Carly Eichhorst ’02

University of Minnesota
Humphrey School of Public Affairs

Carly Eichhorst ’02, a resident of St. Paul, is completing a year as a Policy Fellow at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs. She was one of 35 individuals selected for the 2011-2012 program, which will conclude next month.

Eichhorst has worked exclusively within higher education student finance since graduating with a bachelor’s degree from Gustavus Adolphus College. Since 2004, she has worked at Augsburg College specifically on issues of education access and affordability. Professional highlights include development of value based financial literacy programming for college students and staff mentoring and supervision. In addition, she is interested in vocation as a framework for professional growth. After the home birth of her daughter in 2009, Carly has been drawn to advocacy of alternative birth options and breastfeeding promotion and support.

As part of her year as a Fellow, Carly participated in a group policy project entitled “Eat Out: Wild Edibles on Public Lands.” Groups will present the results of their work, and their recommendations for future action, on the program’s final day in early June.

The Policy Fellows program prepares Minnesotans from all professional sectors to bring a greater understanding of public affairs into their leadership roles. Through a nine-month educational experience that includes workshops, seminars, and group projects, Policy Fellows hone their leadership skills, build their professional network, and define their unique role in the policy process.

Begun by Vice President Walter Mondale and Geri Joseph in 1990, the program was co-directed for a dozen years by former congressmen Tim Penny and Vin Weber, and is now directed by political science Professor Lawrence Jacobs, the Walter F. and Joan Mondale Chair for Political Studies at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs.

The Policy Fellows program is run by the Humphrey School’s Center for the Study of Politics and Governance. The Center generates new knowledge about policy and politics, convenes public events that stimulate vigorous debate, and inspires current and emerging leaders to engage in the creation of innovative approaches to addressing the vital policy issues of our time.

The Humphrey School of Public Affairs ranks among the top professional schools of public affairs at public universities in the country. The School is widely recognized for its role in examining public issues and shaping public policy at the local, state, national, and international levels, and for providing leadership and management expertise to public and nonprofit organizations.