About
The Senior Practitioner Fellowship program brings together a diverse set of leaders—elected leaders, former government officials, policymakers, advocates, nonprofit leaders, and journalists—for in-depth analyses and stewardship of institutional reforms. Fellows leverage the expertise from their fields and passion for a particular area of government effectiveness to a community of students, faculty, and practitioners with similar passions and the resources to effect change.
Program details
The Senior Practitioner Fellowship is an annual, non-residential program for pre-eminent leaders in their fields. Fellows are chosen for their breadth of experience, depth of expertise, and degree of passion for the health of our democracy and strength of its institutions. During their year-long tenure at the Center, Fellows engage in numerous activities organized around a unifying theme and develop programming that corresponds to CEG's three key areas of focus—ideas, education, and engagement:
2022 Senior Practitioner Fellows
We are thrilled to announce the 2022 cohort of Senior Practitioner Fellows! Read the full announcement.
The 2022 CEG Senior Practitioner Fellows are:
Tiana Epps-Johnson (@tianaej) | Founder and Executive Director, Center for Tech and Civic Life; former Election Administration Director, New Organizing Institute
Mindy Finn (@mindyfinn) | Founder and CEO, Citizen Data; former Executive Director and Co-founder, Stand Up Republic; former Campaign Strategist, George W. Bush and Mitt Romney
Elizabeth (Liz) Hempowicz (@lizhempowicz) | Director of Public Policy, The Project on Government Oversight (POGO)
Rudy Mehrbani (@RudyMehrbani) | Senior Advisor, Democracy Fund; former Senior Fellow and Senior Counsel, Brennan Center for Justice; former Director, White House Presidential Personnel Office and Assistant to President Barack Obama
Upcoming events for UChicago students
Join the Center for Effective Government at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy in welcoming Senior Practitioner Fellow Rudy Mehrbani back to campus for a day of student engagement opportunities on Thursday, January 26, 2023.
CEG Lunch n’ Learn: Advancing Democracy Reform in an Era of Divided Government: Considering recent history, many expect the sitting House majority to focus on stifling and investigating the White House rather than advancing any parts of the president’s agenda. Does this mean legislation focused on strengthening democracy will be sidelined during this Congress? Or can advocates build momentum from the reforms to the Electoral Count Act, which were ultimately adopted with bipartisan support, to continue advancing related efforts? We will explore these questions and other potential avenues for advancing democracy reform in the coming years.
Lunch will be provided, and there will be an opportunity for discussion during the program. Register here.
In-Person Office Hours: Meet one-on-one with CEG Senior Practitioner Fellow Rudy Mehrbani! Office hours provide currently enrolled University of Chicago students the chance to connect directly with CEG Senior Practitioner Fellows. Students can use this time to speak with the Fellows about their interests, seek advice, ask questions about career or internship opportunities, to invite a Fellow to a particular event, and to consult with the Fellow. Appointments are 15 minutes long. All University of Chicago affiliates are eligible to participate. Register here.
Past cohorts
Learn more about previous cohorts of CEG Senior Practitioner Fellows here.