The University of Chicago has announced a gift from alumnus Galen Hines-Pierce (MPP ’17) to establish the Congressional Modernization Fellowship.

The gift will support the work of nine students over three years on projects in Chicago and Washington, D.C. During the summer, the fellows will relocate to the capital to work with the legislative branch of the federal government on technology solutions that improve government efficiency and effectiveness. The program—a partnership between POPVOX Foundation, the Data Science Institute (DSI), and the Harris School of Public Policy—will launch this spring with fellows engaging in projects through the Data Science Clinic, a project-based course in which students work in teams as data scientists with clients from industry, government, academia, and social impact organizations. 

“Around the world, democracies are facing increasingly complex challenges, both foreign and domestic,” said Hines-Pierce. “As free and open societies come together to support one another in an era of rising competition, it’s all the more vital to strengthen our democratic institutions here at home. While technology can’t solve political problems, it can help to uncover hidden consensus, make cooperation and coordination more efficient, and enhance Congress’s ability to gather, make sense of, and more quickly act on information. It’s been an honor to partner with Harris, DSI, and POPVOX in designing and supporting this urgent and important effort.” 

“Social impact and experiential learning are two of the defining principles of the Data Science Clinic and the Data Science Institute writ large,” said DSI executive director David Uminsky. “Integrating this new fellowship with the clinic course will broaden its footprint, providing both the selected fellows and their teammates in the clinic with invaluable experience applying data-driven techniques to real-world challenges at the federal level.” 

(Photo credit: Getty Images/drnadig)