Category: IPA
Introducing the 2026 Legislative Fellows
February 04, 2026 Written by Sophonie Milord | Photo by Biden School Staff
For the last forty-five years, UD’s Jerome R. Lewis Legislative Fellows Program has provided college students with an opportunity of a lifetime: an immersive experience observing and contributing to the state’s legislative process. These students are tasked with working three days a week from January to June, where they conduct nonpartisan research for Delaware lawmakers and staff standing committees, carrying out the critical work that would otherwise fall to full-time professionals.
Since 1982, this partnership with the Delaware General Assembly has served as one of the university’s flagship programs and student opportunities that paves the way for careers in public service. The 2026 Legislative Fellows cohort comprises sixteen students, ten of whom are currently pursuing coursework in the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy & Administration, and two who represent Delaware State University.
The Legislative Fellows Program is a paid fellowship that offers students a unique opportunity to witness the political decision-making process firsthand while utilizing their research and writing skills to support legislators in addressing public policy issues during the six-month legislative session.
The Legislative Fellows serve with caucuses in the Senate and House of Representatives and the Division of Legislative Services:
Senate Majority Caucus
Lisa Carter – 4+1 Master of Public Administration (MPA) student specializing in public policy analysis
Brontë Pepper-Hicks – Bachelor of Arts student double majoring in political science and sociology, Delaware State University
Hailey Galbraith – Honors Bachelor of Arts student majoring in communication and minoring in political communication
Senate Minority Caucus
Matthew Froden – Bachelor of Arts student double majoring in political science and economics and minoring in legal studies and philosophy
House Majority Caucus
Emma Abrams – Bachelor of Science student majoring in environmental and resource economics and minoring in economics
Nicole Berube – Master of Energy and Environmental Policy (MEEP) student specializing in sustainable development
Sydney Johnston – 4+1 MPA and Bachelor of Arts student majoring in political science and minoring in political communication and statistical data analysis
Trinity Kamami – Bachelor of Arts student majoring in political science and minoring in international studies, Delaware State University
Colin Walsh – MPA student
Annie McTaggart – Honors Bachelor of Arts student double majoring in political science and history and minoring in European studies, public health, and Spanish
Kylie Tugend – 4+1 Master of Public Policy (MPP) student
Simmone Wallace – 4+1 MPA student specializing in nonprofit management
House Minority Caucus
Raymond Kalmanowitz – 4+1 MPA and Honors Bachelor of Arts student double majoring in public policy and economics
Vivian Wiggins – Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science student majoring in public policy and health behavior science
Division of Legislative Services
Sasha Altman – 4+1 MPP student
Emily Simon – 4+1 MPA student
Over the years, this successful partnership has consistently proven mutually beneficial, connecting UD’s talent capacity with the legislature’s research and staffing demands. The Legislative Fellows Program has notably expanded from just two students in 1982 to over 380 alumni working in all levels of local, state, and federal government today. In fact, the current Mayor of the City of Wilmington and former Delaware Gov. John Carney earned his MPA at UD in 1984, where he served in the third cohort of Legislative Fellows, an experience he has described as “transformational” in helping to “understand the key role that public service plays in improving local communities.”
Students across cohorts have shared similar sentiments about the importance of the program, crediting it for strengthening their capacity and knowledge for the real world after college. Some of the key issues that fellows have worked on include criminal justice reform and feral cat management. Fellows have even studied peer-lending programs to aid small businesses, presented policy briefings comparing health care plans in Delaware with those in other states and nations, and researched topics that have eventually become law.
“It's a key to a door that never would've opened otherwise. Once inside, the legislative process becomes familiar and far less intimidating, especially for a young person like me with no prior personal connection to politics. It's not an exaggeration to say the program is a life-changing experience,” says former 2018 and 2019 fellow Eric Hastings.
Hastings now serves as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Delaware House of Representatives Majority Caucus.
“Students gain a unique perspective on civic life by living it firsthand,” adds IPA’s acting director, Troy Mix. “Beyond developing policy research skills, they learn how to navigate the public square, working effectively with stakeholders who bring a diverse range of values and priorities to the table.”
“Being immersed in the environment dispels misconceptions and makes you appreciate the people and system a bit more,” says Program Manager and 1998 fellow Lisa Moreland Allred, who earned her MPA at UD in 1998. “Legislators may disagree, but at the end of the day, they know they need to work on the next issue together. It’s neighborly and civil. It’s what we call ‘the Delaware way.’”
The program page contains profiles of the selected students. Applications for the 2027 Legislative Fellows program will open in early February, with info sessions slated for March and applications due on April 10. For all other inquiries, students should contact Program Manager Lisa Moreland Allred.
About the Jerome R. Lewis Legislative Fellows Program
Begun as a partnership between the University of Delaware and the Delaware General Assembly in 1982, the Legislative Fellows Program is celebrating 45 years of service to the state legislature in 2026.
On January 20, 2026, the program was officially renamed for its founder by the Delaware General Assembly through its House Concurrent Resolution 85 in honor of the “...exceptional contributions that Dr. Lewis has made to Delaware for over more than half a century of public service, for the profound impact he has had on public policy, and for his dedication to mentoring generations of future policy leaders through the Legislative Fellows Program.” Visit the Delaware General Assembly’s website to watch the House and Senate presentations of HCR85.
The program is sponsored by the University of Delaware in cooperation with Delaware State University (beginning in 2012). The program includes placements within the Senate’s and House of Representatives’ Majority and Minority Caucuses as well as the Division of Legislative Services.
Moreland Allred expressed her gratitude for the overwhelming support for this program, “The Legislative Fellows Program is a true win-win partnership between UD and the Delaware General Assembly. We are grateful for the continued partnership and support from Senator David P. Sokola, Senate President Pro Tempore; Speaker of the House Melissa Minor-Brown; UD President Laura A. Carlson; and Biden School Interim Dean Joseph E. Trainor.”
About the Institute for Public Administration
The University of Delaware's Institute for Public Administration (IPA) addresses the policy, planning, and management needs of its partners through the integration of applied research, professional development and the education of tomorrow's leaders. As a research and public service center in the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration, IPA collaborates with state agencies, municipal governments, nonprofits, communities, and businesses to examine complex policy issues and improve the quality of life in Delaware and beyond. Troy Mix is the acting director of IPA.
About the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration
Established in 1961 and named in 2018 for the University of Delaware’s most distinguished alumnus, the 46th President of the United States, the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration prepares students with the knowledge and skills necessary to engage in research and public service to improve the quality of life in communities around the world. Biden School faculty, staff, students, and alumni create and use interdisciplinary, nonpartisan research and empirically based analysis to inform effective decision-making and policy and to improve leadership and administration. The Biden School partners with organizations from all sectors to discover innovative and equitable solutions to the critical challenges of our time.
