Mentorship and LAPP

Bird Law and Public Policy Research Lab

I am committed to developing programs supporting undergraduate professional development and research skills. Research opportunities at the undergraduate level teach translatable skills and prepare students success after college. I founded the Bird Law and Policy Research Lab in 2021. My mission with the lab is to offer outstanding undergraduate students opportunities to develop professionally and engage in the research process. Interns learn translatable skills which will prepare them for success after college. The lab also provides a community for students in an effort to make the large-university experience more tailored to high-achieving student needs. I modeled the Bird Lab off of my graduate training where I contributed to undergraduate research training and advising with the United States Policy Agendas Project and the Clark Center for Australian and New Zealand Studies. The lab is affiliated with the Comparative Agendas Project– an international research consortium.

Meet the Team!

Current Research Interns:

  • Sarah Abdou (UAlbany, 2023) Sarah is a senior political science major at UAlbany with a minor in philosophy and law. She is also in the 3+3 law program. Sarah plans to attend law school. She is from Waldwick, New Jersey. As an undergraduate, Sarah is an active member of the Debate Team. She was elected as the Debate Team’s Public Relations Director, where she helped coordinate events, handled public-facing communications, and recruited new members. Sarah is currently working on the circuit court data collection project.
  • Joshua Baldwin (UAlbany, 2022) Josh Baldwin recently graduated from the University at Albany (SUNY), with a bachelors degree in Political Science, minoring in Criminal Justice and Sociology. He interned for the Youth Justice Institute in 2022, and now holds a position at the institute. At the institute he has collect research, coded research and conveyed findings. He has also helped publish a legislative history on a the Safe Harbour Law in New York State for the Office of Children and Family services. With the Bird Lab, Josh is working on projects concerning the role of the Federalist Society in American politics, state high court citations patterns, and the dynamics of oral arguments before the Supreme Court. Josh is now working toward PhD in Political Science at the University of Georgia, with his research interests being in Constitutional Law and Judicial Politics.
  • Evie Bombard (UAlbany, 2023) Evie graduated from the University at Albany with a bachelors in Political Science and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. She is currently working full time as the Program Coordinator for Capital EAP. Evie has interned with the Center for Law and Policy and taught an Intro to Feminisms class as part of the women’s studies collective at UALBANY. Most recently, she has had the amazing opportunity to intern with Senator Nathalia Fernandez in her Assembly office in 2022. Evie plans to attend law school in the Fall of 2024. She is also interested in government office.
  • Cole Burkhardt (UAlbany 2022) Cole Burkhardt is a Junior at The University of Albany pursuing a major in Philosophy with minors in Philosophy of Law, and Political Science. Cole has been a member of UAlbany’s competitive Mock Trial team and is an E-Board member of UAlbany’s Chapter of Democracy Matters. As a member of Democracy Matters, Cole helped co-found the International Committee which aims at discovering how the influence of money in politics domestically affects the actions of the United States internationally along with the goal of making the systems of American government more democratic. Cole, additionally, is a member of UAlbany’s Student Association Civil Action Committee. After graduation in Fall of 2022 Cole plans on attending law school and pursuing a career in law or public policy.
  • Aryanna Carter (UAlbany, 2023) Aryanna has recently graduated from the University at Albany (SUNY) Honors College, with bachelors degrees in both Criminal Justice and Political Science, minoring in Legal Studies. In her time at UAlbany Aryanna was; a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success, a member of the Political Action Committee for the Albany State University Black Alliance, and was very active within local communities in forms of community service. In her free time, Aryanna loves to travel, she loves to attend all things live entertainment, and she loves to spend time with her family, friends and puppies! Ary is currently working on Supreme Court network data collection project.
  • Giuliana Crocco (UAlbany, 2023) Giuliana recently graduated from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs majoring in political science and minoring in French and legal studies. She worked as an undergraduate research assistant at SUNY Albany and I am currently an intern with the NYC Mayor’s Office of State Legislative Affairs. I expect to graduate attend law school, and I hope to specialize in business or immigration law.
  • Gregory Dancy II (UAlbany, 2023) Gregory Dancy II an undergraduate student at SUNY University at Albany majoring in criminal justice with a minor in legal studies from Brooklyn, NY. He is part of the 3+3 Combined JD law program with Albany Law and a member of the Pre-Law Fraternity Phi Alpha Delta. He plans to become a lawyer. Gregory is currently studying for the LSAT and working on the circuit court project.
  • Cami Eder (UAlbany 2023) Cami is a senior at UAlbany majoring in political science with a concentration in American politics and minoring in business administration. Previously, she was a member of the UAlbany volleyball team for three years and was a member of the team leadership council. She held an internship with Elliot Stern Calabrese LLP where she worked on contract, business and real estate law. In her free time she loves to travel and hangout with family and friends.
  • Elan Ellis (UAlbany, 2022) Elan Ellis is a recent graduate from UAlbany from Brooklyn, NY. He earned his bachelors degree in political science and is currently studying for the LSAT. He describes himself as an ambitious learner who likes to take on challenges because the harder the challenge the greater the triumph.
