Six outstanding scholars will work with Rockefeller Institute researchers on pressing public policy problems

Albany, NY — The Rockefeller Institute of Government is excited to announce six dynamic researchers as 2024-25 Richard P. Nathan Public Policy Fellows. Over the next year, these experts will partner with Rockefeller Institute researchers to examine timely public policy issues in artificial intelligence, criminal justice and cannabis, veterans affairs and higher education, health, taxes, and emergency services.

The prestigious fellowship program is named after former longtime Rockefeller Institute Director Richard P. Nathan. The fellowship seeks to connect cutting-edge policy expertise to public problems and the policy community that tries to address these problems.

“The Nathan Fellowship program continues to serve as a valuable opportunity for researchers and practitioners to explore policy topics with the added support of the Institute’s research team,” said Bob Megna, president of the Rockefeller Institute. “We are excited to welcome another talented group of scholars looking at timely public policy questions facing New York State and the nation.”

The fellows are:

Carol O’Cleireacain
Carol O’Cleireacain is adjunct professor at Columbia University’s School of International & Public Affairs, with a PhD in economics from the London School of Economics. She was New York City finance commissioner and budget director under Mayor David Dinkins and has held appointments as Detroit’s deputy mayor for economic policy (Mayor Mike Duggan), New Jersey deputy state treasurer (Governor Jon S. Corzine), consultant to New York Lieutenant Governor Richard Ravitch, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and chief economist of District Council 37 American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) during the 1970’s fiscal crisis in New York City. O’Cleireacain recently served on the NYC Property Tax Reform Commission which issued its recommendations in 2021. She has taught public finance and public policy at various universities in the US and UK and served on several corporate and non-profit boards. She has testified before Congress and legislatures and councils in several states and cities. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Jasmin Cowin
Dr. Jasmin (Bey) Cowin, associate professor at Touro University, is the recipient of the Touro University CETL Faculty Fellowship (2024). A Fulbright Scholar and SIT Graduate, she was selected as a 2024 US Department of State English Language Specialist. Her extensive expertise in artificial intelligence in education is further highlighted by her role as an AI trainer and former education policy fellow (EPFP™) at Columbia University, Teachers College. As a columnist for Stankevicius, she writes on Nicomachean Ethics – Insights at the Intersection of AI and Education. She has contributed to initiatives such as Computers for Schools Burundi, served as a resource specialist for Amity University in Uttar Pradesh, India, and participated in TESOL “Train the Trainer” programs in Yemen and Morocco. Her research interests encompass simulation use cases for educators-in-training, AI applications in education, metaverses, and distributed ledger technologies, focusing on “Education for 2060.”

Nyron Crawford
Nyron N. Crawford, PhD, is associate professor of political science and faculty fellow in the Public Policy Lab at Temple University. His research, teaching, and practice draw on political psychology to explore law and policy, especially as they relate to local and racialized public problems. His scholarly writing has been published, among other places, in the Journal of Urban Affairs, Urban Affairs Review, Perspectives on Politics, Public Administration Quarterly, Urban Studies, and his popular writing has appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Politico Magazine, and The Washington Post. He is also author of Marked Men: Black Politicians and the Racialization of Scandal (NYU Press 2024). Crawford earned his doctorate (and MA) in political science from The Ohio State University and a BA in the same from Howard University.

Chun-Yu Ho
Chun-Yu Ho is an associate professor of economics at the University at Albany, SUNY. Before joining the University at Albany, he was a faculty member at Georgia Institute of Technology and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He also held visiting positions at Bank of Finland (Institute for Economies in Transition), Hong Kong Institute of Monetary Research, Fudan University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He holds a PhD in economics from Boston University. Ho’s research interests include industrial organization, health economics, and development economics. He published papers in various peer-reviewed journals, including Review of Economics and Statistics, International Economic Review, Journal of Econometrics, Management Science, and Medical Care. He is an associate editor of Singapore Economic Review. Ho teaches undergraduate and graduate level industrial organization at the University at Albany.

Allison G. S. Knox
Allison G. S. Knox is an interdisciplinary social scientist. Knox is an intermittent emergency management specialist with the Administration of Strategic Preparedness and Response and teaches political science and emergency management at the college level. She currently serves on the board of trustees with Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society in Social Sciences as the chancellor of the Southeast Region. Prior to teaching, Knox worked for a member of congress in Washington, DC, and in a level one trauma center emergency department. She is an emergency medical technician and previously served as the at-large director on the board of directors for the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians.

Scott Taylor
Scott Taylor is the director of transfer and veteran admissions at Syracuse University. He joined Syracuse University after a 20-year career as an officer in the United States Army. Taylor holds a master of public administration and a master of arts in international relations from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University as well as a master of science in strategic intelligence from the National Intelligence University. He earned a Master Teacher Certification from the Center for Faculty Excellence at the United States Military Academy where he served as an assistant professor of American politics, policy, and strategy. He has published several articles on terrorism and has lectured on the subject at the local, state, national, and international levels. Taylor also serves as a part-time instructor in the Maxwell School’s Department of Political Science where he teaches introductory courses in international relations and American government.