The Sillerman Center for the Advancement of Philanthropy

Past Fellows

Sillerman Center Master's Fellows

2023

Jada Alexander, MBA '23, completed an internship with The Philanthropic InitiativeReflection Paper

Fabiola Mejia Rodriguez, COEX/SID ' 24, completed an internship with the Lenny Zakim FundReflection Paper

2022

Branden Miles, MPP '23, completed an internship with the New Commonwealth FundReflection Paper.

Fernanda De La Torre, SID ' 23, completed an internship with The Boston FoundationReflection Paper.

Katherine Gagen, MBA/MPP '23, completed an internship with New ProfitReflection Paper

Martin Alexis, MBA/SID '23, completed an internship with Next Level Social ImpactReflection Paper. 

2021

Brian Kibler, MBA/MPP '21, completed an internship with The Beker FoundationReflection Paper

Madeline Killeen, MPP ' 22, completed an internship with Boston Children's Hospital Office of Community HealthReflection Paper

Rachael Conway, MPP '22, completed an internship with The Boston FoundationReflection Paper.

Zari Havercome, MBA/SID '22, completed an internship with CFLeadsReflection Paper

2020

Claire Connocher, MPP'21, completed internships with CF Leads and Clowes Fund. Reflection Paper

Katie Elder, MPP'21, completed an internship with The Boston Foundation. Reflection Paper

Kaleigh Mency, COEX'20, completed an internship Hyams Foundation. Reflection Paper

Katherine Ponce, MS/MBA'21, completed an internship at MetroWest Health Foundation. Reflection Paper

2019

Bishar Jenkins, MPP'20, completed an internship with AIDS United. Reflection Paper available upon request.

Lisa Knichols, MPP/MBA'19, completed an internship at the Center for Effective Philanthropy. Reflection Paper.

Yuqi Wang, MPP/MBA'20 completed internships with Haymarket People's Fund and The Boston Foundation. Reflection Paper.

2018

John Haak, MPP/MBA'18, completed an internship with Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation. Reflection paper.

Bria Price, MPP'19, completed an internship at the New England Foundation for the Arts.

Dominique Ramos, MA SID/MS'19, completed an internship with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation. Reflection paper.

Beth Smith, MA SID'19, completed an internship with New England International Donors. Reflection paper.

2017

Sarah King, MPP'18, completed an internship with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation. Reflection paper.

Liora Norwich, MBA'17, completed an internship with Social Innovation Forum. Reflection paper.

Maryse Pearce, MPP/MBA'17, completed an internship with Unbound Philanthropy. Reflection paper.

2016

Ariela Lovett, MPP/MBA'17, completed an internship at the New York Women's Foundation. Reflection paper.

Adiba Nasser, MA SID'17, completed an internship at the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation. Reflection paper.

Oliver Supitux, MPP'17, completed an internship at the The Boston Foundation. Reflection paper.

2015

Abby Alexanian, MPP/MBA'16, completed an internship at The Boston Foundation. Reflection paper.

Erin Robinson, MPP'16, completed an internship at the Annie E. Casey Foundation Atlanta Civic Site. Reflection paper.

Justine Zayhowski, MPP'15, completed an internship at the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation. Reflection paper.

2014

Sarah Mosca, MPP'15, completed a summer internship at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation. Reflection paper.

Marie Piayai, MA SID'15, completed a summer internship at The Boston Foundation. Reflection paper.

2013

Marisa Daniel, MPP/MBA'13, completed an internship at the Schott Foundation. Reflection paper.

Kristen Devoucoux, MBA/MA'14, completed an internship at EdVestors.

Brian Ramsey, MPP'14, completed a summer internship at the Boston Foundation. Reflection paper.

Nicole Rodriguez, MPP'14, completed a summer internship at GMA Foundations in Boston, working with foundation clients such as the Miller Foundation, Anna B. Stearns Charitable Foundation and Sociological Initiatives Foundations. Reflection paper.

Laura Rooney, MBA'13, completed an internship at GreenLight Fund.

Karissa Ruck, MPP/MBA'14, completed a summer internship at Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, a philanthropic organization in New York City which conducts grantmaking both domestically and abroad with a particular eye for the intersection of lesbian and trans issues, race, nationality, and economic justice. Reflection paper.

Rachael Weiker, MBA/MPP'13, completed an internship as a management Fellow for SheGives, a start-up women-led venture philanthropy organization.

2012

Matt Brookner, MPP/MA'13, completed a summer internship at Natan, a grantmaker in New York City that inspires young philanthropists to become actively engaged in Jewish giving.

Janice Neiman, MPP'13, completed a summer internship at the Annie E. Casey Foundation in Baltimore, Maryland.

Lauren Threatte, PhD student, completed a summer internship at the Chicago Foundation for Women.

2011

Elizabeth Ascoli completed a summer internship at the Nellie Mae Education Foundation in Quincy, Mass.  Her work involved learning about and reporting on the policies and infrastructures that are in place in seven school districts throughout New England in order to determine their ability to sustain very involved and specific education reform. 

Nicole Hudson, MPP'12, completed a summer internship at the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation.

Ellen Marya, MPP'12, completed a summer internship at the Greater Worcester Community Foundation, working on the Foundation's Leadership Initiative to focus and improve grantmaking strategy. 

Molly Preston, MPP'12, completed a summer internship at EdVestors, a Boston-based nonprofit that works to drive change in urban schools.

2010

Jason Gray, MPP'11, completed a summer internship at Root Cause, a nonprofit organization located in Cambridge, Mass., on their venture philanthropy program. 

Jennifer Ross, MPP'11, completed a summer internship at the Hyams Foundation in Boston, applying her knowledge of youth development while working on a capacity building project for the Teen Futures Initiative.  

Andrea Shaye, MBA'10, completed an internship at the Hyams Foundation as the Grassroots Leadership Development Intern. 

Sillerman Center Doctoral Fellows

2013, 2014, 2015, 2016

PhD student Matt Brookner's intended research focuses on philanthropic values education in the American Jewish community, and more generally how charitable behaviors and beliefs can be affected. Matt has professional experience at the Natan Fund, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston, and the Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education. He has an MA in Jewish Professional Leadership and an MPP from Brandeis, during which time he was a Sillerman Center Intern.

2011-2012

PhD student Blake Dohrn worked on the evaluation team for numerous projects at the Sillerman Center and the Center for Youth and Communities, including the Jewish Healthcare Foundation and United Way of Allegheny's Pathways to Careers, the Hyams Foundation's Teen Futures, YouthBuild USA's Postsecondary Education Initiative and the Skillman Foundation's Good Neighborhoods and Good Schools.

2010-2011

PhD student Jodi Benenson's research interests include civic engagement, inequality, and social policy. Jodi’s dissertation examines the relationship between civic engagement and economic mobility among low-income individuals living in the United States. At the Sillerman Center, Jodi served as the Project Manager for a study that examines the effects of experiential philanthropy courses on college students.

2010

PhD student Katherine (Kate) Szczerbacki worked as a research assistant while a Fellow at the Sillerman Center. Kate focused on a project that profiled family foundations' conversations about shifting policies and practices to better address social change and justice issues.

2009

Laura Sullivan, PhD'13's dissertation research investigates the impacts of household level economic shocks on family financial stability and explores the role that foundations can play in helping families achieve long-term economic security. In her work as a Research Associate at the Institute on Assets and Social Policy (IASP) at Heller, she conducts quantitative data analysis using national surveys, contributes to research reports, and collaborates in the development of grant proposals.