Mihret Walelgne

Mihret Walelgne Menberu 

Degree: 2025, MPA

Job Title: Research Associate, West Health Policy Center

Mihret Walelgne Menberu (MPA '25) is a Research Associate at the West Health Policy Center, where she works at the intersection of aging policy, healthcare access, and data-driven advocacy. In her current role, she conducts policy research and data analysis — including analysis of CMS nursing home data — while managing multiple external contracts and partner publications, and translating complex findings into accessible content for policymakers and the public. Her work also includes project coordination, writing issue briefs, articles, and blog posts, and communications such as monthly newsletters and website updates for initiatives like the Multisector Plan for Aging.

Mihret's passion for aging policy took root during her time at the Biden School, where she worked as a Research Assistant with the Institute for Public Administration (IPA) on the Healthy Aging Research Project, led by Julia O'Hanlon. While working at IPA, Mihret examined the health and wellness services and programs offered by senior centers across Delaware, exploring how those resources have shaped aging outcomes for Delawareans and identifying opportunities for improvement. That experience gave her a deep appreciation for community-level aging infrastructure and the policy levers that support it.

She further developed her policy skills through the Legislative Fellowship with the Delaware General Assembly, where she conducted research on behavioral health, aging in place, and birthing centers in Delaware. She authored policy memos and research memos, and presented aging-in-place policy recommendations to the Aging Caucus — work that sharpened her ability to communicate evidence-based findings to legislative audiences.

Her clinical background — a BSN and BA in Management — combined with her MPA from the Biden School, allows her to bridge research, practice, and policy in ways that are both rigorous and actionable, skills she applies daily at West Health.