  • Sarah Finklestein (UAlbany, 2023) Sarah Finkelstein is a Senior at The University of Albany completing a Bachelor’s in Political Science and minoring in Journalism. Sarah is a member of Democracy Matters and Students for Sustainability. In her free time, Sarah embraces her passion for finding the truth by writing for the Albany Student Press. After graduation, Sarah plans on attending law school and pursuing a career in public policy.
  • Alex Gomez (UAlbany 2023) Alex is from Champlain, a small town in upstate New York right on the U.S. Canadian Border. He is currently a senior at UAlbany and plans to attend law school to become a criminal lawyer. He is currently interning with a county district attorney’s office but was formerly a cook at a banquet hall and a small ice cream/burger place. Alex loves hands-on experiences like internships because he believes it is the best way to understand how things truly work. He enjoys playing golf, but just like most others who like golf, thinks he is not good at it. He also loves to watch and play basketball (Go Spurs!) and also enjoys listening to music and hanging out with friends.
  • Kira Gruber (UAlbany, 2023) Kira Gruber is a senior in the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs majoring in political science with a minor in sociology. She is also a part of the writing and critical inquiry peer mentor program which gives support to incoming freshman and helps them improve their writing skills. Kira has been accepted into the combined BA/MA program at the University of Albany and has hopes to further her education into law school. In the future, Kira has hopes of working in the civil law sector wether that be with the ACLU or other organizations.
  • Peter Hagan (UAlbany, 2024) Peter Hagan is currently a sophomore at the University at Albany. He is double majoring in History and Political Science with a concentration in Security and Statecraft.
  • Axelle LaBaw (UAlbany, 2024) Axelle is a sophomore in the University at Albany, SUNY Honors College pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, with minors in Law & Philosophy and Creative Writing. Axelle has served as a peer mentor for the Writing & Critical Inquiry program, where she helped improve the research abilities of freshman students as they transition to college-level writing. UAlbany has awarded her work centered around criminal justice, including a short story about the difficulty of escaping domestic violence and a research paper highlighting the neglect of incarcerated people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Upon graduation, Axelle aspires to attend law school, with hopes of specializing in international human rights.
  • Shawn Ness (UAlbany, 2024) Shawn Ness is a senior at UAlbany studying journalism and political science, he hopes to work as a broadcast news anchor covering politics in Washington D.C. He is the managing editor at UAlbany’s student newspaper the Albany Student Press.
  • Ava Pipa (UAlbany, 2022) Ava Pipia is a recent college graduate from the Rockefeller School of Public Affairs at the University at Albany. She is passionate about research and statistics in the social sciences. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in December 2022.
  • Kathryn Smith (UAlbany, 2022) Kathryn is currently a senior in the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy at the University at Albany, SUNY. She is a transfer student from SUNY Adirondack, where she graduated in 2020. Her major is Political Science with a concentration in Law & Institutions, with a minor in English. Kathryn previously interned at Furlan & Associates, a small criminal law practice in Rutland, VT. At UAlbany, she recently joined the National Society of Leadership and Success. After her bachelor’s, Kathryn hopes to attend law school in the fall of 2023. My favorite hobbies include hiking, doing puzzles, and anything Harry Potter.
  • Colton Repsher (UAlbany 2022) Colton is a senior from Binghamton, New York. He plans to graduate in December 2022 with a dual major in Political Science and Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity. He plans to earn his Commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps where he currently has an aviation contract. Since high school, Colton has always been extremely interested in politics and trying to understand how things work in the government. After taking a class with Dr. Bird, he found that he wants to further his education and research on the branch that most people do not understand– the Supreme Court.
  • Abigail Richter (UAlbany, 2023) Abigail is a senior at UAlbany majoring in Political Science with a concentration in Public Law and a minor in Economics. She is from a small town outside Rochester, NY. She previously attended Genesee Community College where she received an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts and Natural Sciences.
  • Aryanna Russell (UAlbany 2023) Aryanna Russell is a senior at the University at Albany, where she is majoring in Criminal Justice and minoring in Political Science. She transferred to UAlbany from Mohawk Valley Community College in 2020, where she earned an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences. Aryanna is a member of the Tau Sigma Honor Society at UAlbany, and has been recognized on Dean’s List of Distinguished Students for multiple semesters. Aryanna enjoys traveling, going to concerts, and spending time with friends and family. She graduates in the fall of 2022 with a Bachelor’s Degree and plans to join the workforce. Aryanna hopes to pursue a career in public policy or the criminal justice system.
  • Ethan Warren (UAlbany 2023) Ethan Warren is enrolled at the University at Albany SUNY in Rockefeller College class of 2023. Hoping to one day be an attorney he is currently pursuing a well-rounded undergraduate education; majoring in political science with a minor in chemistry. Primarily interested in learning about judicial behavior as well as the Supreme Court many of his courses center around this scholastic focus. Ethan is currently interning for Dr. Christine Bird beginning the summer of 2022. As well as interning on a congressional campaign for New York’s 19th congressional district. On the SUNY Albany Campus, Ethan is on Mock Trial. Hobbies include reading, kickboxing and weight lifting to stay balanced outside of academic and professional life.

