---
title: "APPAM Equity & Inclusion Fellowship: An Unforgettable Experience"
description: ery recently, I attended the 2018 APPAM Fall Research Conference in Washington D.C. where I was the recipient of the 2018 APPAM Equity & Inclusion Fellowship. This year's conference
---

[Public Policy in Action | Cornell Institute for Public Affairs ](https://mpastories.publicpolicy.cornell.edu/blog)

# [APPAM Equity & Inclusion Fellowship: An Unforgettable Experience](https://mpastories.publicpolicy.cornell.edu/blog/appam-equity-inclusion-fellowship-an-unforgettable-experience)

 Written by [Jacquelyn Richards](https://mpastories.publicpolicy.cornell.edu/blog/author/jacquelyn-richards) | 11/26/18 7:09 PM

*Jacquelyn Chyrell Richards is a second-year MPA student who is concentrating her studies on Government, Politics and Policy.  A native New Yorker, she grew up on Long Island in a single-parent household and attended college as a first-generation student. She has fourteen years of experience advocating for those who cannot advocate for themselves. She serves as the President of Cornell’s Black Graduate & Professional Student Association. *

Very recently, I attended the 2018 APPAM Fall Research Conference in Washington D.C. where I was the recipient of the 2018 APPAM Equity & Inclusion Fellowship. This year's conference focused on improving programs and policies by generating and engaging with evidence throughout policy analysis and management processes.

At the conference, I had the incredible pleasure of networking with a diverse group of policy professionals, as well as other policy students, for three whole days. Through panels, roundtables, and poster presentations, I interacted with other participants and discussed strategies to bridge the gap between academia and the complex public policy issues we face.

Some of my favorite events included a roundtable: Just in Time: Getting Research to Policymakers and Making it Stick; a panel: The Varied Causes of Persistent and Rising Wealth Inequality; and a super session: Systematic Reviews: The Next Step in Evidence-Based Policy Analysis? All of these sessions provided practical guidance for researchers in academic settings who hope to move their work into policy settings. It was an unforgettable and thought-provoking experience!

I am so thankful to have been chosen and hope the tools I have learned will help make me a better well-rounded public administrator.

Jacquelyn Richards, second from the right, pictured with other APPAM Participants.

If you have questions about attending Cornell University's Institute for Public Affairs, we encourage you to [request more information](https://mpa.human.cornell.edu/request-more-information) today!

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