Michigan State University’s Jones and Langstaff chosen as national PPIA Junior Summer Institute Fellows

Two juniors from Mississippi State University are embarking on a prestigious national fellowship program this summer to shape future public policy. The program aims to equip them for graduate-level studies.

Alijah Jones, a political science major from Greenwood, and Lily Langstaff, a wildlife, fisheries, and aquaculture major from Southaven and members of the Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College, have been named fellows in the Junior Summer Institute of the Public Policy and International Affairs Program.

Jones will be at the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy for seven weeks, while Langstaff will attend Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. The intensive program covers economics, statistics, domestic and international policy issues, and leadership skills crucial for admission to top public and international affairs graduate programs.

These two Bulldogs are part of the 149 fellows chosen from over 1,300 applicants this year and are the sole representatives from Mississippi.

The program aims to provide high-potential undergraduate students, especially those from underrepresented groups, with access to successful careers in public service. Fellows receive stipends, free books, housing, and career guidance. They also receive application fee waivers for PPIA’s graduate school consortium and a minimum $5,000 scholarship if accepted by a consortium member.

As a Bill Collins and Charles Menifield Scholar, Jones focuses on diplomacy, governance, and linguistics at MSU. He aims to become a foreign service diplomat with the U.S. Department of State.

“I grew up wanting to learn about different cultures. As I got older, I started wanting to help alleviate some of the things that keep us separate as a world,” Jones shared.

Langstaff, a Presidential Endowed Scholar, focuses on conservation biology and aims to support the Mississippi River through policy work. She plans to work as a government affairs liaison for a non-profit focusing on water resources conservation.

David Hoffman, MSU Office of Prestigious External Scholarships director, highlighted the valuable opportunity for Jones and Langstaff to learn and prepare for their careers through the program. MSU has had a student participating in the Junior Summer Institute for eight years in a row and nine out of the last decade.

“Alijah and Lily are not only excellent scholars but have also taken advantage of incredible opportunities to broaden their perspectives and enhance their training,” said Hoffman.

Explore more about the MSU Department of Political Science and Public Administration and Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture at www.pspa.msstate.edu and www.wildlifefisheries.msstate.edu respectively.

For further details on the Public Policy and International Affairs Program’s Junior Summer Institute, visit www.ppiaprogram.org/page/junior-summer-institute.