in general, so they can grow and thrive as professionals. I’m honored to lead it.” 

“As a product of CUNY, I know how meaningful it is to be exposed to the field you are pursuing. CUNY students are an invaluable asset to the work we do. They bring lived experience, creativity, and enormous potential.”

- Nathalie Lebrón, Senior Policy Associate

Meet this summer’s interns below.

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Research

The 2026 Policy interns will support community programs and government partnerships across New York City and State. This includes developing public materials, attending community meetings, and providing administrative support. 

The 2026 Research interns:

• Adiba Haque is a research intern working on the Community-Based Restorative Justice Initiative (CBRJ) and the Civic Engagement Fellowship project. She is currently pursuing a degree in Psychology, with an expected graduation in 2028. Her research interests center on the intersection of education, justice, and social inequality.  

  She has conducted research examining the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on college-level educational outcomes, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Adiba also collaborated with a team focused on expanding educational access for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students, supporting initiatives to increase opportunities for earning college credit.” 

• Kedie Pintro is currently pursuing a PhD in Epidemiology at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy, expected to graduate in May 2029. She holds a MS in Epidemiology from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and a BS in Biology from CUNY Medgar Evers College. She brings a strong blend of research, data science, and teaching experience across academic and clinical settings. 

  Professionally, Kedie has worked as a biostatistician at Massachusetts General Hospital where she contributed to over 25 published manuscripts. She also consulted on a community health needs assessment at Maimonides Hospital, has experience in criminal justice and public health research at CUNY ISLG, and has taught college-level mathematics at NYC College of Technology. Her research spans psychiatric epidemiology, maternal and child health, COVID-19 mental health trends, and inequities in health 

• Hiwa Tase is a first-year PhD student in Sociology at the CUNY Graduate Center. He completed an MS in Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences at the Graduate Center, where he focused on advanced statistical modeling and computational approaches to social research. His research interests include deportation, critical criminology, critical race theory, and social movements.

Data Science

The 2026 Data Science interns will work with the Data Science team to support data standardization of data across systems, building workflows, and developing and documenting data assets. 

2026 Data Science interns:

• Bianca Kim is a Computer Information Systems graduate with interests in data science, machine learning, AI, and cybersecurity analytics. This summer at ISLG, Bianca will support data analysis and research projects by cleaning, analyzing, and interpreting data to generate insights for public-sector programs and policy-focused initiatives. 

  She has over two years of experience in data science, machine learning, data pipelines, and technical infrastructure within New York City public sector organizations. Her work includes developing anomaly detection models for cybersecurity use cases, building Python and SQL-based data workflows, analyzing large-scale log data, and supporting infrastructure and systems operations. 

• Richa Tigiripally is pursuing a Master of Science in Business Analytics at Baruch College, expected to graduate in December 2026. As a Data Science Intern at CUNY ISLG, she supports data management, analytics, and research initiatives that inform public sector decision-making.  

  Her experience spans data visualization, predictive analytics, business intelligence, and public-sector analytics, supported by a background in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. Prior to joining ISLG, Richa served as a Data Analytics Intern with the New York City Mayor's Office of Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (OMWBE), where she worked on procurement and compliance analytics, developed Power BI dashboards, and supported initiatives aimed at expanding economic opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses across New York City. Her project experience includes designing a Nightlife Analytics framework to explore patterns in New York City's nighttime economy and contributing to an NYC Canopy Analysis project focused on urban environmental data. 

Policy

The 2026 Policy interns will support community programs and government partnerships across New York City and State. This includes developing public materials, attending community meetings, and providing administrative support. 

2026 Policy interns:

• Rafia Mazumder is a recent graduate of The City College of New York with a B.A. in Psychology, International Studies, and Political Science. During her time at City College, she was a Moynihan Public Service Fellow, participating in a competitive fellowship centered on leadership development, public service, and policy engagement. The fellowship deepened her commitment to public service and strengthened her interest in advancing equitable and community-centered policymaking a Policy Intern at CUNY ISLG, where she will support the Community-Based Restorative Justice (CBRJ) initiative 

  Prior to joining ISLG, Rafia served as an Outreach Manager at the nonprofit Autism Society Habilitation Organization (ASHO), hosting cultural competency events, applying for grants, and performing outreach for campaigns, including the Civic Engagement Commission (CEC). Other experiences include her time as a Policy Advocacy Intern at the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) and as Research Intern through CUNY Spring Forward with the NALEO Educational Fund. 

• Emilie Mills is an MPH candidate in Health Policy and Management at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health (expected graduation in December 2027). She is passionate about advancing equitable public health policies, effective partner engagement, and improving access to social services.  

  In addition to her internship with the CUNY Institute for State & Local Governance, she currently provides operational support to the CUNY CARES demonstration project, which connects CUNY students in the Bronx to health care, mental health, food, and housing services. She previously supported the World Health Organization’s office at the United Nations (UN), helping to elevate global health priorities in UN intergovernmental negotiations, and has also worked in book publishing and as a paralegal. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and French Literature from the University of Virginia.         

• Sheridan Trainor is a Political Science and Economics major at Hunter College with an expected graduation date of December 2027. She is interested in community engagement and local justice issues and plans to pursue law school after graduating from Hunter College.  

  During the school year, Sheridan works as an Education Assistant at the Sands Point Preserve, where she gained experience in the non-profit sector. Last summer, she interned under Assemblyman Keith P. Brown of New York's 12th District. In this role, she learned how policy proposals move through the research and legislative process. At ISLG, she hopes to use this background to implement voter engagement and community justice projects in New York City. 

Operations

The 2026 Operations intern will provide policy research, data analysis, and stakeholder research and engagement on a number of projects, many of which include assessing municipal budget capacities. 

The 2025 Operations intern:

• Adhanna Labora is a graduating senior from Baruch College with a B.A. in Economics and Political Science. Her experience spans across non-profit, public, and private sectors through volunteering, academia, and professional work. Before ISLG, Adhanna worked part-time for a real estate development firm, managing local law compliance for 10+ residential properties in the Bronx. She also completed a semester-long research project exploring NYC community boards as stakeholders in the ULURP process for urban development projects.   

  Previously, Adhanna interned for Energy Impact Partners, a clean-tech venture capital firm. At the NYC Department of Homelessness, she analyzed extensive data sets of crime & security risks of over 700 shelter locations to conceive solutions alongside the team of program administrators. 

Legal

The 2026 Law Intern will collaborate with the Legal Department on a range of legal and policy matters, including assisting with drafting contracts, reviewing scopes of work, updating legal templates, and drafting policies and procedures. 

The 2026 Legal intern:

• Sarah Petrick is a rising 3L at CUNY Law with strong interests in both transactional legal work and federal civil rights litigation. As Legal Intern, she provides assistance to the Legal Team's support of a wide array of ISLG initiatives. She works to draft and negotiate contracts with funders, partners, and grantees, and to develop the programmatic scope of work and their respective budgets with project teams.  

  Prior to joining ISLG, Sarah was a Legal Intern with the Brennan Center for Justice on their Democracy Team where she worked to safeguard voting rights. She also interned with a District Court Judge at the Eastern District of New York and assisted with a range of cases involving federal and state labor law, criminal law, and civil rights.