Creating a lasting impact: How Heller fosters community and positive social change
Photo Credit: Gaelen Morse
By Leah Steele
February 20, 2026
Brandeis inspires social justice initiatives that make lives better. At a time of significant societal shift, Brandeis’ Heller School for Social Policy and Management provides research opportunities for those who strive to impact the change they want to see.
Chloe Morales ’23, MPP’26 is one of those people. She was attracted to Heller’s Master of Public Policy (MPP) program, which provides context around social issues and systemic inequities and where students learn to use analytical tools to implement equitable solutions.
Morales, whose research focus is behavioral health, specifically the mental health among immigrant families, “look[s] at the intergenerational trauma that comes behind immigrating to this country” and what impact that experience can have.
As a first generation college student and from a family that immigrated to the U.S., Morales understands first hand how state and national policies and practices affect mental health.
Returning to Brandeis
Morales received her undergraduate degree from Brandeis in Health: Science, Society, and Policy (HSSP) and Biology in 2023. After working at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health in the immunization division, Morales decided to return to Brandeis and joined Heller’s MPP program “because of the great opportunities that we have here: funding opportunities, research opportunities, and just being near Boston.” Most importantly, what drew Morales back to Brandeis was the community.
“I love the community here. I feel like Heller itself is incomparable to any other environment that I've ever been in. We work with the faculty one on one very frequently. It's intentional and a pedagogical move that they choose to work with. And I think that's what keeps people here and makes them happy.”
Morales plans to land a research analyst role after graduating this May.
Building confidence through community
Heller, which is part of the Brandeis School of Social Sciences and Social Policy, lives at the intersection of research and public policy as a top-ranked school of social policy. Heller’s programs create community through small, mission driven cohorts of graduate students. Heller’s MPP program not only offers the opportunity to work and research alongside world renowned faculty, but it also offers a supportive and connected community of students.
“I feel like my confidence has just skyrocketed when it comes to talking about my interests and what’s important to me. But I also feel confident that what I know is backed by my readings and backed by the conversations we have in class all the time.”
