W&M Public Policy Program

04/01/2026

Last week, the Public Policy Program welcomed Corinna Barrett Lain ’92 for a discussion of her recent book, Secrets of the Killing State: The Untold Story of Lethal Injection. Led by her daughter, Jessica Lain ’26, the conversation exposed unsettling truths about the history and practice of lethal injection. Read the article to learn more.

On March 25, the Public Policy Program hosted a conversation and book signing with Corinna Barrett Lain '92 and her daughter Jessica Lain '26 about Secrets of the Killing State: The Untold Story of Lethal Injection.

03/30/2026

Last week, Public Policy Students attended a fireside chat in Richmond with Governor Abigail Spanberger and Chief of Staff Bonnie Krenz-Schnurman in celebration of Women’s History Month! Students had the opportunity to hear firsthand about leadership, public service, and the experiences of women shaping policy in Virginia.

03/23/2026

Join us this Wednesday at 4:30 for a conversation about Corinna Barrett Lain’s recent book, Secrets of the Killing State: The Untold Story of Lethal Injection. Trust us, you won’t want to miss this event.

03/20/2026

From William & Mary to the Jeopardy! stage, MPP alum Diana Miller (Class of 2008) recently took home a win on Jeopardy!—the result of years of dedication and a lifelong love of learning. Growing up watching trivia shows with her mom, Diana first took the Jeopardy! test at 16. After more than a decade of trying, and making it to the audition stage multiple times, she finally got her moment on screen last month.

Diana is an attorney in Richmond, and she said her educational background even came into play with the game featuring a category on historic trials. She described the experience as “surreal,” and was surprised by how positive and supportive the other contestants were. In the final moments, she felt a mix of relief that her wager didn’t cost her the game and shock that she had gotten the answer correct!

Outside the studio, Diana keeps her trivia skills sharp by going to weekly trivia nights with her husband. Her advice for anyone interested in following her footsteps is to take the test, because you never know where it might lead.

02/25/2026

The Graduate Research Symposium will take place tomorrow and Friday in Sadler! MPP ’26 Audra Nikolajski will be presenting her research “Education's Vaccine: High Dosage Tutoring's Impact on K-12 Learning Loss” tomorrow at 3PM in the James Room.

Project description: After COVID-19 school closures led to significant learning loss—most notably a 28% drop in math and 9% drop in reading SOL pass rates in Virginia—many districts turned to High Dosage Tutoring (HDT) as a potential intervention. Using a difference-in-differences analysis of six Northern Virginia counties from 2015–2024, this study finds that counties implementing HDT saw comparatively higher SOL pass rates, especially in upper elementary and middle school grades and in subjects like math where deficits were greatest.

See the schedule of events here:

Welcome!

02/18/2026

Sabine is a BA/MPP student from Alexandria, Virginia, studying to earn her Bachelors in Government and Economics. Last summer, she completed her honors thesis on energy development in tribal nations, exploring the intersection of policy, sovereignty, and economic development. On campus, Sabine serves as a lead tutor at the W&M Tutor Zone. Outside of academics, she has a longtime passion for dance—having trained in ballet for 14 years—and enjoys spending time hiking.

02/09/2026

Congratulations to W&M Public Policy Alum Steve Ford (BA - Govt. '92, MPP '94) on being named the next Director of Virginia's Department of Medical Assistance Services!

02/04/2026

Congratulations to 2nd Year MPP student Audra Nikolajski on her new role as a Research Associate at Shaffer Evaluation Group, a Williamsburg firm focused on evaluating and supporting K-12 and higher education programs! We’re incredibly proud of her and excited to see her put her skills and passion for equitable education outcomes into practice. We look forward to all the meaningful work she’ll be doing with schools, nonprofits, and communities across the country.

12/10/2025

Nicholas is a BA/MPP student from Alexandria, VA, majoring in Public Policy with a minor in Economics. He works as a research assistant on Professor Larry Evans’ project studying bicameralism in policymaking. He’s excited to gain practical skills through the MPP program and is especially interested in local government and urban policy. On campus, Nicholas is active in Student Government, particularly on sustainability initiatives, and is also involved in the Cheese Club, Astronomy Club, and SEAC!

11/25/2025

Last week, students in Professor Alan Kennedy’s capstone course held a Gun Policy Summit showcasing team presentations on critical firearm policy issues. Projects examined the topics of deer hunting season and firearm incidents, ammunition regulations and mass-shooting lethality, mandatory training and tiered licensing laws, and state-level liability protections for gun manufacturers. Each team offered practical policy recommendations for practitioners and identified avenues for future research. The event concluded with a roundtable discussion on gun policy and the Second Amendment. Congratulations to the class for concluding their projects!

11/19/2025

Professor McBeth was delighted to see W&M Econ/Public Policy alum Leonymae Aumentado '15 at the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management Conference in Seattle, Washington earlier this month. We are proud of Leonymae's good work as a Senior Project Manager at Poverty Solutions - University of Michigan and are honored to call her part of our Public Policy family!