Selected for the prestigious Eagleton Fellowship, three Rutgers School of Public Health students will explore how public health informs policy and public service statewide
Three Rutgers School of Public Health students have been selected for the Rutgers University Eagleton Institute of Politics’ Graduate Fellowship Program Class of 2026, a one-year, interdisciplinary certificate program that introduces graduate students across Rutgers to the study and practice of politics, public affairs and government.
Fellows begin with coursework on American politics and policymaking and later gain hands-on experience through internships across state, local and federal offices.
Michele McDermott, a Master of Public Health (MPH) student in Population Aging at the Rutgers School of Public Health and a recipient of the school’s Jennifer Elliott Population Aging Scholarship, is passionate about the aging population, mental health and chronic disease management.
“I chose the Rutgers School of Public Health to position myself as a leader in healthcare, focusing on the unique needs of older adults in our state,” McDermott said. She is also a board-certified family nurse practitioner at Robert Wood Johnson Barnabas Health.
“My family's experiences inspired me to pursue a Master of Public Health in Population Aging, deepening my expertise while I continued to work as a nurse practitioner. The flexible, high-quality online program supported my development as an older student and a working professional. The world-class faculty and the institution’s affordability allowed me to receive an education that aligned with my ambitions.”
With experience caring for individuals with Huntington’s disease, dementia, HIV and substance use disorders, she brings a strong clinical background to her policy interests. McDermott has contributed research on continuity of care, occupational lung disease, and sarcoidosis, and is active in several national nursing organizations.
“The Eagleton Graduate Fellowship significantly enriched my journey by providing unique opportunities to build connections, engage in civic life, and strengthen my commitment to public health advocacy for older adults,” McDermott said.
She is also a recipient of the Eagleton Graduate Fellowship Program’s Harold and Reba Martin Award, which she will use to further her work focused on aging and chronic disease.
Alyssa Juenke, a Ph.D. student in toxicology at the School of Graduate Studies and an Epidemiology Methods Certificate student at the Rutgers School of Public Health, studies how a common food contaminant – zearalenone – may affect reproduction, pregnancy and early child development.
“I decided to pursue a certificate in Epidemiology Methods from the School of Public Health to support my doctoral work for my PhD in Toxicology,” Juenke said.
“I work with Dr. Emily Barrett investigating the effects of zearalenone on pregnancy and child neurodevelopmental outcomes in a pregnancy cohort, and the formal training provided by the certificate program has been really helpful for fully developing my thesis.”
In addition, Juenke helped develop a U.S. Sister Project to the international Isla Sister consortium and manages outreach for the New Jersey Kids Study and the Science Policy and Advocacy program at Rutgers. She hopes to work at the intersection of science and policy to strengthen human and environmental health.
“Getting the Eagleton Graduate Fellowship is the first step in pursuing a career where I can bridge the gap between scientists and policymakers,” Juenke said. “On a more personal note, it has been an incredible experience to immerse myself in the world of policy and interact with people outside of the public health sphere. I've learned so much in the first few months of this program and am excited to see where I'll be at the end of the program.”
She is also a recipient of the Eagleton Graduate Fellowship Program’s Henry J. Raimondo Legislative Award and will also work with the Office of Legislative Services this spring.
Jessica Andersen, a dual M.D./Ph.D. student at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and a third-year doctoral student at the Rutgers School of Public Health, focuses her research on the financial burden of healthcare in the United States and how that financial burden influences health outcomes.
“I selected Rutgers for my MD/PhD, with my PhD in the School of Public Health, because I wanted to be at a public institution that shares my values,” Andersen said.
As a medical student, Andersen served in leadership roles and co-founded several policy-engaged student groups, including Medical Students for Choice and White Coats for Black Lives, which sparked her interest in learning more about policy making and politics. She is particularly interested in how financial concerns during treatment of serious illnesses influence treatment decisions and may impact health outcomes, as well as in how different types of healthcare ownership impact patient health and affordability.
Additionally, Andersen has written on the financialization of healthcare for Health Affairs Forefront, discussing how the investment of private capital from private equity firms and real estate investment trusts into the ownership of healthcare services organizations – spanning hospitals and nursing homes, to dermatology and fertility clinics – is more likely to exacerbate disparities rather than reduce them.
During her time as a graduate student, she served as an adjunct instructor at the Rutgers School of Public Health for an introduction to health systems and health policy course for master’s students, for which she received the school’s inaugural 2025 Adjunct Faculty Excellence Award.
She will also intern with the New Jersey Office of Legislative Services as a recipient of the Eagleton Graduate Fellowship Program’s Henry J. Raimondo Legislative Award.
“For me, the Eagleton Fellowship represents an opportunity to learn about how the policies get made that impact my future patients,” Andersen said.
“As a future physician and a public health scholar, I am keenly aware of how policies impact patients and the healthcare they receive. I wanted to understand more about the policy-making process so that I could be a better advocate for patients and their families, and the Eagleton Fellowship is giving me the best opportunity I could ask for to learn exactly that!”
Established in 1956, the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University-New Brunswick examines the relationship between higher education and public life, preparing students to engage meaningfully in civic and political processes. Its Graduate Fellowship Program, now in its 69th year, brings together students from diverse academic fields to explore American politics, public service, and policymaking through coursework, professional development, and applied government experience.
