Dane County policy research and analysis internships connect UW–Madison students to local priorities
After a semester researching youth mental health support resources and supportive housing programs, respectively, University of Wisconsin–Madison students Ned Eggert and Tara McKillop prepared to share their recommendations with Dane County elected leaders.
The students sought out this internship experience to gain professional skills, but they also had personal stakes in their research areas and came away with a new understanding of local government and the impacts it can have on communities.
Eggert, who is majoring in political science and expects to graduate next year, said he was drawn to studying the topic of youth mental health because of crises that his high school community experienced.
“The topic felt like it was more relevant to me and my community because it’s impacted so many people that I know: my friends, my family, and my community members,” Eggert said. “The goal of my report is to give a couple recommendations to the board about policy ideas that they could implement that would help stabilize youth mental health in Dane County right now.”
In her hometown of Los Angeles, California, McKillop volunteered at her polling place during elections and is “very into civic engagement.” While at UW–Madison, McKillop worked for the student organizing group called the Wisco Project and for Wisconsin U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin.
“Being able to be involved in my campus and then advocate for something on such a large scale empowered me to focus in more on Dane County specifically, and look at what I can do while I’m here and on campus,” said McKillop, who is pursuing a degree in the La Follette School of Public Affairs’ accelerated master’s program in addition to a degree in sociology with certificates in public policy and political science.
McKillop’s work for Dane County focused on supportive housing and sustainable service financing for unhoused residents in Dane County.
Eggert presented his report to the Dane County Board’s Executive Committee on May 14, while McKillop is scheduled to share her work with the committee on June 4.
Providing opportunities for students to engage with their local governments and supporting community-identified priorities is what UniverCity Alliance aims to accomplish through partnerships with local governments across Wisconsin, including Dane County.
The Dane County Board of Supervisors has partnered with UniverCity Alliance since 2017 and, starting in 2022, UniverCity has supported the county by pairing a couple of students each semester to work on policy analysis projects. Dane County contributes a per-semester stipend to support the students working on priority policy topics for the county.
During the fall semester, two students researched opioid harm reduction programs and hyperscale data centers during their internships with Dane County.
“We are grateful for our ongoing partnership with Dane County,” UniverCity Alliance Managing Director Megan McBride said. “Connecting students like Ned and Tara with real-world projects that they’re inspired by and that support local goals is what UniverCity is all about.”
Through these opportunities, Eggert and McKillop are gaining experiences that will prepare them for their future careers. McKillop said she enjoyed researching housing policy and building on her sociology coursework related to housing inequality.
“I don’t specifically know what I want to do, and whether that will be in Wisconsin or maybe D.C., but I really like the policy side of things, and specifically tackling housing,” McKillop said.
Eggert, who hopes to attend graduate school and become a teacher, said it was valuable to have many professional conversations with mental health practitioners and learn how to do research within a specific community.
“I feel like the research I’ve been doing right now has been another step toward learning how to do public service,” Eggert said.
–Abigail Becker