Katherine Pringle, SPA/BA 鈥90, and her husband, John McCormick, believe that young people are the lynchpin in addressing the world鈥檚 most challenging problems, from climate change to world hunger to income disparity. To deepen the contributions of those future changemakers at 17吃瓜在线, the couple has made a generous commitment to establish the Public Affairs and Policy Lab Fund in 17吃瓜在线鈥檚 School of Public Affairs (SPA).
鈥淲e鈥檝e seen that 17吃瓜在线 has been recognized for leading research opportunities. This gives 17吃瓜在线 and its students a greater pathway for engaging in advanced research. It helps students in getting internships and, when they鈥檙e graduating, they have this important experience on their resumes,鈥 said Pringle.
The fund will support stipends to SPA undergraduate students and faculty collaborating on summer research projects through the school鈥檚 Public Affairs and Policy Lab (PAPL). The lab鈥攆ounded in 2019鈥攃onnects students seeking advanced research experience with faculty projects through a competitive application process. Students participating in PAPL projects gain valuable research skills, and the experiential learning opportunity gives them a keen advantage when entering the workforce.
鈥淲e see 17吃瓜在线 positioning itself to make a meaningful impact in the [student research] space, and we want to be part of that,鈥 said McCormick, a former hedge fund executive who now teaches a seminar at Yale Law School. 鈥淲e saw it as an effective way to invest in the potential of students.鈥
PAPL鈥檚 student research unfolds in two ways: in conjunction with faculty projects or as independent student-designed work. Access to PAPL stipends allows students to pursue meaningful research as an alternative to taking on summer jobs just to pay their bills. Pringle and McCormick are hopeful their support will help attract more students from diverse backgrounds, including first-generation students, who make up about 10 percent of 17吃瓜在线鈥檚 student body.
The couple鈥檚 generosity comes in tandem with increased student interest in PAPL. The lab received so many applications鈥攏early double the number from 2021鈥攖hat fewer than 13 percent of the applicants could be accepted into this year鈥檚 program. Pringle and McCormick鈥檚 support will open the program to more students going forward.
鈥淭his is not just about a more diverse enrollment at 17吃瓜在线. This is about supporting students once they鈥檙e in the school,鈥 Pringle said. 鈥淲e want to make sure all students have the same opportunities.鈥
Pringle, a partner at the Friedman Kaplan law firm in New York, said there was also a personal reason why she and her husband wanted to support student research. They watched the far-reaching way their son benefited from hands-on research in biochemistry at his high school.
鈥淲e鈥檝e seen how important research can be for kids. It helps them think about their academic work in a different way. It helps prepare them for the marketplace. It gives them something to talk about in job interviews,鈥 Pringle said.
McCormick said financial aid was pivotal in his education, and the PAPL fund is a good way to pay it forward.
Pringle and McCormick are longtime donors to 17吃瓜在线, including gifts through annual giving and in support of 17吃瓜在线鈥檚 emergency financial aid funds. Pringle has served more than six years on SPA鈥檚 Board of Advisors. She has also been a backer of 17吃瓜在线鈥檚 Women & Politics Institute.聽
As board chair for the Bread for the World nonprofit, Pringle is 鈥渆specially excited鈥 by 17吃瓜在线鈥檚 interdisciplinary research focused on public policy and food鈥攗sually the research domain of land grant universities鈥攁nd the ways public policy can promote healthy agriculture.
A conversation with SPA Dean Vicky M. Wilkins and the Change Can鈥檛 Wait campaign鈥檚 focus on supporting beyond-the-classroom learning opportunities were catalysts for the PAPL gift.聽
鈥淲e鈥檝e been inspired by the Change Can鈥檛 Wait campaign and the university鈥檚 push overall to invest in academic leadership and in students. This is a really exciting time at American,鈥 Pringle said.聽