Past Research Interns:

  • Anandi Barker (UT, 2022) Anandi Barker is a junior in the College of Liberal Arts studying Government and French. She also holds memberships to the Liberal Arts Honors Program and the Jefferson Scholars Program at UT. She joined the Clark Center in the fall of 2021 as a research intern after a summer of research with the Government Department. In addition to the academic programs on campus, Anandi is involved in the Texas Orators publication organization and the French Language Club. She has published articles in the Daily Texan as an opinion columnist and in the Digitizing Politics blog which is aimed at educating the public on domestic and international affairs. In her free time, Anandi enjoys exploring coffee shops around the Austin area and spending time with friends and family.
  • Amy Burr (UT, 2022) Amy Burr is a sophomore in the McCombs School of Business, pursuing a degree in Management Information Systems, a minor in Marketing, and a certificate in Forensic Science. She joined the Clark Center as a Research Intern in the spring of 2019 where she began coding the policy areas of bills introduced to the Australian Parliament. She also collected data from Senate reports published under the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee in order to analyze voting patterns in the Australian Senate. In addition to her work as a Research Intern, Amy works as the Human Resources Intern at RKD Group, a direct marketing and fundraising agency for nonprofits. She is involved in Alpha Chi Omega Sorority and Phi Chi Theta, a professional business and economics fraternity. After she graduates in the spring of 2022, Amy hopes to pursue a career in government intelligence and security. 
  • Isaiah Chancellor (UT, 2023) Isaiah Chancellor is a junior in the Liberal Arts Honors program pursuing a degree in History with a minor in Government. He joined the Clark Center as a Research Intern in the spring of 2020. Isaiah is a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma Joint Honor Societies, Phi Alpha Theta, and the Black Student Alliance. During his sophomore year, as the Black Student Alliance Political Action Chair, Isaiah collaborated with the NAACP UT Austin Chapter to create an event where over 50 people were registered to vote in Travis County. Isaiah also served on the U.T.P.D. (University of Texas Police Department) Oversight Committee as an Undergraduate Student Representative where he contributed to the suspension of a U.T.P.D. initiative. Currently, Isaiah is the Vice-President of the Pre-Law National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA) Chapter at the University of Texas at Austin. Isaiah also serves as the BIG XII Political Action Chair, where he provides oversight over all BIG-XII-member school’s Political Action committee representatives. Additionally, Isaiah serves as the Director of the Black Presidents Leadership Council, charged with convening and organizing the over 40+ black student organizations on campus to advocate for black student issues on the University of Texas at Austin’s campus. After graduation, he aspires to go to law school, where he plans on specializing in either civil rights law or public interest law.
  • Andres Cerda (UT, 2021) Andres Cerda is a recent UT graduate, having received his Bachelor of Arts in Government (with honors) and Bachelor of Journalism (with honors) in the Spring of 2021. Andres joined the Clark Center as a Research Intern in the Fall of 2021, after previously serving as a Research Intern during the Summer Research Internship program. Prior to his work at the Clark Center, he helped code, collect, and upload thousands of Supreme Court briefs as part of a project looking into the influence of the Solicitor General of the United States. Andres hopes to enroll in a Political Science PhD program in the near future, with his research interests being American Institutions, Judicial Politics, and American Elections.
  • Henna Rae (UT, 2022)
  • Allison White (UT, 2021, Now at UT-Law)
  • Nico Gonzales (UT, 2021)
  • Kristina Sherrill (UT, 2022)
  • Natalie Weidenbach (UT, 2020)
  • Kate Stickland, (UT, 2019, Now at Harvard Law)
  • Antoinette Dao (UT, 2019, New Business Owner)