“I was humbled to be selected to serve in the summer White House internship program under the Domestic Policy Council. The experience was truly once in a lifetime as I learned and served for three months in Washington, DC. This administration works so hard for the American people and I was amazed to see how dedicated everyone is to their jobs. I’m grateful to the Lott Institute for preparing me for such an amazing opportunity.”
Savannah Day
“Over the five weeks I had the privilege of interning for the City of Albuquerque’s Office of Immigrant & Refugee Affairs, my mind was broadened to better understand the experience of often overlooked populations among us. I interacted with people from all over the world and learned more about what it looks like for a community to be truly supportive of these vulnerable populations with proper language accessibility, cultural appreciation, and equitable public services. I am excited to further my interests in immigration and foreign policy with this great new perspective of our brothers and sisters from around the globe!”
Sarah Croft
“I researched current and potential new donors’ giving capacities, donation histories, and contact information to facilitate relations and solicitations. I updated the online database and filing system. I completed comprehensive research on attendees of the MRC’s annual cruise and leadership retreats for staff to reference, as well as research for a large coalition project. Along with the other interns, I visited the Leadership Institute to hear from Morton Blackwell, visited Congressman Lamar Smith (TX) in his office to hear about the Media Fairness Caucus, toured Capitol Hill, heard from Donald Devine, and interacted with senior staff and L. Brent Bozell, III. I attended the Young America’s Foundation’s 40th National Conservative Student Conference in downtown DC.”
Jarrius Adams
“I was assigned to the office of US Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.). My administrative duties included answering phones, opening/dating/coding/logging and distributing mail, running errands, purchasing supplies, escorting constituents on Capitol tours or to the House/Senate visitor’s gallery, pulling newspaper clips, copying material, filing co-sponsorships of bills and delivering notices to other offices.”
Dr. Christian Sellar
B.A. and M.A. in communication studies, Università degli Studi di Trieste, Italy; Ph.D. in geo-history and geo-economy of border regions, Università degli Studi di Trieste (2006), Italy; Ph.D. in geography, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2007)
Specialization: Economic and human geography
Dr. Sellar’s primary teaching interest is in the area of regional economic/social development, economic governance, international political economy and institutional change. He focuses on the international dimension of policy making, blending geopolitics, sociology and economic geography. He teaches courses on the European Union, border policies, international regulation of corporations, and the relationship between free-market policies and globalization.
“My teaching has been heavily influenced and shaped by the opportunity to work with colleagues and students in the United States, Italy and Russia. My undergraduate and Ph.D. studies in Italy, along with teaching experience in Russia, accustomed me to lecturing and the idea that a good teacher is able to set a relatively high bar in order to let each student feel positively challenged but not frustrated.”
His research has taken him back to Italy to study how Italian shoe companies outsourced production to Eastern Europe (especially Romania) and how Italian banks fostered that process. He has continued to track these regional economic changes in Europe and the roles of different institution in shaping regional economies. In recent years he has been working in China to study how Italian speaking consultants and consulate personnel supports expat entrepreneurs and firms’ directors. Recently he brought his research back to Italy to study the long term evolution of State support to export and firms internationalization.
Dr. David Rutherford
Office Hours: T’s & Th’s 11:00 – Noon & 2:00 – 3:00, or by appointment
B.A. in geography, University of California, Santa Barbara; M.A. in geography, California State University, Fullerton; Ph.D. in geography and geographic education, Texas State University, San Marcos
Specialization: Geography and major forces of change in the contemporary world
Dr. Rutherford teaches about the diverse peoples, places, environments and processes of change in the contemporary world so that students will be better prepared to exercise leadership and informed decision making at local, national, and global levels.
Dr.Rutherford’s broad background in research and teaching in geography covers physical, human, regional, technical and educational components of the discipline, and his specialty is in education policy related to geography at both K-12 and university levels. Dr. Rutherford is executive director of the Mississippi Geographic Alliance, which works to strengthen K-12 geographic education throughout the Magnolia State and is headquartered at The University of Mississippi. Dr. Rutherford’s professional employment has included visitor service and resource management positions in state and national parks, outdoor education, and teaching geography and earth science at the secondary level.
Charles “Chip” Pickering
Chip Pickering has been CEO of INCOMPAS since January 2014. During that time, INCOMPAS has achieved significant growth with leading internet, backbone, business broadband, wireless, and international companies. Under his leadership, INCOMPAS has led numerous public policy campaigns promoting competition through an open internet and in the business broadband market.
Pickering was a six-term Congressman representing Mississippi’s Third District. During his time in the House, he served on the Energy & Commerce Committee, where he was vice chairman from 2002 to 2006 and a member of the Telecommunications Subcommittee. He also was co-chairman and founder of the Congressional Wireless Caucus and an assistant minority whip of the House. Previously, Chip worked for Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and served as a staff member on the Senate Commerce Committee, where he helped shape the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
Because of his role in drafting the 1996 Act, he became well known as a Congressional leader on telecommunications issues. While in Congress, Chip served as chair of the subcommittee overseeing the transition to the commercial internet, the establishment of domain names, registries, and internet governance. He also successfully led a bipartisan legislative effort to codify net neutrality principles through the House in 2006.
Prior to joining INCOMPAS, Chip was a partner with Capitol Resources LLC, a public affairs and government relations firm, where he represented an array of telecom clients, including wireless, cable and competitive broadband providers, as well as non-profits and companies specializing in education, energy, technology and defense.
Mr. Pickering teaches PPL 211: Political Campaigns.
Crystal Jones
B.B.A in Business Administration and Management, University of Mississippi
A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Crystal Ferrier Jones serves as the Administrative Coordinator II for the Department of Public Policy Leadership. She began working at The University of Mississippi June of 1999 and started working in Public Policy Leadership in August of 2013.
Dr. Joseph (Jody) Holland
Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration, Mississippi State University
Joseph (Jody) Holland’s policy research focuses on food policy, economic development, and technology policy. His administrative research focuses on leadership development, process implementation, and non-profit organizations. Using a critical analysis perspective, Jody teaches solution-based strategies to enhance student learning.
His work can be found in Review of Public Personnel Administration (ROPPA), Handbook of Employee Benefits and Administration, Public Works Management and Policy, The Journal of Nutrition and Hunger, Journal Appalachian Studies, Journal of Policy Practice, and Community Development.
As a researcher, Jody has collaborated with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Highway Administration (FWHA), Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), Delta Regional Authority (DRA), Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT), the National Center for Intermodal Transportation for Economic Competitiveness (NCITEC), and the Department of Defense (DOD).
Dr. Kyle Fritz
B.A. in Philosophy and History, Millikin University; M.A. in Philosophy, University of Florida; Ph.D. in Philosophy, Florida State University
Specialization: Ethics; Moral Responsibility, Blame, and Punishment; Moral Authority and Hypocrisy
Dr. Fritz’s research concerns the nature, norms, and justification of moral responsibility and its related expressions of blame and punishment. His most recent publications have focused on the nature of hypocrisy and the ways in which hypocritical behavior can undermine the moral authority of individuals, leaders, and even the state itself. He has published in journals such as Philosophical Quarterly, Pacific Philosophical Quarterly, Criminal Law and Philosophy, and Philosophia.
Dr. Fritz’s courses connect philosophy with public policy. They are designed to empower students by promoting skills in critical thinking, moral reasoning, and argumentation.